How Online

Sustainability and CSR Innovation

HOW Online — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:25:20 +0000

A lot of my posts are based on questions that I am being asked or ask myself on Sustainability / CSR topics. Today’s question came up in a conversation I had with a colleague. Here it is: “What about innovation in the Sustainability / CSR field? Is this field any different when it comes to innovation than, say, the technology sector?”

Wanted: Inspirational Leaders

HOW Online — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:44:31 +0000

Inspirational leaders activate the inner passion of their people because they convert work into purpose, says the writer. “Employees are starving for a sense of feeling connected to a higher purpose than just meeting … sales and profit figures.”

The Business Case for Reputation

HOW Online — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:30:46 +0000

Companies are realizing that their personal reputation is more relevant today than it has ever been, says the columnist. “A good reputation is becoming an increasingly important element of their competitive advantage over others in their sector.”

Fostering a Sustainable-Minded Workforce

HOW Online — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:45:18 +0000

Small businesses are leading the charge on employee engagement in sustainability, found a survey. Their efforts are more likely to be effective at changing employee behavior. And “companies that effectively engage employees outperform others”.

What a Difference a Year Makes

HOW Online — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:33:01 +0000

I’ve just returned from The Wall Street Journal’s annual environmental conference. The tone of the event changed profoundly this year. The heretofore simple orthodoxy that companies can “do well by doing good” with regard to environmental performance is evolving, if not experiencing complete metamorphosis.

Debt You Won’t Find on Any Ledger

HOW Online — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:31:54 +0000

Until we deal with the systemic risk created by unaccounted environmental costs, our global economy will rest on a house of cards. As painful as it is, business, government and economists must move toward full-cost accounting. It will be a tough fight, but it’s one we must engage in.

Moving Toward Consciousness

HOW Online — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:16:42 +0000

Going “green” represents a shift in awareness for corporations, says columnist Deepak Chopra. The worker becomes a unit of consciousness, a key factor in making corporations conscious. “We will wind up with corporations as conscious as we are.”

Transparency and Accountability

HOW Online — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:36:25 +0000

Confusing transparency to the public with accountability to everyone can be debilitating to company performance. “Take down the flat screen of your stock price in your foyer and maybe put up a few metrics about who you are and who you want to be.”

Surveys: How Is as Important as What

HOW Online — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:48:15 +0000

Employees who take the time to fill out a survey expect that the results will be interpreted competently and will influence decisions in the organization. They deserve to have the data used responsibly. Otherwise, employees will lose trust in leadership. If the survey is intended to promote engagement, it will have the opposite effect.

CEOs Increasingly Upbeat

HOW Online — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:36:31 +0000

CEOs have moved from crisis-reaction to planning for long-term growth, found a survey. While consistent execution of strategy by top management remained the top-ranking challenge for CEOs, customer loyalty/retention was seen as a “greatest concern”.