The Inner Development Goals

Key skills for sustainable transformation

When we talk about inner development, we often think of mindfulness, self-reflection and personal growth. But how does this relate to sustainable development? And why should I develop personally when entire societies and political systems are struggling to contribute to a better future?

These were my thoughts about a year and a half ago. But after many discussions with colleagues, I began to question my reaction, my prejudices and my fears. I am now convinced that each and every one of us can, within our own framework, contribute to driving the socio-economic transformation that our world needs. Ultimately, we humans are responsible for shaping new systems and telling new stories, new narratives.

My personal development and the change in behaviour

The IDG¹ initiative calls this: Step into inner growth for outer change. IDG stands for Inner Development Goals.

For me, one of the results of analysing the IDGs has been to sharpen my professional focus. Last year, I made an important decision: I handed over my role as Managing Director to a colleague so that I could invest more time and energy in building up our sustainability consultancy improuv planet.

Is that in line with my values? Yes.

Does it allow me to learn? Absolutely.

Does it allow me to develop my social skills? Definitely.

I believe that collaboration is an important lever for being sustainable and successful in the future. In small teams, in large organisations, in cooperations and also in markets. Locally and globally.

At improuv planet, we have now established various collaborations and got to know interesting partners. Of course, this requires perseverance and optimism; these are also key skills for transformations.

Of course, personal development does not always have to lead to a professional change. That’s just my example.

When we talk about change, it usually means changing behaviour. This can involve a different area of life for everyone:

• travelling by train instead of plane,
• changing the story from “more is better” to “less is more”,
• taking ecological and social costs into account when making decisions, especially in our professional environment,
• consider ecological and social consequences in product design,
• going the extra mile to implement a sustainable, future-orientated solution.

Changing our routines requires perseverance and a clear idea of what our values are. Acquiring these skills is at the heart of the Inner Development Goals initiative.

The Inner Development Goals initiative

We live in an interconnected world with many interdependencies and global challenges. In 2015, the member states of the United Nations reached a broad consensus that combating poverty, inequality and environmental degradation is only possible through coordinated and integrated measures. 17 goals for sustainable development by 2030 – the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)² – were formulated. A kind of universal action plan that promotes cooperation across national borders and aims to create a fair and sustainable future for all people worldwide.

But progress has been disappointing. Apparently, we lack the inner strength to deal with our increasingly complex environment and the challenges of our time. In 2023, the Inner Development Goals initiative was therefore launched; it postulates a framework with 23 capabilities, divided into five categories.

The framework – also known as the IDG Framework – provides guidance. It helps, for example, to develop ideas in order to make progress with a specific transformation task. It promotes holistic development that takes into account not only external aspects such as income and status, but also internal aspects such as personal growth and emotional well-being. It supports individuals in developing a deeper understanding of themselves and strengthens communities by fostering relationships and defining collective goals. This makes the IDG Framework a sense-making tool that is relevant for both managers and employees.

The five categories of the IDG Framework

The Inner Development Goals are a science-based approach to how each and every one of us can develop personally in order to play our part in the now very urgent social and ecological transformation.

The key skills for a sustainable transformation are clearly presented in five different dimensions. This gives us an idea of how we can develop as individuals.

Being – relationship to self

Nurturing our inner life and developing and deepening our relationship with our thoughts, feelings and body helps us to be present, intentional and non-reactive when faced with complexity.

Thinking – cognitive skills

Developing our cognitive skills by taking different perspectives, evaluating information and understanding the world as an interconnected whole is essential to making wise decisions.

Relating – caring for others and the world

Appreciation, care and a sense of connection with others, e.g. neighbours, future generations or the biosphere, help us to create fairer and more sustainable systems and societies for all.

Collaborating – social skills

In order to move forward on common issues, we need to develop our ability to include, give space to and communicate with actors with different values, skills and competences.

Acting – enabling change

Qualities such as courage and optimism help us to gain real capacity for action, break old patterns, develop original ideas and act with perseverance in uncertain times.

We need precisely these five skills in order to identify and implement necessary measures across the board and thus achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as a global community.

Summary

In the pursuit of a sustainable future, more and more people are recognising the importance of inner development and personal growth. The Inner Development Goals initiative provides a framework for this, empowering people to strengthen their inner capabilities and thus have a positive impact on the world around them.

My personal engagement with the IDGs has deepened my understanding of how I want to develop myself and what contribution I want to make to a sustainable society. Of course, my path does not have to be your path. Engaging with the 5 key dimensions – being, thinking, relating, collaborating and acting – can open up diverse and individualised paths.

By nurturing our inner world and developing our relationship with ourselves, we become present and intentional when faced with the challenges of the world. Strengthening our cognitive abilities enables us to make wise decisions and solve complex problems. Valuing and caring for others and the world promotes more just and sustainable systems and societies. Developing our social skills enables us to work effectively with others to achieve common goals. And finally, courage and optimism empower us to initiate change and overcome obstacles.

It is up to each and every one of us to develop these key skills and play an active role in realising the Sustainable Development Goals. By developing ourselves, we are helping to create a fairer, more sustainable and liveable future for all. Let’s tackle the challenges of our time together and actively contribute to shaping a better world.

Extra bonus

Here you will find 3 additional questions on Inner Development Goals and sustainability answered by Hedi Buchner (please click on Plus):

improuv planet has developed additional workshop formats around the IDGs:

• Nachhaltige Entwicklung braucht innere Entwicklung: agile Schritte in eine lebensbejahende Zukunft
• Workshop zu Inner Development Goals

Simply talk to Hedi Buchner about the topic if you are interested. She will be happy to introduce the topic of “inner development” to your company as part of interactive impulse workshops.

[1] Initiative IDG
[2] Die 17 globalen Nachhaltigkeitsziele verständlich erklärt

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