tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28921553072133910852024-03-27T02:22:18.617-07:00Allison Lai on Sustainable Business, Leadership, and Triple Bottom Line ValuesAllison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-38954331123236746252013-01-20T20:28:00.001-08:002013-01-20T20:31:21.064-08:00Survey Results & Final Research: Sustainability Data Management Software<br />
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<span style="color: #339966; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 35.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><b><u>Executive
Summary</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b>Sustainability Issue</b></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">Although there are few legislative standards
that mandate a certain level of sustainable performance for companies in the
U.S., there is still enormous value to be gained by those who proactively
pursue sustainability goals. Effective management of environmental and
social performance data is critical for organizations of all sizes and
industries to achieve these goals.
Because the task of collecting, analyzing, and communicating
sustainability data is so extensive and complex, advanced software systems are
needed to centralize and simplify this process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b>Research Needed in the
Industry</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">Literature
that currently exists on this subject is largely focused on the vendors in the
industry. Since 2008, excitement
in this space has spurred the emergence of dozens of new sustainability
software products, developed by larger and well-established business
solutions providers such as Oracle and SAP as well as smaller, newer, and more
specialized companies such as Hara and CRedit360. Accordingly, current research aims to demystify this rapidly
growing market by providing potential users with resources to help them
understand the different products and ultimately choose a solution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">This study addresses what is currently missing
in the industry – that is, an examination of the user-end of these products.
This allows vendors to better understand customer needs in the market and
improve their products and services to increase customer success, which
is, ultimately, an effective corporate sustainability program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b>Research Questions Addressed in this Study<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">1. How do organizations collect,
analyze, and report their sustainability data?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">2.
What systems are they using to facilitate this process?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">3.
What challenges are they facing, and what do they need to meet those
challenges?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">4.
How can enterprise sustainability software be improved in order to
support the implementation of effective, data-driven sustainability strategies?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b>Key Findings</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">The
greatest opportunities for vendors to increase their value to customers are to
improve 1) product implementation, and 2) reporting capabilities.
These were rated as two of the top three most important features of a sustainability
software solution. However, this study found that users are, on average,
only marginally satisfied with their solution's ability to deliver on these
critical features. The other feature rated in the top three was
simplicity of user interface. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;"><i>Product Implementation:</i></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">Ease of product implementation was rated as
the number one most important software feature out of a list of fifteen. However, almost two-thirds of
research subjects who purchase sustainability software also use Excel
spreadsheets to support their data management efforts. This finding
indicates that the majority of software users have not been successful in fully
transitioning to the solution they pay for even though these products
should be designed to handle the entire data management process. This challenge can be resolved with
improved vendor service at the onset of launching a product with a
customer. The services needed include: locating data sources,
loading historical data into the system, and helping to establish
processes for pulling future data from internal and external sources. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;"><i>Reporting Capabilities:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">The ability to generate reports directly from
software was rated as the third most important product feature out of fifteen.
Sustainability managers currently struggle with the need to communicate
information to several different stakeholders and reporting organizations. Each one requires a different set of
reporting standards, thus further complicating the data management process.
There is a need for sustainability software that integrates not only the
most common reporting frameworks, but also the reporting requirements of
customers' unique stakeholders.
This can be part of a vendor's implementation service and includes
working with each customer to identify their specific reporting needs
and building a solution that allows them to easily provide the necessary
information to each stakeholder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b>Moving Forward </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">Effective data management will continue to be
a key driver of sustainability progress in organizations, and vendors should
not be deterred by the temporary lag in sales growth that the industry has
experienced over the last year.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">__________________________________________________________________________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11pt;">Click the following link to view the full report:</span></div>
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<b style="color: #339966; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9H8k4cZtRdgT3loMmU2aldXS00/edit" target="_blank">Sustainability Data Management Software</a></b></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-19245312044817508582012-11-06T09:52:00.001-08:002012-11-06T09:53:27.178-08:00ATTN: SUSTAINABILITY MANAGERS -- How do you collect and manage your sustainability data? What challenges are you facing?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">The point has been hit home time and again in articles, blogs, and case studies: DATA is a key driver of effective sustainability strategy in organizations. It tells us how we are performing and where we have opportunities for improvement, thus directing our strategic efforts. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">If we aspire to integrate sustainability considerations into core business decisions, then it is integral that we create processes for data collection, management, analysis, and reporting that are as efficient and standardized as possible -- like our processes for measuring financial performance. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">Unlike with financial metrics, however, the processes and tools that organizations implement to evaluate sustainability metrics vary drastically across companies and industries. This variation seems to be a significant setback in our collaborative sustainability effort because it causes confusion when identifying standards and best practices. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">I am conducting research for my MBA thesis to understand the processes and software tools that Sustainability Managers are using to collect, analyze, and communicate their organizations' sustainability data -- and more importantly, what challenges arise with different approaches taken by different companies? