About a year ago, I was speaking with a CSR director at a Fortune 150 company. During that meeting, much to my surprise, he suggested that the cannabis industry needed tremendous help with CSR. In his opinion, the cannabis industry completely lacked formal programs touching on the fundamental “four pillars” of CSR: community engagement, employee engagement, sustainability and corporate philanthropy. As I investigated the issue, met with dozens of folks in the industry, I found that, indeed, very little was being done in these areas and what was being done, almost universally, was being done poorly – without strategy and authenticity. Although cannabis is spreading across the country like, well, a weed, with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, there is little evidence that cannabis companies are taking CSR seriously. Part of this is due to the fact that it is really an “infant” industry, rising out of an illegal, black market, where dealers and growers operated in the shadows, under constant fear of criminal prosecution. Part of this is also due to the onerous taxation regime put upon the industry in states like Colorado as well as the oppressive nature of IRS Code Section 280E which, generally, prevents cannabis businesses from taking ordinary business expenses and charitable donations as deductions. Finally, part of this, frankly, is due to the fact that the industry is just worried about survival in an uncertain time of mixed messages as to the threat of federal enforcement, a patchwork of shifting state regulations and laws, and allegedly thin profit margins (at least, that’s what most operators claim). But in the infamous words of Bob Dylan, “The times they are a changing’.” Ivy-school minted MBA graduates and former Fortune 500 executives are recognizing exciting and lucrative business opportunities in this space and are becoming a new wave of professional “ganjapreneurs.” With these new arrivals, is a growing understanding that if the medical and recreational “high-THC” cannabis industry wants to normalize operations and legitimize its existence, CSR is a wonderful avenue to help further the cause. These companies need only follow the lead of their cousins in the hemp industry like Dr. Bronner’s and Nutiva, that have successfully made CSR a central tenet of their businesses. In addition, with $6.7 Billion (that’s with a “B”) in sales in 2016, and an influx of new players in both the industry and ancillary businesses every month, there’s clearly money being made. But what I’ve seen as passing as CSR in the cannabis industry, is a confetti approach to corporate giving, ad hoc employee engagement, and some half-measured attempts at sustainability. As I’ve emphasized previously, in order to see the greatest Return on Investment with CSR, these programs absolutely must be built upon (and screened through the lens of) the foundation of company mission, vision, and values. Rarely have I found cannabis businesses that have undertaken this critical step to establish a social mission within their corporate DNA that strays beyond a vague commitment to health-based, pain-management, and/or chronic-illness issues (one exception is Bloom Farms, though there are a few others). Without this underpinning of mission/vision/values, it’s hard to build a strategic, integrated CSR program that passes the authenticity “smell” test or experiences any kind of measurable ROI. What I have seen is cannabis industry executives talk about donating off-spec, excess, and/or unusable product to military vets, ostensibly to help alleviate PTSD, but without a “story” as to how doing so relates back to their business. I’ve seen other businesses sponsor charity events when asked without any reason for doing so other than some vague notion of “giving back” or the resulting publicity for doing so. I’ve seen some large scale, vertically integrated companies give money to a couple dozen different charities ranging from first responders to PrideFest to environmental conservation groups, calling it “community engagement,” but without any kind of strategy to their giving, and without truly serving the real needs of the communities to which they are giving and impacting. I’ve seen companies “volunteer” their employees for roadside cleanups so they can skirt advertising restrictions. I’ve seen other companies ask employees to volunteer in park cleanups around cannabis-themed events so as to prevent the industry from gaining a black eye. While these activities are laudable and can positively impact the community, seldom have I seen any measurable outcomes/impacts from these acts of charity or community engagement. What I haven’t seen is the kind of strategic, integrated, and authentic CSR programs that other industries have. I haven’t seen paid time off for volunteer endeavors or company wide shut-downs for days of service or any kind of willingness to match employee donations to charity. I haven’t seen massive amounts of money placed into R&D to reduce energy usage or pesticide usage (save for a few companies that try to be as “organic” as is possible and a few public/private partnerships to advance concepts in sustainability to those who are willing to participate). Much of the community engagement I have seen has been too little, too late when a company has already adversely impacted neighbors. I’ve seen millions of dollars spent on lobbying and government relations and sparse dollars spent on community or employee engagement. And I’ve seen a tremendous amount of turnover in most cannabis companies, with low level workers moving from company to company as if in search of their dream employer who will value them for who they are and not what they do. CSR is the way for smart businesses to get ahead of the pack, retain talent, and experience growth to the bottom line. Some form of cannabis sales and usage is now legal in nearly 30 states and the market for various products is becoming increasingly crowded. Much like the micro-brewery craze, if companies want to start to distinguish their brands in the marketplace, become “employers of choice,” and become less susceptible to public and governmental scrutiny, CSR is the way for smart businesses to get ahead of the pack, retain talent, and experience growth to the bottom line. And, I predict the cannabis companies that do accept this challenge to become industry leaders in CSR, will experience robust growth, more customer loyalty, and greater community admiration – just like the companies in other industries with strong CSR programs.
