Do The Right Thing.

This column first appeared in Progress Magazine in March 2012......

One of the lessons I remember most as a young child was the constant reminder from my father that I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel.  Others before me had discovered the path of least resistance and I should just listen to them, follow their advice and “do the right thing.”

This lesson came back to me this week as I completed my fourth stakeholder audit in as many months.  As an independent consultant who specializes in strategic planning, corporate social responsibility development and stakeholder engagement, I have the truly amazing opportunity to work with organizations who provide me full access to their key stakeholders and entrust me with reaching out and determining what those stakeholders think of the organization, it’s vision and mandate, it’s successes and challenges and where the organization needs to focus on for the future.

In the past four months I’ve worked with two industry associations, a health care organization, and a provincially driven agency.  They are all good organizations with solid histories, excellent staff and a strong record of results.  What’s most interesting, are the key challenges that stakeholders identified within each of these organizations that they all have in common.

This got me thinking about all of the engagement exercises I’ve done with Atlantic-based businesses over the past few years and surprise, surprise, many of their challenges were the same. 

Communication

This is the most common challenge I hear from stakeholders – regardless of the sector.  Stakeholders consistently outline the challenge of not knowing what an organization does, whether or not it has achieved success and, most importantly, what that organization can do for the stakeholder.  While fundamental to everything an organization does, communications is perhaps the one area where most tend to fail on a regular basis.  Whether some take it for granted or just don’t think of it, stakeholders continue to feel a disconnect with the very organization that depends on them to help reach their goals.  While every manager I’ve ever worked for fancied themselves an excellent communicator, the truth is that solid, consistent, two-way communications with key stakeholders takes focus, strategy and commitment. 

Collaboration

Another key area stakeholders highlight is the organization’s ability to work with other groups or organizations to ensure the best focus and strategy possible.  This could mean collaboration between business and government, our educational institutions and the private sector or even like-minded agencies that offer similar services.  Yet we continue to see groups operating in isolation.  Stakeholders want to see groups and organizations willing to accept that they don’t always hold all the answers.  They want to see integration and collaboration with a goal of providing the best product, service or support possible.

 Shared-Value

Beyond being a financially successful operation, stakeholders want to see the added-value that organizations bring to the communities in which they operate.  I’ve talked many times in this column about the concept of shared-value yet many organizations remain unaware or are unwilling to act on the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their stakeholders while at the same time, making a profit.   Again this is not about sponsoring little league teams or providing ball caps for golf tournaments.  It requires thought and strategy and tends to be an after thought with many organizations across our region.

Openness and Transparency

In addition to effective two-way communication, stakeholders want to see organizations that are willing to be open and transparent in everything they do.  From profits to solving challenges, stakeholders have greater trust and respect for the organization that is willing to share through reporting and ongoing communications.  This allows stakeholders to make informed decisions, generate greater awareness and ultimately create stronger good will. 

Leadership

Perhaps the most difficult to quantify, stakeholders continue to highlight the lack of leadership within many of the organizations in our region today.  While it’s not about the ability of the individual leaders, it is about the ability of an organization to play a leadership role in whatever it is they do.  Stakeholders want to be part of successful organizations.  They want to see an organization that has the ability to inspire, to make a difference and to be true innovators in their various disciplines or sectors.

So there you are.  Whether you’re a government agency or a private organization, are you truly aware of what your stakeholders think of you and, even more importantly, whether or not they see themselves within your organization?

Don’t assume.  Take the time to reach out to stakeholders and engage them in a dialogue.  Also don’t assume they’ll be frank and open unless you employ an independent consultant who can ask the tough questions and be prepared for the tough answers.  While difficult to hear, I guarantee its better to know than to remain ignorant.  

I finally get what my father was saying.  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel and find out the hard way.  Many organizations have been down that path.  You have the ability to follow an easier one.  A path that will lead to improved stakeholder engagement, greater social responsibility and a stronger bottom line.   

Mike Randall is a communications and engagement specialist living in Moncton. He can be reached at mike@engageatlantic.ca.

