Learnalilgivinalovin

Leanne Griffin Business Development, Engagement No comments

As a follow up to my first blog post, where I introduced my world vision for sustainable business, I will now spend a little time discussing simple ways that people can participate in this vision. This is by no means an extensive or in depth analysis. The idea is to get you started in terms of responsibilities and choices.

5 simple ways to influence as a business

1. Map stakeholders – learn who your community really is. Take the time to identify and analyse your key stakeholders – who might be surprised. Understand their strengths and needs. Quality stakeholder mapping sets the right platform to develop targeted strategies for engagement. Be informed.
2. Ask for advice – stop making decisions in the boardroom – make them in the community instead. Use whatever engagement channels you have to seek input into business and product decisions. The more you seek stakeholder engagement the better your decision will be. Your community is your expert panel. Speak up.
3. Communicate for them, not for you – find out how your community likes to receive information. Try different mediums. Make it interesting, exciting and easy to engage with. Most importantly, design your communication and engagement activities around your audience, not around your business/staff. Think outward.
4. Hire the right people – this is so simple but so often overlooked. Don’t hire to fill a vacancy, hire to find the right person. Look for someone who has the right skills AND someone who shares your business values. Choose someone whose value (not time) contributes to the business long term. Choose with purpose.
5. Innovate and reinvigorate – don’t be afraid to try new things and have fun. A business where people like coming to work, like being at work and a community who like what you have to offer will always have value. Have fun.

5 simple ways to influence as a consumer

1. Shop mindfully – take 30 seconds to read the tag/packet. Where was it made, what is in it, what does it say about the business? Think about why you need it and make a decision about whether you have to have it. Shop with purpose.
2. Voice your opinion – most businesses have some type of customer engagement channel, find the one that works for you and use it. Businesses do listen, if you have something to say. Speak up.
3. Find out where the money goes – how much do you know about the business and products you use? Research the business ethos, management structure, who owns who, how money is invested. Here’s a start www.oxfam.org/en/grow/campaigns/behind-brands. Be informed.
4. Support local and support sustainable – big companies often have unnecessarily large supply chains. Support local business and especially those with sustainable practices (sustainable agriculture, carbon neutral, sustainable fishing etc). Think big.
5. Go renewable – choose renewable energy in your home and your stock options. Select carbon neutral offsets. Ask for more renewable options. Influence the market through your choices. Be active.