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">I will make this research available to the community for free for the purpose of benefitting public knowledge. It will guide vendors of sustainability software solutions to improve their product offerings to better meet customer needs. It will also help Sustainability Managers understand the common benefits and drawbacks of solutions in the market, enabling them to make an informed decision when choosing a solution for their company. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">To support this research, I am asking Sustainability Managers and those holding other sustainability-related roles in companies to please spare 10 minutes of time to participate in a brief survey. Participation will benefit the effort to develop technologies and processes that drive the implementation of sustainability initiatives in businesses. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">If you work in a sustainability function in your company, I hope that you can find a moment in your busy schedule to provide your valuable input for this study. I would like to collect as many survey responses as possible by 16-Nov. Please contact me if you would like to further discuss this research. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">Sustainability Data Management Processes Survey</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px;">Link: </span><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqtrial%2Equaltrics%2Ecom%2FSE%2F%3FSID%3DSV_0qEBcR1vHSnwjs1&urlhash=rjDA&_t=tracking_anet" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #006699; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="blank">https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0qEBcR1vHSnwjs1</a></span>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-77945751818206132712012-04-28T17:02:00.003-07:002012-05-01T16:58:43.383-07:00Sustainability Reporting & GRI in Business School Curriculum<div>
The following paper includes:</div>
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1) Analysis of the rising trend of sustainability reporting</div>
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2) The argument for GRI as the leading framework for sustainability reporting in the U.S.</div>
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3) Policy proposal for including GRI projects in business school curriculum</div>
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The GRI projects are proposed specifically for the Dominican University of California's Green MBA in Sustainable Enterprise program in San Rafael, CA, USA. However, similar or identical projects can be administered at any business school or sustainability program. </div>
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The key point is that there is both a need and an opportunity to increase awareness, education, and implementation of sustainability reporting in the United States. As a global economic leader, we are abysmally lagging in developing integrated sustainability strategies for businesses. To embark on this journey, we must first measure and report on social and environmental performance. </div>
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In the coming weeks, I will be creating a condensed version of this report for broader implementation of the policy. Please let me know if you are interested in receiving this link. Leave your email in the Comments section or message me through LinkedIn or at allisonclai@gmail.com</div>
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<br />
Link to paper:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9H8k4cZtRdgR2NjUFpkeElnQ1k" target="_blank">GRI & Sustainability Reporting in Business School Curriculum</a></span></div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-30508948118648495102012-04-03T09:00:00.001-07:002012-05-01T17:02:40.677-07:00Breaking into Sustainability Consulting: 101<div style="background-color: white;">
Sustainability and CSR consulting is an emerging field with optimistic prospects for growth due to the increasing realization that there is a huge business opportunity to leverage social and environmental strategy to drive financial objectives.</div>
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According to the <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9H8k4cZtRdgUDd4bkVrS3FTaFdjS09tZnd0NS1VQQ" target="_blank">2012 Global Sustainability Consultant Survey</a> conducted by David Schatsky at Green Research, 60 percent of sustainability consultants entered the field within the last 5 years. We are seeing the arrival of a growing number of new boutique consulting firms focusing specifically on organizational sustainability strategy. Concurrently, more and more existing consultants are moving from their prior field of expertise and gaining the education needed to reinvent themselves as sustainability strategy specialists. </div>
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What is perhaps even more telling of the maturation of this industry is that all of the big management and strategy consulting firms -- <a href="http://www.deloitte.com/us/sustainability" target="_blank">Deloitte</a>, <a href="http://www.ey.com/US/en/Services/Specialty-Services/Climate-Change-and-Sustainability-Services" target="_blank">Ernst & Young</a>, <a href="http://www.kpmg.com/ca/en/whatwedo/specialinterests/sustainability/pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">KPMG</a>, <a href="http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/sustainability" target="_blank">PwC</a>, <a href="http://www.accenture.com/us-en/sustainability/Pages/index.aspx" target="_blank">Accenture</a>, <a href="http://www.bcg.com/expertise_impact/capabilities/sustainability/default.aspx" target="_blank">Boston Consulting</a>, <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/Client_Service/Sustainability" target="_blank">McKinsey</a> -- have each created their own division for sustainability consulting. Such firms can have tremendous influence on big clients whose operations have far reaching social and environmental impacts. The fact that these firms have realized the value to be gained from sustainability strategy is an indicator that the private sector will be the most probable leader in driving the global shift toward sustainability. This, of course, appears to be ever more true as we witness, in frustration, seemingly stagnant global legislative action to mandate corporate responsibility. </div>
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As a current <a href="http://greenmba.com/" target="_blank">MBA student studying sustainable business management</a> and looking to capitalize on the opportunity to be a sustainability professional in the coming decades, I have gotten some great advice on how to strategically enter the field. </div>
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<a href="http://www.the10xgroup.com/about-us/bios/" target="_blank">Paul Bozzo</a> -- my Entrepreneurial Finance professor and Founding Principal of the <a href="http://www.the10xgroup.com/" target="_blank">10X Group</a>, a consultancy for entrepreneurial strategy -- gave me an overview of common career paths of specialty consultants. You can start with a big firm -- a KPMG or an E&Y -- to get broad experience with management consulting, client relationships, and strategy development and implementation. From there, you can spend years moving up and up within the firm to eventually and hopefully become a partner. Or, what is more common is to take that broad experience and move to smaller, more focused firms. Eventually, a final route for some is to establish yourself as an independent consultant with enough expertise developed over the years to market your personal brand and take on solo projects. According to the <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9H8k4cZtRdgUDd4bkVrS3FTaFdjS09tZnd0NS1VQQ" target="_blank">Green Research 2012 Sustainability Consultant Survey</a>, 61 percent of sustainability consultants work alone or in firms with 10 or less consultants in the practice. </div>
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Of course, this is very general advice, and sustainability consultants have varying career paths within this framework as well as completely different paths altogether. But being at the onset of my career as a sustainability professional, this general guidance is enough for me to take my career development to the next step. </div>