Finding Your Sweet Spot

The new ingredient to drive the next wave of innovation and productivity growth is collaboration.  That’s the growing opinion from businesses committed to creating shared value.

We’ve talked about the concept of shared value in this column in the past.  How “creating shared-value” may be the real key to creating sustainable and high-performance organizations. Basically the philosophy is equally about organizations committed to making a difference in the lives of their stakeholders while at the same time, making a profit.

So how do organizations who are committed to created shared value begin to choose where to make a difference?

For Bell Aliant its about finding that “sweet spot” that addresses a real community need, while at the same time engaging stakeholders to be hands on in the execution of making a difference.

“it’s about more than writing a cheque,” says Bell Aliant’s VP of Corporate Affairs, Lisa Merrithew. 

Once again Bell Aliant partnered with Bell to launch its nation-wide Let's Talk campaign inviting Canadians to join in on the conversation about mental health.

The campaign focuses on reducing the stigma around mental illness.  The commitment by Bell - 
For every text message sent and every long distance call made by Bell and Bell Aliant customers on February 8, Bell will donate 5 cents to programs dedicated to mental health.

“we are absolutely jazzed about helping a cause that affects one in five,” says Merrithew.  “The reaction from our employees has been absolutely incredible.”

Merrithew says that the Let’s Talk Campaign, while only in its second year, helps to deliver value on a number of levels.

“While we support a lot of causes in the communities in which we operate, this campaign allows our employees to get involved in making a difference towards a cause that needs attention.”

Before deciding on mental health, Merrithew says the company did a ton of research and discovered there was a tremendous need – not only for cash – but to help create awareness and get people talking about mental health.

“We’re a communications company and we have the channels available to us that make sense to help create a conversation and improve awareness. Says Merrithew.  “I think organizations have an obligation.  If you have a voice and a place to deliver it  - it’s something you are obliged to do.”

Another term used for this kind of investment is ‘impact investing’. Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, says: “When I talk about impact investing, I’m talking about [a] double bottom line. You want a financial return but you also are looking for a social or environmental return as well.”

Rodin says businesses must reconnect company success with social progress. Shared value is not about redistributing existing value but about expanding the total pool of economic and social value. She contends that businesses will need to overcome the deeply entrenched assumption that there are tradeoffs between economic efficiency and social progress or between economic efficiency and sustainable environmental practices.

For Bell Aliant the benefits were multiple.

“First and foremost, this was about employee engagement,” says Merrithew.  “It’s about finding that sweet spot that allows organizations to provide stakeholders the opportunity to really dig into an issue and take it to the next level.”

As well, Merrithew says the campaign clearly helps with Brand Awareness and also addresses an identified need in Atlantic Canadian communities.

“So many people have come forward to say thank you and the campaign is clearly hitting a nerve with our customers.

Another key benefit was Bell Aliant’s ability to partner with key stakeholders in government – seeing the Provinces of PEI and NB actually promote the event on their government sites.

For Merrithew, the real challenge for any organization is finding that sweet spot that hits all the marks.  She says organizations need to listen to stakeholders and engage them in the decision-making.

Another benefit is the fact that, with shrinking community relations budgets, being focused helps to manage expectations. 

“While people still come to ask us for assistance with their community event, they are starting to understand that we have a focus on where a portion of our community spending will go.  While we will never stop supporting lots of causes, this focus helps everyone understand what we’re trying to do and helps us tell a better story.”

Let’s Talk isn’t the only campaign that is providing shared-value for the organization.  Bell Aliant also runs a Backpacks for Kids campaign that is employees and supplier driven.  Together these campaigns create a sense of ownership for Bell Aliant’s key stakeholders and help to create the all important goodwill as the company continues to evolve in the marketplace.

The one-day Let’s Talk Campaign raised over $3million nationally for Mental Health programs.  More importantly it has placed Bell Aliant in that unique position of creating real shared-value across the region. 

That’s a position that money alone cannot buy.