We live in an age where organisations know that they have to make some big
changes, but they are not always sure what those changes are. They certainly
know why they have to make changes — the world is on
fire in one place and
underwater in another.
What is a conscious organisation?
The constant pursuit of bottom-line growth is precisely why we are facing these
extreme dangers. A conscious organisation to me is a company that commits to
growing the Triple Bottom
Line:
People, Planet and Profit.
A conscious organisation accepts that there are limits to profit and that it
should not be the priority. If profit cannot be achieved within the limited
resources of the planet and without addressing inequality, then it cannot be
achieved.
Why choose to be conscious?
If you are reading this and thinking that it sounds good, but you have no idea
how you’re going to approach the leaders in your organisation with such a crazy
idea, let me help.
75 percent of
employees
say their job is more fulfilling if they are provided opportunities to make an
impact, and companies with engaged
staff
outperform their competitors by 143 percent on earnings per share.
The latest Consumer
Report
shows big shifts towards ethical food and drink, including
plant-based
and Fairtrade
goods.
Clean energy has seen a similar rise — one of the biggest increases comes in the
electric vehicle market, which has risen to £4.9bn in the UK.
Data also show that triple-bottom-line-related issues are ~80 percent
likely to
impact a consumer’s purchasing decision to buy.
So, this change is about future-proofing your organisation. It’s not an ‘if’
question — it’s a ‘when’ question.
The 3 pillars
Pillar 1: Be mission-focused
If you are lucky enough to be working for an organisation that has a clear,
purpose-driven mission statement that you can see in the values of the
organisation every day, then congratulations. This is rare, though.
Your mission and values should be living and breathing inside of every decision
the company makes. Conscious Creatives’
mission is to see the world fit inside of the ecological ceiling and social
foundation that Kate Raworth has set out in ‘Doughnut
Economics.’ That’s our end goal. We
aren’t going to turn away any awards that we get but we aren’t trying to win
awards — we are trying to save the planet.
Brene Brown’s book, Dare to Lead, is a
great tool for getting to grips with real leadership and aligning your
organisation to your values. The most important part that I found in my business
was creating a list of behaviours that represent our values, so that it’s clear
what is expected from everyone. Allow people to interpret that for their job
roles and watch the culture
change.
Pillar 2: Set the right kind of plan
There is no set way to make these changes, which is part of the problem. There
are many options and it’s not easy to pick the right one.
If you are a larger organization, then it’s likely that you will be including
sustainability and impact reporting as part of your non-financial disclosures.
This is a fantastic place to start; use the discussions you are having as part
of that to unlock new ideas.
Whether you are big or small, we recommend using a framework such as Doughnut
Economics or the UN's Sustainable Development
Goals as the best way to
make sure you are aligning your organisation’s strategy with true sustainability
impacts. You can use national government guidelines; but here in the UK, for
example, net-zero by 2050 doesn’t line up with the science and you may wish to
set more ambitious goals.
You will also need to look at all of your stakeholders and how your
relationships with one another create impact. We recommend creating influence
maps to see which stakeholders you are already influencing and which you need to
add in order to achieve your mission.
Over the top of that map, then create new ideas on how to influence those
stakeholders. As an example, Conscious Creatives wanted to influence our local
council, so I joined it to bring my expertise and knowledge directly to my
community. There happened to be a place open at the time; but if not, then there
were many other ways to influence. That’s where the magic is.
Pillar 3: Communication
If all is well, then by now you’ve made the brave decision to get more
conscious; you’ve got yourself a solid grasp of where you are now and a strategy
for where you are heading. You’re feeling confident, somehow; but maybe a little
nervous, too. Now comes the hard part: sharing your vision with the world.
It’s really important that you have two communications strategies — one for your
internal stakeholders and one for external. You are likely making some pretty
big investment decisions, and your staff need to know how it affects them and
also how excited they should be about the new initiatives.
In the ever-changing marketplace, your customers need to know about the positive
choices you’ve made and how it will affect their experience. Consumers want to
feel better about the way they spend their money, so go tell them why they
should feel
good.
It’s important to do this step properly, because you want your staff and board
to be more engaged and you want your consumers excited about handing over their
hard-earned money. If you have them, then bring your CSR, PR and Marketing folks
into the conversation and let their expertise drive how to communicate the
information. They know the pitfalls and opportunities.
When do we make the changes?
Now. We are on a limited amount of time here and the task ahead of us is huge.
If we don’t make the necessary changes immediately, then we are part of the
problem. I don’t know about you, but I want to be proud of the legacy I
leave.
If you also want to leave a legacy you are proud of, then I urge you to consider
starting now to help your organisation become a truly conscious one.
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Mark is a passionate leader both in his business and his community. As CEO of Conscious Creatives, he is creating conscious organisations that work to a true Triple Bottom Line approach. As a Councillor in his local village, he is responsible for several community projects — including community energy and farming, as well as support for isolated people and low-income families.
Published Jan 15, 2020 1pm EST / 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET