To him where much is given, much should be expected. Truth be told, that sounds like Spiderman’s mantra. But it speaks a lot of truth, especially in the business sector. Businesses that have found greater success must also give back to society in general. And this is nowhere as done practically than by being socially conscious.
Its no accident that many top corporations today have been under fire for their lax attitude towards planet responsibility, for instance. Such names as Coca-Cola Pepsico, and Nestle may be a household word in any country. But these same successful companies which have given us products we use every day, are also the most wasteful corporations in the world. Their plastic production has grown to such a humongous size that it’s hard to find a country that doesn’t have a display of their brands thrown around in just about every corner you can find.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are also the do-gooders, companies that actively give back to the society they’re in. A good example here is Google. The search engine giant is the first major company to achieve carbon neutrality, which simply means achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
The good news is you really don’t have to bend over backward just to be a socially responsible company. Here are expert ways to get you started.
Social Mission is Key
It’s easy to pay lip service to social responsibilities. Anyone can put up a front saying their company is eco-friendly for one. Chances are, however, if you’re not careful you can end up doing things that can brand your enterprise as a tool of planetary destruction.
We need not go to the massive oil spills done years ago in the Gulf of Mexico. That was really extreme. But a more benign example of social irresponsibility is Coke. It’s no secret the beverage company is enjoying success worldwide. But what you may not know is it has also been dubbed as the world’s “most polluting brand” when it comes to plastics. And yes, along with is Nestle and Pepsico.
To counter such negative branding, create for your enterprise a social mission, and not just your usual vision-mission statements. Said social mission should spell out how your company is going to actively help the community where it belongs.
Establish Realistic Goals
Lofty ideas are a great start but unless you translate it to action, it’s nothing more than words. So, get your social mission rolling by enumerating the concrete actions you need to do to make it happen.
You may not have to think that long. A 3 to 6 months list of goals and ways you can get it can be a good start. The trick here is to make realistic objectives that you can gun for without having to make major interruptions in your company routine.
Also, check if there are ways you can be more community-friendly. It’s hard to trumpet being eco-friendly if you’re belching out black smoke from your industrial fans, for one.
So it’s ideal you start from within; check your processes if there are ways you can adjust them to make them more socially responsible.
A good example here is the reliance on an industrial air compressor. Oil-free industrial compressors and not only efficient but also they’re environmentally-friendly. To boot, they consume far less energy in comparison to electricity-dependent pieces of equipment. What’s more, these machines don’t produce toxic wastes that can harm the environment.
Education is Key
Think of your employees as a lever. If you don’t educate them, then you lose the ability to create a bigger force to make your social mission a reality. So enjoin your entire workforce to commit to your community-building efforts.
To do that, you need to educate your people. Teach them ways how they can make a difference. Additionally, it’s best you keep them informed so they know how the enterprise is doing to keep things right.
To note, Eva Longoria recently was tapped by Chivas Regal to find the most socially responsible startups. It’s a stunning way to encourage everyone by waving a $1 million startup fund. Doing so has made Chivas Regal, a liquor company, a socially conscious enterprise.
