From Apathy to Action

apathy

• a behavior that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to act, especially over something important

Mark Feldman is the Founder and Managing Director of Cause Consulting, a social impact strategy and communications firm dedicated to simultaneously strengthening business and impacting society.

When reading Mark’s article, several points resonated with me. They’re aligned with my position on corporate responsibility as it relates not only to their shareholders and employees, but also to the causes that are important to their employees, community, and other stakeholders. Below are excerpts from Mark’s article:

During uncertain and potentially polarizing times, people will look for comfort and alignment with their beliefs. Their voices around the social issues that are important to them will rise even louder as they get more inspired and passionate, especially if they are scared. We need to be prepared to answer what our companies and brands stand for.

In the face of the many complex challenges that lie ahead, it might be easier to passively observe and wait for the pendulum to shift back, but ultimately that means being left behind. The role of corporate America around social issues is too important – and the opportunity too great — for us not to take carefully considered, strategic action.

Having worked with executives who act boldly and make a difference, here is what I optimistically expect to see more of from companies in the future:

• They will be open about sharing their purpose and values. If they haven’t yet developed them, this is the time to do some corporate soul-searching and define what the organization or brand stands for. For companies with strong corporate citizenship programs, I expect to see increased articulation of their values and purpose, and even greater communication around their social impact work.
• They will cultivate deeper engagement with stakeholders. They’ll listen to people and the frustrations of those who feel “unheard” by leadership. Many companies already have channels for soliciting and acting on stakeholder feedback and incorporating what they learn into business decisions. Those that don’t will need to create them.
• They will recognize that a deep understanding of social issues is critical to their ability to make a difference. They will be more focused and strategic. These businesses will be more effective and smarter about their corporate citizenship thanks to this expertise.
• They will take leadership roles around issues that are most important and relevant to their employees, consumers, and other stakeholders. Building upon years of corporate responsibility innovation, companies will apply a broad combination of expertise, product, financial, and advocacy resources to drive social impact.

Our task this year is to look deep inside our companies and ourselves and ask what is truly important. We’ll need a point of view, a lens to make decisions, and at times, the guts to go outside our comfort zone and stand up for what we believe in. I hope we will all choose to capitalize on opportunities to both strengthen business and impact society.

action

• the process of doing something, especially when dealing with a problem or difficulty

iSeek’s Business Health Check resource is designed to take the pulse of your organization. The Health Check is a customized assessment that analyzes areas such as

• How is the business dealing with the external factors beyond its control? Like environment and social impacts, competition, customers, including owners/shareholders.
• What do you want the future of the business to be about?
  Objectives, Strategies, Purpose and Values: What actions do you need to take to make this vision a reality? 

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