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In the must-haves for a successful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program to yield a desirable Return on Investment (ROI), I consider the “holy trinity” of CSR components to be that the program is Strategic, Integrated, and Authentic. In many ways, authenticity is perhaps the most important of the three for while a CSR program can lack strategy and may stand-alone without integration, and still experience some modicum of success, the entire program will fall apart if it is revealed as anything less than truly authentic. Employees will become disillusioned, the communities that your company impacts will turn against you, and the media might very well eviscerate you, causing tremendous loss of profit or market share (see the recent falls from grace of Wells Fargo, Volkswagen, and Uber). As I discussed last week, authentic employee engagement can yield tremendous benefits in attracting talent and in reducing turnover, absenteeism, and employee theft. Authentic community engagement can go a long way in creating mutually-beneficial partnerships with those most directly impacted by your company. Now, I’d like to focus on the other two pillars of CSR, creating authentic sustainability and corporate philanthropy programs. Sustainability The jury is out. People want companies to “go green.” In fact, Millennials demand it. But, what exactly does that mean as far as constructing an authentic sustainability plan? I suggest that any company that is undertaking minimal amounts of sustainability for “show” or merely to cut some expenses in the budget, is doing it wrong. The companies that are most successful and that see the greatest returns in the market place, as well as to the balance sheet, are the ones that authentically strive to be industry leaders in sustainability. Understandably, smaller and startup companies are not likely to have the capital to put into a green building construction project, but there are a variety of ways that you can authentically build your sustainability program. When viewing sustainability, it should always be a 360-degree approach to all stakeholders, internally and externally. This might sound like a lot of work to gain authenticity, but it will pay off in spades. Let’s be clear. Simply having recycling containers around your office or putting up “Don’t Leave Me Turned On” stickers by light switches, might save a few dollars, but it won’t go far in the way of authenticity. image: Sorana Secu Let’s continue with our example from last week: Your company has a new food item going to market and you want to appeal to those consumers who specifically seek out healthier alternatives. How can you strategically integrate authenticity throughout your CSR program that may give you a competitive advantage?
For sustainability, the company will want to look at three elements: operations, ingredients, and externalities. Operations: is your business generally operating in a sustainable manner? Do you have written operational procedures in place to ensure that you are creating, marketing, selling, and delivering your product in the most sustainable manner possible? Are your offices and your manufacturing facilities being operated as sustainable as possible when it comes to energy, water, and other resource usage? Areas to review for sustainability include electronics/computers, HVAC, lighting (natural and otherwise), plumbing, landscaping, printing/duplication, file management, onsite power generation, composting/food waste, etc. Ingredients: Are you sourcing truly sustainable, natural, organic ingredients from the geographically closest sources available? Are you using sustainably harvested and fair trade ingredients? Are you limiting excess sugars, transfats, and processed materials? Packaging is also an extension of ingredients as far as minimization of materials that might not be compostable or recyclable or, worst case, harmful to human health (e.g., BPA liners). Could you use a biodegradable, wax-paper carton instead of a plastic tub? What are other, more sustainable ingredient alternatives or unique ways that you could package your product? Externalities: What are your impacts on the planet from shipping your ingredients to production and distribution of your final product to market? Could it be produced in multiple locations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions/shipping costs? Are you operating your offices/manufacturing facilities as efficiently as is possible? Have you utilized “sustainable design” techniques in developing your business as well as production of your product? The final, and most important element of authenticity concerning sustainability is to make sure that you are measuring your results and reporting them. There are lots of ways to do this using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but perhaps the easiest and least expensive one is using the B Corp B Impact Assessment. The B Impact Assessment is a free application from B Lab. It will enable your company to identify your strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement when it comes to sustainability and, in the process, provide you with an industry comparison to similarly-situated businesses. Again, nobody expects a new business to take on all of this at once, but having a comprehensive, strategic, and integrated plan will go a long way to demonstrate your authentic commitment to sustainability to all of your