Last week I attended the Better Business Bureau Forum for Corporate Responsibility in New York. Listening to the various speakers present, one word kept coming to mind: integration.
The conference brought together corporate responsibility (CR) practitioners and academics to share their perspectives on the current state of play of CR. Whether the session topic was human rights or public perceptions of climate change, I was pleased to hear each speaker address the value of bringing others into the CR agenda and forging new alliances to achieve shared objectives. Here are just a few examples:
- At Colgate-Palmolive, the CSR team works to build a shared understanding across the organization of the company’s sustainability strategy, pillars and targets. Regular, consistent messaging ensures all employees know what the company is working towards and the role they can play in helping to meet these goals. Colgate-Palmolive has recently taken this a step further, aiming to get consumers involved in its water reduction initiatives through ad campaigns and product labeling.
- When it comes to human rights, integration is all about partnering across the value chain. At Ralph Lauren, there is a strong emphasis on engaging with suppliers when a human rights violation happens to identify and address the root cause, rather than immediately terminating the relationship. For instance, an excessive working hours violation may have been caused by reasons outside the specific factory’s control such as a fabric delay or last minute request from the brand. This collaborative approach gives factories the tools they need to enforce human rights standards, improving an industry that has been plagued with human rights issues.
- The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication is working to build public and political will for action on climate change. The program studies public opinion and behavior related to climate change in order to understand how to tailor communications to different audiences. When a shared understanding can be reached, new alliances can be formed that instigate change. For example, in Georgia the Sierra Club and Tea Party came together to advocate for the rights of individuals to sell solar power back to the grid.
These are just a few examples of integration shared at the Forum. For me, they serve as a good reminder that the greatest results are achieved through integration and collaboration. Next time you are trying to spearhead a new initiative, take a moment to consider who else needs to buy-in and how you are going to get them on board.