[Video Link for Email/Other Subscribers - 30min]
Location: Sustainable Brands 08 – Monterey, California
Organizer: Sustainable Life Media, Business & Industry News for Sustainability
Speaker
Jeffrey Hollender – CEO & Co-founder, Seventh Generation Inc.
Summary
Culture – the most elusive element of competitive advantage –is frequently organically grown. However, as a business grows, culture needs to be nurtured, protected, and yes, in many cases, formalized to preserve the uniqueness that defined the brand. Seventh Generation’s unique culture permeates the brand from the inside out. Hear Seventh Generation’s visionary President Jeffery Hollender discuss the challenges and opportunities of creating, and maintaining a unique culture focused on sustainability through periods of extraordinary growth.
Review
An inspirational speaker to say the least. As he mentions in his speech, a big influence on Seventh Generation came from the teachings of Peter Senge and applied systemic thinking to organizational behavior. The one area he mentioned that struck me particularly, was the notion of two-sided companies where the left hand is doing good, and the right hand is causing harm or engaging in a contentious industry. An example could be a cause-related campaign or charitable activities (left hand), while selling dangerous chemicals or weapons (right hand). Or you could consider a conglomerate where certain subsidiaries are good/benign, and others are questionable/bad. Yes the labels are subjective and subject to personal opinion, but the point is clear: Activities not aligned with the safety or betterment of society are a hindrance on a company’s moral character, and good deeds can’t just easily balance the equation.
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If you’re seriously interested in the topic of sustainability and business, I recommend you check out Sustainable Brands International in Miami, Dec. 9-11.