stakeholders. Corporate Philanthropy An authentic corporate philanthropy plan is not one that simply gives money away to the founder’s favorite charities, but rather is one that authentically addresses impacted communities’ needs, as well as employee engagement strategies. To that end, it’s always best to identify groups who may be negatively impacted by the production process and/or are proximate to the company’s headquarters. Rather than just giving money or product away to those communities, authentic corporate philanthropy meets the community where it is and is an on-going discussion, providing the help that the community actually desires. It must not be a one-time action that may be viewed as a publicity stunt or a way to simply ameliorate a PR problem. It should be a story that is connected to your business and that can be conveyed in an easily understandable message to the community and your workers. An authentic corporate philanthropy strategy should be thought out, defining how the funds will be allocated, the boundaries around and requirements for fulfillment, and, ideally, the expectations regarding use for the funds and metrics for measuring success. The more that the corporate philanthropy program is designed, the more authentic (and successful) it will be. As I stated, there should be a “story” that connects the philanthropy to the business itself. Years ago, the nonprofit I founded was the recipient of a large sum of money from Major League Baseball. While it was great to receive the funds and fun to get the picture taken with the oversized check, the fact is that there was zero connection between MLB and the organization. None. How authentic did that look to the media or to the league? I suggest that it didn’t look authentic at all and that the return on investment in that exercise was negligible for MLB. Authenticity is the secret sauce of CSR plans because it ties directly to an emotional feeling that all stakeholders desire to have. When done well, authenticity leaves all with a positive feeling about the company and the products they produce. When done poorly, it can undermine the entire CSR program. The businesses that implement successful CSR programs do so in a way that is not only strategically integrated and makes business sense, but do so in a way that is authentic. And it is authenticity that elevates the plan into a social imperative that is compelling for communities, employees, and customers. In today’s world of knock-offs and over-publicized, self-congratulatory acts of charity to garner media attention, what it means to be “authentic” has been severely diluted. Maybe that Rolex watch you bought on the streets of Manhattan will impress your friends and family. Perhaps that Louis Vuitton bag you found at that swap meet in South Central L.A. will not only be functional, but fashionable. In those cases, authenticity might not matter; you may only be going for a “look” and whether or not the product is “authentic” may not be of any real consequence. On the other hand, when authenticity is a key factor in your decision-making as to the companies you will support, the products you will buy, and the places that you will work, then authenticity may make all of the difference. You might take notice of the business that “adopts a highway,” but their real motive may be merely to advertise their name on a highway sign while they operate in a manner that fails to minimize their impact on the environment or doesn’t treat their workers well. Perhaps you’re conscious about your choice in personal care products; you seek out ones that are chemical free. Without any regulations around the word “natural,” you purchase a product that you think will be “better” or “safer” for your family, only to find ingredients on the product label that you can’t pronounce, have numerous number combinations before words (i.e. “1,3 undecipherable word”), and contradict what most people would find to be “healthy” or “natural.” Believe it or not, it’s completely legal – whether it’s ethical or authentic is another story. Thus, is the slippery slope of authenticity. When does it matter, when does it not? I would posit that when it comes to developing and executing a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan, authenticity is one of the three “must haves” to make it effective and to achieve the maximum return on investment (ROI). Without having a strategic, integrated, and most importantly, authentic, CSR plan, your business risks significant criticism in the media, with your target consumer base, and among the talent pool that you need to attract and retain to be successful. When it comes authenticity, it must be embedded throughout the four pillars of CSR: Community Engagement, Employee Engagement, Sustainability, and Corporate Philanthropy. Obviously, there are a myriad of ways that authenticity can be strategically aligned with both your product and throughout the CSR channels. In the interest of keeping this blog post brief, I’ll focus on one example. Also, it’s important to note that when it comes to developing your CSR plan, oftentimes, the intersection of the four pillars will become blurred, with initiatives often crossing into multiple categories. Here’s the example: You have a new food item going to market and want to appeal to those consumers who specifically seek out healthier alternatives. How can you strategically integrate authenticity throughout your CSR program that may give you a competitive advantage?
