It is an understatement to say that today everything is the source of tensions. Not a single social issue, not a single political, economic or social theme manages to gain widespread support. Our Western societies are in an alarming dynamic of conflictualization of everything and always!
Who is to blame? The emergence of social media and continuous news channels, which rely on emotion rather than deep thought? Perhaps… This is a debate that would be interesting to open, but that is not the focus of today’s topic!
Is it possible to reconcile what at first glance seems to be different? Wouldn’t that be, precisely, a key to success in carrying out the most remarkable political reforms and social transformations, which still seem out of reach?
Companies increasingly challenged by opposing issues
What about this reconciliation on a corporate level? This, in a systemic logic, is perpetual. set in motion by external forces, Among them, three in particular have a considerable impact:
- The consumers, of course! Now very aware of social and environmental issues, they are changing their consumption habits with unprecedented speed, in search of products that are more local, greener, in short… more responsible. A challenge for companies that did not see this fundamental trend coming and that do not know how to provide concrete answers by evolving their offerings, their production tools and their supply chains.
- The collaborators whose aspirations to flourish in their work are increasingly expressed. Developing well-being at work has indeed become one of the priority topics for HR in recent years, because it is the prerequisite for sine qua non to continue attracting and retaining talent.
- The shareholders who legitimately demand more performance in terms of return on invested capital; this performance requirement can translate into daily commercial pressure to sell more and protect profitability.
At first glance, everything suggests that these three forces are exerting influence. pressures that go in completely opposite directions, This makes any transformation impossible for the company. Indeed, how could it be possible to generate ever more profits while massively investing to reduce the carbon footprint and to improve the employee experience? This is the perfect example of opposing interests that can generate conflict. a deep gap between, on the one hand, companies and consumers, and, on the other hand, managers and their employees.
And yet! At talenco, we believe in Reconciliation of these issues which seem to be antagonistic. We are even convinced that only companies that succeed in Converging economic performance, well-being at work and social responsibility in an ambitious corporate transformation project These are the ones that will succeed in the coming years. And that is what we strive for every day with our clients.
Performance, well-being and CSR serving the transformation of the company
Some leaders go even further in this vision, like Jostein Solheim, the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, who predicted before the Covid-19 health crisis that « Companies driven by a genuine societal and environmental mission will still be here in 5 years… the others will most certainly be gone! ».
So, how can we bring these issues that are inherently irreconcilable together? Although, as in all transformations, it is futile to seek a magic recipe, the leaders and pioneering companies on this path provide us with some valuable clues:
- Rooting this transformation in the company’s raison d’être and values. Nothing reconciles like starting by sharing a common vision and gaining the commitment of all stakeholders: employees, shareholders, suppliers and customers.
- Having leaders who authentically embody this transformation and will be able to stay the course no matter the storms encountered along the way. Whether they are entrepreneurs like Bris Rocher, the owner of Yves Rocher, or executives of listed companies like Emmanuel Faber, CEO of Danone, we are seeing this new generation of decision-makers emerging all over the world, determined to achieve this reconciliation.
- Understanding and prioritizing the expectations of customers, employees, and shareholders. The Frenchman Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy and advisor to many bosses in the United States, likes to remind us that we must first serve the customers; without them, it is impossible to generate revenue. We then need to take care of the employees who enable us to deliver the company’s value proposition on a daily basis, and then, in the end, To serve the shareholders… and not the other way around! As Isaac Getz and Laurent Marbacher point out in the Harvard Business Review, Altruistic companies, that is, those that choose to serve the members of their ecosystem – customers, suppliers, and local communities – unconditionally, are more successful and have higher economic value than the average (based on a panel of several dozen companies from all sectors and sizes, including listed companies).
- Finally, collectively anchor the idea that financial performance and the ability to be profitable are measured primarily in the long term and not in the percentage increase in net profit from one year to the next.
With only about 100 days left until the end of 2020, and since it is already time to look ahead to 2021, we therefore make this vow and continue to work talenco towards ensuring that the necessary transformation of companies takes place by reconciling economic performance, well-being at work, and social responsibility. This is the only possible way to reverse the trend in terms of global warming, to put the human being at the heart of our actions, and to support the economic development model of our Western societies. May this reconciliation inspire many others in the world of business!