Learning for a Change. Wb_sysarch. "Systems Thinking" Guru Peter Senge on Starbucks, P&G, and the Economic Power of Trash. One of the world's top management gurus is spending a lot of time these days thinking about trash.
I spoke with author of The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge, because of his work with Starbucks on their pledge to provide recycling in all their stores. But it turns out that his interest in the waste stream goes far beyond that. Pegasus Systems Thinking in Action. At the Pegasus Systems Thinking in Action Conference this year, a cross-sector community represented by nearly 500 people from each continent gathered to connect, learn, and reflect in regards to the session theme: “Fueling New Cycles of Success.”
We all know in our bones what it’s like to find inspiration from leading thinkers. We follow their books, talks, ideas – seeking to absorb their insights into our own, apply their provocations to our best intent and action. But to recently scribe for some of the people who are most influential to my own facilitation practice brought a kind of mental model and process high. This feeling, combined with a series of truly gut-reaching questions, leads me to share highlights here – so the word can spread and take root in as many concerned global citizens as possible.
Mmunicating sustainability: the rise of social media and storytelling. As the SMI-Wizness Social Media Sustainability Index documents, big bold campaigns still played an important role in 2012 – Sony's Futurescapes, Siemens' Answers and Microsoft's Youthspark stood out.
However, an increasing number of companies, including GE, Renault, Ford and this year's index leader, Levi Strauss, put stock in developing a strong editorial voice. We call it a "magazine mentality", enabling an always on and always accessible channel of sustainability communication with investors, employees, media, NGOs and, yes, customers. This magazine mentality was triggered by a simple yet complicated reality: sustainability is no longer only of interest to niche stakeholders. The 5 Best Free Tools For Making Slick Infographics. It's not enough to simply write about data any longer; the world wants visuals.
While there are many professional information designers making a name for themselves, such as Nicholas Felton of Feltron.com, the majority of these digital artists are up to their eyeballs in high-paying work. How to make an infographic online: five essential free tools. Given the popularity of infographics, you’d be wise to consider using them to help achieve your content marketing goals.
Academy for Systemic Change. Can 'nexus thinking' alleviate global water, food and energy pressures? With the world population growing at a rate of around 80 million people a year, it is estimated that by 2030 the world will need 30% more water, 40% more energy and 50% more food.
That's not just to feed, water and power the new arrivals, but also those currently living "off grid" in developing countries as they rise out of poverty. In the past, water, food and energy have too often been dealt with as separate issues. Biofuels are a classic example. Once the great hope for sustainable energy, bio-diesel's insatiable appetite for wheat saw global food prices spike in 2008 and 2011, causing civil unrest. Panicked into action, the international community spoke out at the German government's Bonn 2011 conference and the water-food-energy nexus. Telling stories is great for sustainability marketing. Finding a sustainable model of economic growth fit for the future. The best days to post to Facebook, based on industry.
Sustainability adoption faces numerous barriers: Jim Harris. In October, sustainability consultant and former federal Green Party leader Jim Harris presented the business case for sustainability to delegates of the CIMA Canada Conference 2012.
Mr. Harris put forward the argument that sustainable business practices weren’t just a matter of ethics, but also tools for cost reduction and profitability, citing several studies and examples that proved his thesis. How CEO Mark Parker Runs Nike To Keep Pace With Rapid Change. “The last thing we want,” says Nike CEO Mark Parker, “is to be a big dumb company that feels we can put a swoosh on something and people will buy that.”
I first met Parker three years ago, at a quiet lunch in New York. He’s a tall man, a former college track star and competitive marathoner. We're all in this together: engaging employees on sustainability. As sustainability finally starts to make an appearance on chief executives' agendas, and reluctant chief financial officers – hoping that some savings might be on the horizon – set aside funds for sustainability strategies, businesses face the perpetual hurdle of how to transform an elaborate strategy into a carbon-reducing reality.
This is where employees come in. Employees are on the frontline of any business. Getting them to do something as simple as putting paper in a recycling bin all adds up when carbon emissions, waste, water consumption or energy use are concerned. But as businesses move beyond the basics, employers need a greater level of commitment from employees: why stop at switching lights off when you could be improving processes, innovating products, and generally making the workplace sustainable? Unfortunately, getting employees motivated by sustainability can prove just as challenging as getting the boardroom to sign off on a sustainability strategy.
Strategy. Steven Cohen: The Growing Momentum Behind Sustainability Management. For the past three decades I have taught public management at Columbia University.
Since about 2000, my growing focus has been on the emerging field of sustainability management. This new field of study combines organizational management with the field of environmental policy. In a blog post I wrote in June 2011, discussing my book Sustainability Management, I observed that "all effective management must be sustainability management. " Invitation to a Dialogue - The Corporate Citizen. Guest Commentary: Beyond Sustainability to Supply Chain Resilience.
Businesses around the world are increasingly becoming more vocal and active around “sustainability” issues and managing the breadth and depth of the “carbon footprint” generated by their operations. While both of these terms are getting lots of airplay, what they really point to is the need to plan for greater “resilience” in supply chain design, management and execution. How resilient are you in your thinking, and does that reflect itself in your supply chain’s processes and management?
The risk of sudden change is growing, so in addition to optimizing supply chains for current conditions and to cope with traditional disruption scenarios, companies should also give more thought to their macro-vulnerabilities. They can use the same sophisticated network tools they use today for optimizing their supply chains to answer questions like “What should we do to minimize the impact if oil prices were to double?” For example, how do you plan for the effects of climate change?
Small Is Beautiful #1: How Small Brands Are Making Sustainability Look Like It’s No Sweat. Small is beautiful, that’s what they say. A few decades ago E.F. Driving the Sustainability Consortium's ambitious agenda. Wendell Berry’s 17 Rules For A Sustainable Economy – Mendo Island Transition « UKIAH BLOG. From Wendell Berry. The New World Of B2B Marketing. Greener Fields Together Targets Continuous Sustainability Improvements Through Entire Produce Supply Chain.
MONTEREY, Calif., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Greener Fields Together, a groundbreaking, industry-wide sustainability and local produce initiative, was officially launched today. The foodservice industry's first comprehensive, national farm-to-fork sustainability program, Greener Fields Together has two primary goals: to create and commit to continuous sustainability improvements at each touch point in the produce supply chain, and to ensure the availability and safety of local produce for operators in all segments. Administered by PRO*ACT, the nation's leading supplier of fresh produce to the foodservice industry, Greener Fields Together is being brought to market through PRO*ACT's national network of independently owned local distributor partners. Most widely used lead gen tactics. Nike profits fall on rising product costs - Portland Business Journal. Nike CEO Mark Parker said that innovation will continue to carry Nike forward even as global economic uncertainty drags on earnings.
Nike Inc. for the second straight quarter posted a decline in quarterly profits as the sporting goods giant continues to struggle with the rising cost of labor and materials. Nike (NYSE: NKE), based in unincorporated Washington County, on Thursday said first-quarter profits fell 12 percent to $567 million, or $1.23 per share, from $645 million, or $1.39 per share, a year earlier. Enlightened business strategy: closing the sustainability gap.
(1) 4 Marketing Paradigms Brands Can NOT Ignore. Data Driven Marketing for Best Inbound Marketing Results. Designed To Move - A physical activity agenda to fuel the future. Ecosystem of Lifecycle Marketing Infographic. Using Social Media For Sustainability: WiserEarth Does It, And Well. Sustainability is 'the ultimate design brief' (7) Jeremiah Owyang - Google+ - RESOURCES: Social Media Voice and Brand Style Guides. … Channel Sustainability Retail IT Leaders Weigh In. Channel sustainability is an important topic among retail IT solutions providers today, especially with the emergence of iPads and the shift to a recurring revenue model. Members of the Industry Vision Panel at RetailNOW 2012 provided their take on channel sustainability and recommended actions for resellers.
Social Marketers Don’t Walk The Talk. Brand and agency marketers don’t see social media marketing as a lead or sales generation channel, don’t spend much money on it but insist that it’s an integral part of the marketing and business mix. (4) Social Media Marketing for the AEC Industry. GE Software: A Massive Startup In The Bay Area. Posted by Tom Foremski - September 5, 2012 One of the largest startups in and around Silicon Valley is GE Global Software in San Ramon, California, a brand new division of giant General Electric, built from scratch into an organization of 400 engineers, growing to as many as 800 software engineers and researchers by year end. Betting big on software is a key business strategy for GE. The $1.3 Trillion Price Of Not Tweeting At Work. Case study: Finnair puts social media community to work.