Community Engagement For starters, your “community” should be viewed as both consumers as well as the geographical communities impacted by the production of your product (I will address employee engagement in the next section). To that end, if you want to appeal to health-conscious consumers, limit the ingredients to as few as possible and to only those considered to be “natural” or organic. Maybe apply for organic or non-GMO certification. Utilize as many locally-sourced ingredients as is possible to reduce your product’s carbon footprint. Apply screens for ingredients (local, organic, natural, etc.) up the entire supply chain to ensure authenticity. Engage the community (local to your manufacturing and/or company headquarters) as much as possible, prioritize the hiring of locals, philanthropic giving to community-based organizations, and create community-enhancing/helping charity events/projects. Open up your facility to weekly public tours. Allow the community to use your meeting rooms for their community organizing. Invite local politicians to have a “town hall” exchange with your workforce. Provide opportunities for members of the community to participate in R&D trials and sampling events, seek their feedback, and pay them for their time. Have a story that says and shows, “We care about our community: the people that buy our product, the communities in which we have a physical presence, and the world itself.” Employee Engagement Assuming that you have authentically engaged your community, congratulations, you’ve now piqued the interest of workers desiring to work for a company that might have a greater purpose! The next step is to utilize your integrated CSR plan to engage your employees and, if you’re successful, become an employer of choice – a company for which everyone wants to work. You can do this by engaging your employees in an authentic way. Spoiler alert: just adding a ping pong table won’t do the trick! The work environment should be underpinned by a clear mission, an inspiring vision, and a defined set of values. Having these elements alone will go a long way to engaging your workers in a meaningful way. The work environment should also be healthy, safe, and fun. Further, you can utilize your employee engagement work to tie back into Community Engagement projects in the geographical community (say, time off for volunteer work or “dollars for doers programs”), company day-of-service events, charitable giving via matching or employee involvement in corporate charitable giving decisions. Explore alternative hierarchies that rely more on self-managed teams rather than top-down directives. Utilize 360-degree feedback loops, open books policies, non-traditional compensation, profit sharing, and employee ownership plans. Have regular, scheduled company-wide, social events. Really, any employee engagement that goes beyond what is traditionally considered as a “typical” employee-employer relationship of “work for pay” will go a long way in providing authenticity to your company’s CSR plan. Have a story that says and shows, “We care about our workers as people and want them engaged in the business itself – not just producing our product and profits, but in the decisions necessary to run our business.” In my next post, I will cover how authenticity can be embedded into the other two pillars of CSR (Corporate Philanthropy and Sustainability). Image: Dave Gray, The Connected Company I have previously suggested that one of the ways companies can build happier workplaces with more engaged workers is to have less hierarchical organizational structures. Sure, hierarchies have their place in command and control, top-down environments such as the military, government and police forces, when decisions need to be made expeditiously, when lives are on the line and accountability is of the utmost importance. But generally, nobody likes being told what to do – especially not Millennials. Thankfully, we are starting to see cracks in the traditional corporate paradigm and companies are starting to explore alternative structures that have been showing tremendous progress in productivity as well as in worker satisfaction. But in order to be successful, there needs to be buy-in from the top of the organizational chain, from management, a recognition that “power” must be redistributed, and ego must be checked at the door. Less hierarchy can be threatening to those who have lived with it for their entire working careers, so making the shift to flatter, self-managed organizations can take some getting used to for older workers.