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<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/navin-ramachandran/0/a0/26a" target="_blank">Navin Ramacharndran</a> -- currently Vice President of Products at <a href="http://www.amyris.com/" target="_blank">Amyris Inc</a>, and formerly an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Co. -- provided further advice on how to prepare to enter the sustainability division of a large consulting firm:</div>
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1. Identify which office has the greatest focus on sustainability. The global scale of these companies means multiple offices across the country and around the world. Different offices encounter a different number of clients interested in sustainability strategy development. For example, because of regional culture, offices in San Francisco or New York will see a higher demand for sustainability consulting services compared to, say, Atlanta or Minneapolis. </div>
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2. Ask associate-level consultants at those identified offices how much they actually work on sustainability projects. If there are few active clients for a firm's sustainability division, associates are often placed on other projects, whatever they may be. To develop expertise in the sustainability field, you should be working specifically on those projects as much as possible. </div>
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3. Master the case job interview. According to <a href="http://www.opm.gov/WIKI/uploads/docs/Wiki/OPM/training/MIT%20Career%20Development%20Handbook.pdf" target="_blank">MIT's Career Development Handbook</a>, the case interview is an interview in which "you are introduced to a business dilemma facing a particular company. You are asked to analyze the situation, identify key business issues, and discuss how you would address the problems involved." Case interviews are most common in management consulting firms and investment banking companies, and there are numerous resources on- and offline where you can find sample case studies to practice with. </div>
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However, in my search to find case studies specific to sustainability issues and strategy development, I have come up short. I imagine this is because of the relatively early stage of maturity of the industry. The way I have decided is the best way to find my own sustainability cases to analyze is to find a company with an established CSR strategy and pull up their annual CSR report as well as the 10-K for that same year. The analysis, then, is to identify the key social and environmental issues addressed in the CSR report and understand how and where the company's sustainability strategy had an impact on their financial performance reflected in the 10-K. To get clients onboard, there must always be financial gain because the bottom line of the triple bottom line, ultimately, is the bottom line. Of course, many efforts that are part of a company's sustainability strategy provide intangible, non-financial benefit. It is also equally important to address these gains and translate them into an argument for how the company can leverage that value as a tangible asset. </div>
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Are you currently a sustainability consultant? What was your career path to get you where you are today? What advice do you have for MBA students looking to enter the field? Do you think that analyzing sustainability cases is an effective way to prepare for an interview with a sustainability consulting firm? Please share your thoughts.</div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com147tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-25375892722882161942011-04-21T11:48:00.000-07:002011-04-21T11:51:46.111-07:00INTRAPRENEURSHIP: Having a positive impact in your workplace regardless of your position<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Net Impact Webinar Series: Action Learning Call with Paul Hardt, Capella University</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Thursday, April 14, 2011</b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 13pt;"><i>I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">n this Net Impact web call, Paul Hardt explains how to introduce sustainable business practices (SBPs) in the workplace and implement effective change. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond; text-transform: uppercase;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I. Challenges to implementing SBP</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">s</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">“The hard stuff is the easy stuff. The soft stuff is the hard stuff.” </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hard stuff</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> = </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">technical</span></u></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> changes in an organization. We have the best computers and management systems to measure carbon footprint, waste generation, energy and water usage, etc. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Soft stuff</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> = </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">human</span></u></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> performance, motivation, relationships, training, resistance to change. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It’s easy to get all the technology and systems in place, but it takes only one human performance error to ruin the implementation of a sustainable business plan.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond; text-transform: uppercase;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">II. Management decision making styles</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How to approach managers to suggest a sustainable business plan for your workplace</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A common belief, while often true, is that we have to show proven bottom line impact to get SBPs in place. However, the truth is that sometimes managers make decisions based on factors other than bottom line return. There are a wide variety of decision making styles that managers take when looking at adopting a particular business practice. The key is to cater your pitch to your specific audience by understanding the factors </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">your manager</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> considers when making a decision. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3 basic decision making styles:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1) NORMATIVE</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Decisions made based on (usually financial) rules – ROI, profit margins, market value</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2) BEHAVIORAL</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">a. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Process</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Decisions made based on the </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">process of decision making</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. These managers are more inclined to engage stakeholders in the decision making process to ensure that the decision reflects the interests of the people most affected by it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">b. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Risk</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Managers with this style are more focused on looking at the risks and benefits of a decision. They may be more inclined to take a short term loss in order to get long term gain.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3) NATURALISTIC (a mixed bag of decision making styles)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">a. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Stories</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Some managers make decisions based on stories they hear at the decision making table, the golf course, happy hour, from a friend in a different company, wherever. If they hear a story from another executive or manager that convinces them to adopt a certain strategy, they will be very influenced by that. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">b. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ethical</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Decision based on, “Is this the right thing to do?”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">c. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Idiosyncratic</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Decision based on an argument from the latest book or article</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Application</span></u></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Assess the decision making styles of the managers to whom you are pitching your social intrapreneureal idea</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">* Some managers can have multiple decision making styles. Be able to cater to the subtleties of their styles.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">III. FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A tool for understanding the dynamics of the forces within an organization that push towards change and those that resist change</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kurt Levine (1940s) developed a metaphor of using physical forces to understand the dynamics of change. There are certain </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">driving</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> forces that move an organization toward change and certain </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">barrier</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> forces that get in the way of change. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">Organizations remain static when barrier forces counteract driving forces with equal pressure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">DRIVING FORCES</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Economics</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Using resources efficiently can save money, and savings can be passed to customers.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Regulation</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Laws can push businesses to adopt SBPs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Competition</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Gain market share</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ethics</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Concern about the impact of using up the world’s resources</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Recruitment</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Attract new talent. Many new workplace initiates Generation Y look to work for an organization that is making a positive difference in the world. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">6. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Customer pressure</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – When making purchasing decisions, conscious consumers demand products from sustainable businesses.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">7. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Supply chain pressure</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Some organizations demand that their suppliers adopt SBPs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BARRIER FORCES</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Cost</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Too much investment</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Time</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Too much time and trouble</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Motivation and values</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – People lack the values or motivation to find SBPs beneficial </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Political pressures</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Board members, investors, and other stakeholders may squander organizational endeavors to adopt SBPs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Application</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Strategy for dealing with resistance/barriers</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">: Brainstorm what constitutes each of these barrier forces in your organization. Rather than pushing the case for the driving forces, determine how the </span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">barriers</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> can be </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">removed</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> or </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">reduced</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. If drivers are pressed too much, then the barriers will counteract with stronger resistance. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMYwkK53VFXWGrBG1TgV77INzBg2-7F8r0_lLsE0D9sp-ck4dN8bztdPYAdV2Fl4EZjT24w5pMRIbE6z3Eh1rwLYNN8UIc4UklX2K6DM7XSvfyykXsBVNe89jDs8b3_2oEZa0Zw6GoQ4/s1600/table_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMYwkK53VFXWGrBG1TgV77INzBg2-7F8r0_lLsE0D9sp-ck4dN8bztdPYAdV2Fl4EZjT24w5pMRIbE6z3Eh1rwLYNN8UIc4UklX2K6DM7XSvfyykXsBVNe89jDs8b3_2oEZa0Zw6GoQ4/s640/table_2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">IV. BEHAVIORAL ENGINEERING MODEL (BEM)</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – Thomas Gilbert’s performance improvement studies</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A tool for understanding the 6 different key human performance areas that can make or break the “soft side” of introducing sustainable business practices</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When strategizing to encourage your organization to use SBPs:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. Identify each of these six factors of human performance within your company.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. Ask: How </span><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">aligned</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> are all of these factors in our organization? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If there is misalignment across some of these factors (with is very possible), your approach in getting people to adopt SBPs is not as effective as it could be. For example, there may be clear expecations and resourceful information for people to do these practices, but at the same time, there may be a conflicting incentive system that rewards people for contradictory behavior. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Think about all of the individual factors and whether they are in place, AND also think about the </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">relationships</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> between these factors and whether they are </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">aligned</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Behavioral engineering model:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">V. COMMUNICATING CHANGE</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We have moved into a world and culture that is in a constant state of change. How can we help our organizations move through endless instability?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5 factors to consider to promote positive change</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(Diane Dormant, PhD, Professor at Boise State University)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. RELATIVE ADVANTAGE</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">“What’s in it for me?” Be prepared to talk about the benefit that your particular audience will gain from adopting the change.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. SIMPLICITY</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Is the change easy to follow? Set clear expectations.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. COMPATIBILITY</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Will the proposed changes blend smoothly into your company’s culture and standard practices? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. ADAPTABILITY</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Be able to adapt the change to the characteristics and needs of the organization. Be flexible and make some compromises to get the </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">most</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> out of the new practices. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5. SOCIAL IMPACT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Who will be affected by the change and how will they respond to it?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5 steps to introduce and encourage positive change</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> (Dormant)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. AWARENESS</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Raise awareness about the change before you try to </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">push</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. CURIOUSITY (a great opportunity!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Provoke curiousity and inquiry. Provide resources such as FAQ lists and other support tools to help get people informed and on board. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. VISUALIZATION</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Have employees imagine what the change might look like in the near and distant future. People will have both positive and negative outlooks. For negative visualizers, help identify what the negative factors are that are causing concern. Address those concerns to create understanding and a more positive attitude. For positive visualizers, make sure the picture is accurate and realistic. If people have high expectations that won’t be met, then progress will seem slow and unrewarding. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. TRYOUT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Allow people to test the change strategies in a low impact, low consequence way. They won’t immediately see the </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">full</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> impact of the change, but they can learn to adapt to the change without the fear of making a mistake. Furthermore, you can adjust your sustainability strategy based on initial responses. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">5. USE</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Implement SBPs. Set up systems to </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">sustain</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> the new practices. Develop refresher programs. Give feedback about how individuals are doing and how the organization is doing compared to the goals.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-83545831219990029882011-04-20T15:08:00.000-07:002011-04-20T15:28:35.351-07:00Sustainability in K-12 education: Long-term goals to transform market demand for sustainable brands<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We are currently seeing a remarkable increase in the demand for sustainability and social and environmental responsibility curriculum in undergraduate and advanced education programs. College students entering the working world and current professionals going back to school recognize the value they can bring to the work place with an education in environmental management systems, sustainable business models, and systemic thinking. In response to this demand, these topics are becoming increasingly more integrated into undergraduate majors, professional certificates, and business programs. However, because this evolution of curriculum spurred from a </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">demand</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> for </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">professional competence</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> in a green economy, we are overlooking another longer-term goal that sustainability education can achieve – building the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">demand</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> for the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">green economy</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If we integrate the value of sustainable consumption into K-12 curriculum, we can produce a generation of consumers with the knowledge, values, and influence this sustainability movement needs to really take flight. When today’s kids become tomorrow’s consumers, we need them to support responsible brands. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I am fairly out of touch with today’s K-12 curriculum, as I’ve been out of it for a few years now and I don’t have kids of my own. I imagine that it is so institutionalized and under funded that it is resistant to change and still closely resembles my own K-12 public education. Admittedly, I don’t understand the politics behind the institutional paralysis of public education. However, I’d like to propose a solution to the issue of insufficient funding. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Socially and environmentaly responsible companies can invest in education to promote awareness of the environmental repercussions of consumerism. Businesses can fund training programs to educate teachers on appropriate curriculum that addresses the importance of responsible and sustainable consumption. Obviously this would require an investment that won’t pay off until these kids constitute a significant portion of the consumer market. But isn’t the value up front investment for the sake of long-term returns at the core of the sustainable business mentality? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Of course, there are already resources that can assist schools in developing this curriculum. In my preliminary Google research, I found a “Students and Sustainability” section on the US EPA website. It includes links to EPA’s Environmental Education Center, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Green Teacher Magazine</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, and a curriculum development resource called “Going Places Making Choices.” GreeningSchools.org is a similar initiative launched by the Illinois EPA. And FacingTheFuture.org is another organization that addresses global issues and sustainability curriculum. While these resources exist and are readily available, it is up the schools and teachers to learn the new curriculum, get it approved by the school board, and integrate it into courses. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So my question is: Can responsible companies be the bridge between having those education materials available and getting that material into classrooms? If we are to create a future based on a green economy where consumers support responsible businesses and value sustainable brands, I think this idea is worth considering. </span></span></div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-90806594839943743122011-04-08T11:26:00.000-07:002011-04-20T15:14:33.342-07:00Quarterly Non-Financial Reporting: A tool for improving social and environmental business strategies<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Every public company in the U.S. releases a quarterly financial statement (the 10-Q) that shows their financial results – how money is flowing in, through, and out of the company – and any significant changes and events that occurred over a three-month period. For external stakeholders, the 10-Q and other financial reports help to uphold a company’s financial accountability to their investors and guide sound investment decisions. Internally, this information is used to: 1) evaluate financial performance for the reporting period, 2) predict results that are likely to happen in the foreseeable future, and 3) adjust business strategy to capitalize on opportunities and avoid preventable loss. Frequent quarterly reporting allows companies to constantly update and improve their financial strategy. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As companies move into the new world of sustainability and shift to a triple-bottom line business model, it appears that they are ill-equipped to adjust their social and environmental strategies as efficiently as they can their financial strategy. Why?