It is now increasingly important to customers and your staff that your organization be integrated with society values. Once upon a time the corporate entity may have pursued profits or value over all other criteria - that has not been the case for some time. This is an important point for the SME owner and the new manager - whilst your focus may be on surviving and getting ahead in the early phases of your development- pursuit of those goals alone will be insufficient for longer term survival.
Staff, for instance, now will expect that you comply with ethical standards that go beyond that legislated, or normal operating standards. Staff may not want to work work for organizations that do not have climate or environmental policies or may not want to work for organizations that do not support their communities.
Customers, and ever increasingly financiers etc, may also require the organization to have standards beyond the current law - image is after all dependent upon opinions. The society values may also be lead indicators of future legislation and standards.
Imagine if your organization sends hundreds of tonnes to landfill and ignores a cheap alternative that may allow recycling ? Staff and customers may shy away if that matter became public, especially if you have no particular basis for that decision other than norm and ease.
Social integration is different and yet related to ethics (covered in previous tips) - it will be ever increasingly difficult to survive and prosper if your organization is not cognizant of changes in society values and direction. Customers already ask cafe owners what happens with the plastics in the shop -they also ask retailers about their waste processing among many other issues. No longer can a retailer just focus on its products - some may even get asked about how much the production worker in a third world country is being paid to produce shoes and other garments. Again leaving the question unanswered may seriously impact your organization reputation and ongoing future.
So new managers and owners of SME have a choice NOW - ignore these issues till they gain experience and suffer the consequence OR integrate their organization into society and grow in alignment ? Alignment NOW early may improve your business model and avoid costs of aligning later.
My tip of today - is see your organization as needing to join the local society that your staff and customers exist in - this will be better for growth, staff attraction and sales. Organizational existence in isolation, without recognition of society, will not likely sustain your organization into the longer term.
If you are a Leader or seeking to be one in the future - you need to read, read, read about Disruption NOW ! Those that fail to understand and adjust will fall behind.
Feel free to ask Dr Mat over a chat or email on Leadership, Management or change issues, advice, consulting or mentoring that you may seek.
These and other related topics feature in Dr Mats upcoming book titled "Leading and Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial Intelligence" - written for the modern professional, student and academic wanting to be ahead on modern Leadership and Management issues. Available through Amazon and other book sellers from May 24th 2019 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1787563685 . This book has been strongly endorsed - so use this link to review the endorsements and their comments - consider buying this book or recommend it to colleagues or friends/family
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Consider your own specific situation and seek professional advice before acting directly in reaction to any of the tips on this website, they are intended as general advice only.