Reinventing an organization or starting one with a flat hierarchy is not for the weak leader who relies on power to make accomplishments happen; rather, it relies on a strong set of leaders who understand that less hierarchy leads to a more engaged and nimble workforce. The benefits of a self-managed or “flatter” organizational structure are numerous. According to the Morning Star Self-Management Institute, some of the benefits of self-managed organizations are:
Self-managed organizations need fewer formal meetings, are fluid with job titles, are transparent within their team regarding performance, resolve their own conflicts (but can call on assistance from others to help mediate, if necessary), focus on team (rather than individual) performance, and self-set salaries (with peer calibration), and enjoy equal profit sharing. Even a simple change in vernacular can make a difference as far as the psychology behind worker satisfaction. You’ll note that several leading companies no longer refer to “employees” or even say that “employees are our best ‘assets.’” Workers aren’t fungible. They cost money to hire and even more to replace. They are truly “human resources.” Playing with the terminology a company uses to refer to workers can help improve a work environment and culture. See Wal-Mart’s “Associates,” DaVita Village’s “Citizens,” KIND Healthy Snack’s “Team Members” and Johnsonville Sausage’s “Members.” Sometimes a name change can make all the difference. As an African proverb states, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Reexamining our hierarchical workplaces will allow the entire company to go farther in a way that is ultimately more satisfying for workers. For more information about self-managed organizations, including some case studies, I highly recommend checking out Frederic Laloux’s website and book on Reinventing Organizations. photo by Richard Foster Who doesn’t want to be happy at work, right? We spend more time at our occupation than we do with our families and friends. Studies continue to show that happiness in the workplace is not only a cost-saver, but a worker’s unhappiness at work can be quite costly to an employer. If we’re trying to build businesses to last, to be successful, and to fulfill our needs, this is an issue that we need to get a handle on now – especially, as Millennials continue to enter (and take over) the workforce and demand jobs that are fulfilling, satisfying, meaningful, and connected. Studies have shown that happy employees have:
In fact, in 2016, the U.S. retail industry lost approximately $9 BILLION DOLLARS to voluntary entry-level turnover! Say that again out loud -- $9 BILLION DOLLARS lost last year! You might not be able to buy happiness, but not having it sure can cost you! So, in the interest of helping both workers and business owners tackle this critical issue of worker engagement, here are five tips on how to improve your workplace. 1. Focus on Purpose In my last couple of posts, I have written about the importance of purpose in the workplace. Purpose will often dictate a worker’s satisfaction with his or her job, the company, and even with themselves. The need to create a purpose-driven company with a clear mission, an inspiring vision, and authentic values that everyone within the company can incorporate into their work is absolutely critical. These elements will help you identify and recruit people who will fit in and commit to the “cause.” A purposeful environment will help to inspire workers as they go through the ups and downs of their lives. Purpose will allow you to place the right folks in the right positions. Remember: the “sweet spot” of purpose lies at the intersection of personal purpose, company purpose, and role (in the company) purpose. Dan Pontefract, The Purpose Effect 2. Be Creative with Compensation
People want to be paid a “fair” wage. While nobody wants to go to work thinking that they aren’t being paid enough, it has been shown that people will work for less salary if they are working in a company with a robust Corporate Social Responsibility program. But what’s making companies stand out these days is not so much paying the “market rate” (or above market rate) salaries and providing “traditional” benefits (healthcare, dental, vision, retirement); it’s the non-traditional compensation and amenities that some companies are offering that provide workers with incentive, work satisfaction, and in turn, happiness. Some of these creative incentives could include:
3. Embrace Feedback Loops Just as workers don’t want to be underpaid for their efforts, traditional employee evaluations are not an enjoyable experience by anyone. While workers appreciate feedback so that they know what they are doing right and where they could improve, a system that is set up for a manager to evaluate an employee alone, is usually not a satisfying experience. The manager isn’t comfortable, the employee dreads the annual event, and often times the process is one that is either mandatory and perfunctory, forgotten until the next year, or it is one that is setting up an employment separation (either by choice or not). Instead, I suggest utilizing a much more satisfying and helpful, 360 degree feedback loop process where the worker is being evaluated by more than just his/her manager (others in management, co-workers, customers, direct reports) and the employee is able to do the same – all at the same time. Adults getting together and, like adults, having positive, interactive conversations where at the end of the session, agreements can be made to improve certain processes/behaviors, and the entire team can move on in a more successful manner. In fact, I would suggest that this be done more frequently than once a year. If workers can connect with peers on a human level and be motivated by the folks around them to maximize their performance efforts, they will be more successful, and they (and everyone with whom they connect) will be happier. 