I had just been reading another book on sustainability when my copy of The Responsibility Revolution arrived in the mail. Wrapped in 100 percent post-consumer fiber, I picked up the book, read the preface and introduction and gleefully put down my prior read to immerse myself in Hollender and Breen’s next adventure.
A nice complement to The Necessary Revolution, by Peter Senge (Senge writes the forward in this book as well) Hollender and Breen have a refreshing way of making responsibility real and tangible for companies considering the shift to this new for-purpose (and profit) way of life.
The book’s opening chapter champions five directives businesses can adopt to transform conventional enterprises into “responsible and authentic” businesses. To support this blueprint, Hollender and Breen provide provocative case studies that support their theories and prescription for success. While Hollender admits: “There is, of course, no one right way to transform a conventional company into a revolutionary company” — the authors note four key principles must be manifest — mission, transparency, authenticity and innovation. Following is a high-level overview of the five directives outlined by Hollender in the book.
Blueprint For a Responsible Company
To build a truly authentic and responsible company, Seventh Generation’s Co-Found Jeffrey Hollender says a company’s mission should matter. “Responsible companies believe that what you stand for – your purpose and values – is far more important than the products you make or the services you sell.” He adds: “When organizations stand for something big – something that truly matters to people – they sharply differentiate themselves from their competition.”
To build trust in the company and its mission, Hollender states that organizations need to become transparent in their dealings with all stakeholders, from employees and customers to communities beyond. “By publicly baring its less than admirable impacts on society and the environment,” Hollender writes, “the transparent company preempts its critics – and takes the first step towards collaboratively fixing its problems.”
To unleash solutions, Hollender proposes that responsible companies transform workplaces into burgeoning communities of purpose and innovation. “Talented people, animated by a community’s sense of purpose,” the authors explain, “provide the brainpower for generating breakthrough ideas and the firepower for getting them into the world.” In other words — when companies let associates set their strategic direction, they act less like employees and more like entrepreneurs primed to innovate.
To optimize the value of “community” innovation, Hollender advocates bringing consumers into the organization. The more heads a responsible company can collaborate with, he notes, the greater the impact on the company and marketplace. “Good companies genuinely listen to customers and outside stakeholders. They interact. And a few dare to put consumers at the very heart of their innovation process,” Hollender observes.
Whether an organization seeks to create meaningful innovation, build community or bring consumers into the fold– Hollender is emphatic that all actions must come from an authentic place that demonstrate a “real” commitment to solution-making. “Do-good marketing doesn’t cut it anymore,” Hollender writes in his book.
And lastly, for the responsible enterprise seeking longevity, the authors state: “No enterprise can truly attempt to embed the sustainable ethos into everything it does without constructing a collective view of what it should be.” To demonstrate the value of this insightful point, Hollender opens chapter two with his first case study — a deep dive into OrganicValley’s 2004 Dry Thursday event.
If you’re not familiar with this story (originally covered in Inc. Magazine), a massive shift to all things organic back in December 2004 meant Organic Valley did not have enough product to fill orders. The company had a critical choice to make – continue to serve the big box retailers who were driving organic mainstream, or hold true to the green grocers that helped build the market in the first place. Since this case study is central to the heart of the book and Hollender’s blueprint for a responsible company, I won’t delve into specifics here other than to say that Hollender is spot on when he says: Mission matters. To learn more about this case study and others profiled in the book, check out The Responsibility Revolution.
Source: The Responsibility Revolution, Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen, March 2010, Jossey-Bass™ Publishing. All quotes attributed to authors.