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Current reporting on a company’s social and environmental performance (CSR reporting, or corporate social responsibility) occurs, at most, on an </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">annual</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> basis, and this information is not released until 6 to 9 months after the reporting year. More commonly, we see companies publishing bi-annual CSR reports. This means that for every one CSR report released, there are eight quarterly financial reports. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When information turnover is this slow, response is delayed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">By the time a company tries to mobilize and make improvements, conditions and needs have changed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The data used to inform social and environmental strategy decisions is, at best, almost a year old. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If we are to create businesses that value economic, social, and environmental performance equally, then we need to report on social and environmental performance to the extent we do financials.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The speed of this reporting needs to catch up to the evolving world of business that's obsessed with real-time data and immediate response.</span></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BARRIERS </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There are two major barriers to incorporating comprehensive reporting in businesses: 1) resources, and 2) metrics.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Resources</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Like the finance department that is central to any company, sustainable companies need a department whose primary function is to oversee social and environmental performance.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Only with this level of commitment can frequent triple-bottom line reporting (and thus continuous improvement) be possible.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It cannot be an ancillary function of a department whose main responsibilities lie elsewhere in the company. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Inertia sets on the whim of the financial department when the enormous investment in human resources, education, and infrastructure cannot be financially justified.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In physics, inertia infinitely continues until acted on by a force.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In this case, that force will be a new wave of morally informed investors who believe it is the responsibility of businesses to leverage their power and influence to effect positive impact on communities and the world.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Organizations such as the Social Investment Forum, SocialFunds.com, Calvert Investments, and GreenAmerica.org are helping to accelerate the growth of this investment trend.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">They are attracting investors who have new values that extend beyond promising ROI and growing dividends.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Metrics</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fiscal strategy is based on fiscal measurements.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The unit of measure is the dollar (or other local currency).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Using these measurements and comparisons, companies can improve their performance by adjusting sales prices, operating expenses, and cash flows. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The problem with this new phase of sustainable business is that we measure </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">everything</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> in dollars.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The dollar is a product of the economy – NOT of the environment and not of human social interactions.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So why are we trying to measure social and environmental performance in a unit that doesn’t allow us to make the best informed strategic decisions regarding these issues?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Functional environmental reporting measures electricity, fuel, natural gas, and water usage as well as pollution and waste reduction.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Social reporting assesses (among many other factors) health, safety, and turnover rate of employees, and quality of life, education, and health in global supplier communities.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Another flaw in current CSR reporting is that numbers for the reporting year are compared only to a prior year’s baseline.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Measuring against past performance is crucial to understand the degree to which a company is improving.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">However, in addition, these measurements need to be put into the context of the company’s long-term goals.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In other words, social and environmental performance need to be measured against </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">both</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> past performance </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> future targets.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sustainability is a process of continuous improvement that will evolve and innovate into the future.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Businesses need to evaluate their position in terms of their broader sustainability goals instead of only considering their improvements compared to past baselines that were calculated when sustainability initiatives didn’t even exist.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">CASE STUDY: TIMBERLAND</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In 2008, Timberland began an initiative to release quarterly social and environmental performance reports in addition to their financial statements and bi-annual CSR reports.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Each quarterly report includes four focus areas that inform their core CSR strategies: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ENERGY</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Measured in:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(a)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Metric tons of GHG emissions</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(b)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kilowatt-hours of renewable energy used</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(c)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Total percentage of renewable energy used</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">PRODUCT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Measured in:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(a)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Green Index score – a measure of product impact on the environment [http://community.timberland.com/Earthkeeping/Green-Index]</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(b)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Grams of VOC per pair of shoes (volatile organic compounds)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(c)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Total percentage of organic cotton sourced</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">WORKPLACES</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Measured in:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(a)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Percentage of “High Priority” factories – score of at least 80 on the Timberland factory scorecard that evaluates production capacities and working hours</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(b)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Percentage