4. Examine Hierarchy Top down organizations have their place in our society. Take the military or government, for example. But some innovators, recognizing that rigid structures aren’t necessarily the most satisfying for workers, are reinventing organizations into less hierarchical, flatter, and self-managed workplaces. And they are seeing remarkable results. By doing so, these types of companies are empowering workers to make their own decisions based on the company’s values and culture, they are using stakeholder models for decision-making, discipline, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. They are freeing up executives to focus on “big picture” items to drive an organization forward, rather than focus on the mundane. These types of organizations treat workers as “whole individuals” in which the work experience is an extension of self as opposed to leaving one’s true self at the door, coming into work to do a job, and then leaving, unsatisfied with the work experience. 5. Utilize Volunteer Opportunities & Gratitude One final way to keep workers happy and engaged is to encourage them to utilize the business for volunteer opportunities and share gratitude. A company looks externally with volunteer activities in the community; expressing and encouraging expressions of gratitude looks internally at feeding the worker’s soul. A recent study on employee engagement found employees say that opportunities to support causes or issues they care about (64%) are as important as wellness programs. Building in a company-wide, day of service is one way companies engage workers, but other companies allow for their workers to choose their volunteer activities – skills-based and otherwise. The best combination is to allow for both: meet workers where they are as that will allow for the greatest happiness result! Matching volunteer time (dollars for doers) with a donation to the nonprofit supercharges the impact and the happiness quotient. Lastly, creating a culture of gratitude has been shown to build “social capital,” engages workers, and enhances worker happiness. Who doesn’t want the personal touch of regular expressions of gratitude from one’s co-workers? As I teach my 6-year old, expressing gratitude “fills buckets” – both for the people you express it to, as well as for oneself. I’ve been reading the inspiring book by Dan Pontefract entitled The Purpose Effect, so purpose has been, understandably, on the forefront of my mind. As I wrote in my post last week, the importance of identifying purpose in a company’s overall Corporate Social Responsibility plan is clear. Whether you’re measuring employee engagement, community engagement, talent acquisition and retention, media attention, productivity, or efforts put forth in sustainability – having a purpose-driven culture moves the needle in all of these areas.
I began to think about my personal journey in search of purpose. Starting my career in government as a young environmental attorney was the perfect avenue to combine my passions with my sense of purpose. Not only did I feel that I was contributing to society by working for the government and defending our natural resources, but there was also a comradery and community amongst other workers all aligned with the same mission – and it was palpable. Oftentimes there’s an unfair stereotype of government workers being lazy bureaucrats. I can say from first-hand experience, this is the farthest thing from the truth when you’re working in an agency that has a mission and a heart-centered purpose. I, and my colleagues, worked much harder and for longer hours than our below-market compensation would typically warrant. It was, as Pontefract describes in his book, the “sweet spot” of having a Personal Purpose, Role Purpose, and Organizational Purpose. This may explain why employees who are part of a purpose-driven culture are willing to accept less compensation. My next two jobs, while certainly having a “purpose,” were not with companies that had an underlying mission, a company vision, or written set of values. Both positions were in the private sector. One with a large law firm and the other with a Fortune 100, publicly-traded, multi-national, industrial company. While the work was challenging and sometimes exciting (at the company; not so much at the firm), it seemed that the “purpose” was to be competent, represent the client, keep them out of trouble, and negotiate the best outcomes for the company within parameters of the law. There was little emphasis on keeping employees engaged. There was sparse attention to external stakeholders (other than governmental entities). Sure, I was well-compensated, got to see the world, travel first class, stay in five-star hotels and eat well (and pay off my school loans in the process), but throughout these experiences, I felt as if I was doing a J-O-B. The best result from my employer’s perspective was one that reduced exposure for my client – and that was the goal as opposed to one that was aligned with a particular set of values. Then I had the idea to create an environmental advocacy nonprofit organization that worked with the music industry. You might ask how that could occur – who puts the idea of environmental law + public education + musicians into the same space, right? Well, would it surprise you if I told you that I was following my passions and purpose in doing so? Of course not! Simply stated, I was finding a “Role Purpose,” aligned with my own “Personal Purpose” and in turn, created organization that encapsulated all of this in an “Organizational Purpose.” Sometimes, it is said, if you want your dream job, you have to make it yourself. And that is what I did – for 15 years. What was rewarding about this type of job in the “sweet spot” of purpose, was that I reaped my own personal satisfaction