Fresh from his appearance with best-selling author and acclaimed New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Dov Seidman writes about why we need to reconnect with sustainable values. The recent event featured a lively conversation between Seidman and Friedman that examined approaches to restoring growth, significance and leadership in the 21st century and explored the urgent need for sustainable rather than situational values today.
More »Trusting relationships drive successful businesses, whether you’re a CEO ... or a suki, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. While the suki — a favored local market vendor who sees to customers’ needs through thick and thin — may be a social phenomenon unique to the Philippines, there is a larger story here: Good business is the outcome of connections based on values and principles.
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Are investors who watched Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch destroy billions in shareholder value ready to focus on what makes companies sustainable? The recent “Sustainable Stock Exchanges” conference discussed building the case for whether companies with good environmental, social and governance practices will deliver superior shareholder returns, says HOW contributor Marc Gunther.
More »Everywhere I travel, I hear the same refrains: "We need more regulation," or on the flip side, "If we hadn't deregulated, we wouldn't be in this financial mess." More regulation could be a very good thing, but we shouldn’t rush to regulation without asking whether it’s a list of prohibitive rules or something deeper, something that inspires consistent and right behavior, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.
More »Out of the ashes of the recession, the “ethical consumer” has risen — or so says a recent TIME story. In this “Responsibility Revolution,” the companies that win will be the ones that act and behave according to values and principles. Although this new social contract among consumers, business and government is impressive, we are just at the start of a long climb, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.
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At a recent United Nations meeting, participants signed the “Global Economic Ethic: Consequences for Global Businesses” manifesto, which lays out principles and values to create common moral ground in the global marketplace. As the wicked web of connections is being revealed by the crisis, a new global ethic is an idea whose time has come, says HOW contributor Thomas M. Kostigen.
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Imagine a company where profits were second to values; where executives were trusted to make deals; and where people were encouraged to have fun. That was how power generation company AES operated — until it all came crashing down, says HOW contributor Marc Gunther. Since then, AES has recovered without crushing its “can-do” spirit and the innovation that made it a success.
More »Recently, a Web site caught my eye because it’s about a topic that interests me: the power of apologies, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. The site, Apology Center, enables visitors to post stories about things they have done wrong and then seek forgiveness from the online community. The site may be fun, but is it effective? No, because a true apology, in the simplest terms, goes all the way.
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These days, big companies are battling over which can be more sustainable. Now, UPS and FedEx, longtime rivals, are going at it. More is at stake than bragging rights. Forward-thinking customers will want to do business with the more sustainable firm. And the environmental back-and-forth ties in to a bigger reputation battle between the two firms, says HOW contributor Marc Gunther.
More »To many people, sustainability means solar panels, wind turbines and LEED-certified buildings. But sustainability is more than just going green or being green. It's a way of thinking about business — a mode of leadership and behavior that aims to create lasting value as opposed to piling up short-term transactional wins, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.
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