of production in “High Risk” factories – They strive for low production from high risk factories so that attention can be directed toward making health and safety improvements in those factories</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(c)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Environmental assessment score – Scorecard methodology adopted from the Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(d)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Assessment scores of business partners</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">SERVICE (community greening)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Measured in:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(a)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Total hours used for community service</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(b)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Total percentage of work hours used for community service</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(c)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Total percentage of employees who engage in community service</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(Source: Timberland Corporate Responsibility, http://community.timberland.com/Corporate-Responsibility/Our-Impact)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Timberland has overcome the barriers of resources and metrics.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">They allot sufficient human and financial resources to match their commitment to social and environmental values.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">With these resources, they are able to produce frequent comprehensive performance reports and adjust their strategies to meet current needs.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">CSR performance is measured in non-dollar units, demonstrating how monetary units cannot adequately inform social and environmental strategic decisions.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If we are to create a new culture of sustainability and continuous improvment, businesses must adopt this approach to comprehensive performance reporting.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-38703119856559712002010-11-17T16:21:00.000-08:002011-04-20T15:15:06.701-07:0010 benefits of clear and concise business communication<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I learn more about business and communication, I've picked up on two key ideas:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) People have short attention spans, and</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">2) "Misinterpretation is a phenomenon of communication."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;"> - Jane Lorand</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">To overcome these barriers and communicate your message effectively, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) Get to the point, and</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">2) Eliminate ambiguity in your message</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Be clear and concise.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are what I think are the top ten benefits of being clear in concise in business communication (not listed in any particular order):</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">1. Reduce the chance of misinterpretation of your message.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Clarity eliminates ambiguity and confusion. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ensure alignment of everyone involved.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">2. Set the precedent for organizational structure</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> with the people you are working with. From the beginning, establish clear and concise communication and encourage </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">others to follow suit. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">When everyone on your team communicates effectively, the work is more organized and efficient. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">3. Your coworkers, business partners, and employees will have more trust and confidence in your leadership skills.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Being clear and concise displays your clarity of thought. People have more confidence in what you say because it shows that you know exactly what you are doing and what needs to be done. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Build trust, strengthen </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">team cohesion, and create a more productive working environment.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">4. Your coworkers, business partners, and employees will have more confidence in themselves.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> People are more self-assured when they understand exactly what they are supposed to be doing and why they are doing it. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Confidence leads to higher quality work. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">5. Maintain your audience’s interest and attention.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Don’t bore people with lengthy explanations. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cater to people's short attention spans.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">6. Clarify your ideas to yourself.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> By communicating a clear message to others, you first have to make it clear to yourself. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ensure that your message is coherent before you share it with others.</span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">7. Create a more knowledgeable workplace.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> Spread knowledge and increase understanding among everyone. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Create a smarter, well-informed, more productive workplace.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">8. Save time and maximize efficiency. </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Valuable time is wasted when it is spent trying to decipher </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">a complicated message.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">9. Maintain focus.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> When you don’t convolute your ideas with extra words, you can get straight to the point and eliminate tangents. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone understands exactly what needs to be done.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">10. Easier to point out flaws or weaknesses and identify where improvements need to be made.</span></b><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> It is difficult to make improvements and get feedback for a complicated business plan. </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">A coherent message is easily broken into components to analyze and improve upon.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892155307213391085.post-50238106560763653182010-11-17T13:58:00.000-08:002010-11-19T14:37:15.560-08:00How traditional business and social irresponsibility have caused our current healthcare crisis<span style="font-family: Garamond;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">American healthcare is in a state of turmoil. News is flooded with debates about the GOP trying to repeal Obama’s healthcare bill and the Obama administration pushing for middle-class rights. The arguments are endless. As Barack Obama stepped into the presidential office, he faced a healthcare issue that is so complex and so misunderstood that the only thing the American public can agree on doing together is to point a blaming finger at the President. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Any unbiased, educated person will agree that Obama is not the root cause of this problem. We also know the problem didn’t spring out of the blue. So who, or what, is to blame? The answer is simple: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the flawed paradigms of traditional business and American capitalism</i>. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Traditional business is fixated on minimizing costs and maximizing profits. The mentality is that if something works, stick with it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In capitalism, the goal is to produce a desirable good or service. If people want it and you can supply it, then it is your right to make money off of it. Individually, these two core ideas can be benign. In combination, however, they have created and perpetuated a fatal network of problems in healthcare. The root cause of our healthcare issue can be traced back to American business.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Healthcare is a business. A service is provided, and payment is expected accordingly. By basic economic law, if demand goes up, charge more. Since demand is high, the price is high, and accessibility is consequently low. The key driver behind the healthcare issue is the outrageous demand for medical services. Millions of people are getting sick and need medical attention. Tracking the issue further upstream, we discover the reasons why so many people are getting sick.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Exposed</u></i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Lives per Gallon</u></i>, Mark Schapiro and Terry Tamminen delve into the medical problems associated with everyday consumer products from oil and autos to electronics, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, and even food. The American market is chock full of chemicals, hormones, fertilizers, heavy metals, and other synthetic ingredients. An astounding number of these are known to cause cancer, hormone disruption, and respiratory problems like asthma. An even more astounding number of these have never been tested. They circulate the market under an “innocent until proven guilty” assumption. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Obesity is an emerging American epidemic and is expected to cause an enormous increase in the demand for healthcare over the next few decades. The epidemic has been spurred by the food industry. Fast food and junk food companies are running “successful” businesses at the expense of health. As their profits increase, so does the demand for healthcare. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">The most cost-effective way to ameliorate the rising costs and falling accessibility of healthcare would be an investment in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">preventative</i> healthcare. We could reduce the demand for medical services by preventing people from getting sick. We need a requirement for businesses to ensure that their consumer products and components of their products do not have associated medical repercussions. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">A much bigger problem arises because drafting and enforcing this type of preventative healthcare is a political issue, and politics have become afflicted with legislative paralysis. Politics are a business. Like any other citizen, politicians need to make money. They do so by offering a service. That service is to write, influence, or stifle legislation.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Like any other business, politicians have customers. There are two basic ways to make a lot of money. The first is to sell a cheap product to a large customer base. For example, musicians get rich by selling millions of albums at fifteen dollars apiece. The second way is to sell a very expensive product to a small customer base. Lamborghinis, for example, are sold at a tremendously high price to only a handful of people. Politicians do the latter – but at an astronomical scale. Think of a car company. They sell hundreds of millions of cars worth tens of thousands of dollars each. In the business of politics, a car is a “cheap” commodity. A politician’s customer is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entire auto industry</i> – and that’s just one customer. It is a politician’s job to provide the desired service to their customers – that is, to influence policy in the customer’s interest. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Treating politics like a traditional business is essentially sanctioned by the system of American capitalism. A service is provided at a cost. And in this free market, the demand for political service is so high that it sells at a whopping price – a price only affordable by enormously wealthy industries. Coincidentally (or not), those wealthy industries are also the ones whose products cause the most damage to consumer health. This is what has perpetuated our healthcare crisis. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Political lobbying and corporate influence are well-known problems in the American legislative system. What gets less recognized, however, is the role of social responsibility in business. In traditional business and capitalism, fiscal responsibility to shareholders is the main, if not only, priority. It is the “higher purpose” of business. Under this paradigm, big business has literally sickened society and created a plethora of intricate problems that no one seems to be able to solve. Business has become a detriment to our country. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">The argument for social responsibility comes from the fact that these industries lobby politicians and continue to push their products even though they are completely aware of the dangers they pose to consumer health. They are conscious of the fact that one of the main reasons why they are so fiscally successful is that they do not list <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">human</i> cost as a liability on their balance sheets. All of this is done <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for the sake of profit</i>. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s time to reevaluate the purpose of business. Business and societal health are in conflict. In a world where money is power, business reigns and society finds itself at a loss. The rules need to be rewritten to give society – our health – a fighting chance. Or better yet, the paradigm of business needs to shift to form a compatible relationship between the two.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shouldn’t business improve society and benefit our health? Is there a way to urge businesses to serve society in the process of collecting profits? There is, and the European Union is already leaps ahead of us on this path. It starts with regulation. The EU has passed directives that ban thousands of potentially harmful substances from being sold in consumer products. They have also been the world leader in setting standards for chemical fertilizer use and responsible food production. Most recently, they have passed REACH – Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals – a bill that demands transparency from businesses, mandating them to identify all chemicals in their consumer products and gain permission to release them into the market (Schapiro). Under these regulations, European businesses are developing healthier but still functional products. So their profits are protected as well as consumer health. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Garamond;">Mark Schapiro explains the fatal assumption of American consumers – if a product is on the market, then it is government-approved, and it must be safe. But in the American system where our government is governed by business, we are unknowingly putting our trust in the irresponsible corporations that are the root cause of our healthcare crisis. Will corporate </span><country-region><place><span style="font-family: Garamond;">America</span></place></country-region><span style="font-family: Garamond;"> allow our government to pass regulations that threaten their profits? Or will our true leaders be able to step up against traditional businesses that threaten societal health? We have yet to see if we can tame our own beasts. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Allison Laihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09573994485443609609noreply@blogger.com4