from this work, and interestingly enough, it attracted others who self-identified as having a similar “personal purpose,” seeking a “role purpose” in a company with an “organizational purpose” in alignment with their own values. This particular sweet spot of purpose resonated with thousands of people every year who donated funds, became members, talked about us on social media, told their friends, and who wanted to sport our merchandise, volunteer for us, intern with us, and work for our organization. To be honest, it’s a golden example of how purpose can drive success. Of course, it’s not unusual for this alignment of purpose to be found in the nonprofit sector. After all, nonprofits are driven by mission, vision, and values. Nonprofits attract people (employees, volunteers, and donors) who are similarly motivated to help a cause. Those same people are not driven primarily by profits or by compensation or any expectation of rewards other than knowing they are helping to advance the mission and vision for the organization. While nonprofits certainly need to raise money to operate, they do so with an underlying purpose of making the world a better place. So turning back to the private sector, the question is how can we take this sense of purpose found so readily in government and in nonprofit organizations and apply it to the private sector so that companies can experience all of the benefits, good will, and overall employee satisfaction that we see in purpose-driven organizations? In a nutshell, I would posit that leaders need to first take a 360-degree look at every stakeholder (internal and external) of an organization and ask, “What do these people desire?” For example, employees (and prospective employees) want to work in a company committed to doing more than just making profits. Communities want businesses that support the community by hiring from within, contributing back, and not trashing the neighborhood with pollution. Customers want to feel good about the products they purchase and know that they are produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way, that they are of good quality, that the people producing the products are treated fairly, that supply chains utilized are equally screened in accord with the company values, and that the company demonstrates authentic compassion for people and planet. In the end, companies that embed purpose in ways similar to that of government and nonprofits will hit the “sweet spot” of purpose, will succeed, and are built for long-term advantage in the 21st century. Have you wondered what an integrated, strategic, and authentic Corporate Social Responsibility program might entail? What are the hallmarks of an effective CSR plan? How do you get started? What is the return on investment (ROI)?
Needle Consultants, LLC's Chief Instigator Marc Ross will be covering all of this and more at the NoCo Hemp Expo -- the largest gathering of the hemp industry in the world! Held March 30-April 1, 2017 at the Ranch Events Center Complex in Loveland, Colorado, the NoCo Hemp Expo will feature a broad range of expert speakers, panelists and demonstrations where you can learn how hemp is grown, processed, used for food and nutrition, nutraceuticals, building materials, paper, textiles, plastics, composites, nano-materials, bio-fuel, remediation, reclamation and more. Look for Mr. Ross' talk on Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement on Saturday, April 1, 12-12:30 pm, in the Artists & Activists' Tent. To purchase tickets, GO HERE. In Search of Purpose in the Workplace
“The human race is a monotonous affair. Most people spend the greatest part of their time working in order to live, and what little freedom remains so fills them with fear that they seek out any and every means to be rid of it.” -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Since the beginning of time, humans have questioned why we have been put here on this planet. Writers, philosophers, and politicians have all wrestled with this universal issue and most conclude that living a “purposeful” life is what is ultimately satisfying. The same can be said for the workplace. We spend more time at work than we do sleeping or with our families and friends. We spend much more time at work than we do recreating – doing those little things that give us the greatest satisfaction. If we could only find ways to make our work lives more focused around purpose, wouldn’t we find work more satisfying, enjoyable, and fulfilling? Wouldn’t it feel amazing to walk into an office each day with excited co-workers full of purpose and pride, ready to help your company be a shining example of what business can do to make the world a better place? I know -- outside the mission-driven, nonprofit world, this almost sounds like a pipedream – but is it? This desire for purpose in work is coming to a head as millennials are becoming the largest generation in the workforce. Having a purposeful work experience that goes beyond earnings is no longer an option; it is a requirement. Recent studies have shown that 79% of Millennials (58% of all employees) would not work for a company that didn’t have strong social or environmental commitments. 