Page 174 - Free the Idea Monkey

Because of that, we don’t cast the issue of social responsibil-
ity in terms of “earthmuffins” versus “plunderers.” Not only is that
dichotomy not helpful, it is not particularly accurate. It is better to
talk about “going green” the way Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc. or
Jeff Imelt of GE do: “It is a way of making more money.”

It is also why it is much easier to sell a plan to reduce accidents
by saying, “If we create a safer work environment, we will save
money on insurance and manpower costs,” than it is to run around
screaming about the exploitation of the workforce.

I don’t know who said it at the conference, but they got the
idea absolutely right: “Conscious capitalism is a devastatingly good
weapon.” It is not an end in itself, but a tool.

Creating a win-win-win business model—with the wins being
the ones that benefit the company, its stakeholders and the environ-
ment/society in general—is the only way to optimize value. Since
that is true, that means, in addition to measuring your success mon-
etarily, you also need to create new additional metrics that will tan-
gibly illustrate the ongoing progress toward the interrelated desired
outcomes. At the onset, it could be as simple as charting your recy-
cling efforts or as complex as measuring the ROI on your employee
safety efforts.

As an Idea Monkey and entrepreneur, I strongly believe it will be
capitalism, not either government or charity, that creates the kind
of world we want our kids and grandkids to grow up in. Getting
that world will require innovative thinking ... but it is well worth
the trip for many reasons, including a customer base that rewards
you for doing the right things. But, again, if
you just see this as a way to make more
money—and it is—you are missing part
of the point.

Build a business:
• with a “purpose” (and to make money)
• that creates value for stakeholders
• that’s led by a conscious Leader

(continually focused on personal
development —a “learner”)
• that contributes to a more conscious culture

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