93% of employees want to work for a company that cares about them as an individual. Most would actually choose to work for a socially responsible company even if the salary was less. 74% say their job is more fulfilling when they are provided opportunities to make a positive impact at work. 87% of millennials polled across 29 countries believed business success should be measured by more than financial performance, according to Deloitte’s 2016 Millennial Survey. How does a company facilitate purpose in the workplace? A company’s authentic commitment to purpose is often reflected in a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) program. Purpose can be reflected and facilitated in the workplace through three approaches: Work Itself, Work Related, and Work Facilitated. Work Itself – CSR has been shown to be most effective and beneficial when it is strategically integrated into a company’s Mission, Vision and Values. When the work itself is directly linked to a mission, a company vision, and a set of values, not only is it authentic and resonates with us as humans, but it inspires. It makes us want to get up and go to work, work longer hours, and less prone to call in sick. It compels us to work harder for the greater good. And ultimately, employees are more satisfied and fulfilled with their employer when they are having a positive impact on areas beyond profits. Work Related – Beyond the actual scope of the job description, there are opportunities for an employer to tap into this thirst for purpose within the broad confines of a robust and strategic CSR program by using company resources for work-related endeavors. One example of a work-related CSR/purpose-based program is skills-based volunteering efforts (either locally or in foreign countries). Another is matching programs where an employer matches donations to charities of an employee’s choice dollar for dollar or “dollars for doers” programs where the company matches an employee’s donated time to a nonprofit with a financial donation as well. Another work-related opportunity companies can provide is paid time off for employees to volunteer for charities – this could range from a single, company-wide day of service to unlimited time off for volunteer efforts. Work Facilitated – Companies can demonstrate a commitment to purpose by utilizing their business to enhance communities; in other words, facilitating community or global enhancement that will, in turn, provide enhanced reputation in the community and pride amongst current (and future) employees. These programs may involve supporting and sponsoring the arts, donating to community (re)development grants, facilitating on-site job fairs or sponsoring them in the community, hosting on-site charitable collections (toy, food, book drives, etc.) or dedicating space for a community garden. Regardless of where your company sits in the CSR spectrum, creating and implementing an authentic commitment to purpose not only will enhance reputation and differentiate your company from the competition in the eyes of customers, investors, and employees, but ultimately will create a more powerful, more effective, profitable, and more purposeful narrative. And who doesn’t want to come to work with a sense of purpose?! Often I hear smaller businesses and start-ups ask whether they have the capacity to implement a formal Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) program. These companies know it’s the right thing to do AND some even recognize they will enjoy the multiple benefits and measurable Return on Investment by having an integrated program, but they just don’t think they are ready.
The fact is that it’s much easier to focus on the foundation of an effective, authentic and strategic CSR program when a company is in its early stages of development. While smaller companies and start-ups might not have the capacity to engage in all aspects of CSR, such as a corporate philanthropy program, working on a solid foundation of Mission, Vision and Values will enable a company to grow its CSR programs along with profits, employees, and capacity. Business books are filled with examples of companies that started developing their Mission, Vision and Values long before they ever produced a product. Companies like New Belgium Brewing Company, Starbucks, and Salesforce are just three examples of companies that are now held up as shining examples of successful companies with embedded CSR programs – ALL of which began with an analysis of Mission, Vision and Values at the earliest stages of their corporate founding. So, what does a fully integrated CSR program look like? Well, let’s say you are widget maker and you and your internal stakeholders have determined that your collective Vision is “A world without cancer.” I know – it seems pretty unrelated to widgets, right? But what if your Mission is then to “Create the world’s best widgets while helping to prevent and cure cancer”? OK, so how does that happen? You develop a series of corporate values aligned with your Vision and Mission. For example, your corporate values may include:
The next step then is to look at the “four pillars” of CSR (sustainability, community engagement, employee engagement, and corporate philanthropy) and to align them with your Mission, Vision and Values. You can start with your supply chain and manufacturing process to ensure that the production of your widgets is done in compliance with your values. You probably also want to make sure that the final widget product will be safe for consumers to use (or children to chew on). Considering your employees, perhaps you add an on-site gym or provide gym rebates or rebates to Weight Watchers or smoking cessation programs for employees who engage in healthy activities. Maybe you give employees fighting cancer (or helping out a family member battling cancer) time off with a commitment that they will be able to return to their position once in remission. Perhaps you field teams in cancer fundraising events (with the company or CEO matching donations) so that the entire company is engaged. Is there an opportunity for skills-based volunteering where your employees are given paid time off to volunteer their skills at cancer charities or treatment centers? These are just some basic ideas as to how a company might start to align and integrate their CSR work into the business. In future blog posts we'll go deeper into the four pillars of CSR. But, for it to be authentic and reap the benefits of a strategic and integrated CSR program, it all starts with a clear organizational Mission, Vision and Values. |