Are you one of those people who run small businesses based on their passions, but shy away from the “Business of business”? I too, like many of you I suspect, have often struggled in my attempts to reframe the concept of “Marketing” in particular. To be fair to all of us, what we seem to be up against is a collective wisdom that says that “marketing is that dodgy stuff that people do in order to flog things to you when you don’t really want them”. Cue the double glazing and used car salesmen. Oh dear!
In the traditional model, business can be seen as a vehicle for channelling money from the compliant poor to the ruling, wealthy elite. The needs of the business owner are met through exploitation of raw materials and of other people – lesser paid employees and a material hungry client base mostly. Whilst successful in terms of achieving what it sets out to achieve, this version of enterprise provides a service to the community that has major limitations:
1. Meeting human needs through constructing “wants” for the client to have.
2. Promoting those to suit the needs of the business and involving the consumption and waste of limited resources.
3. Little regard for the effects that the business has on the environment, other than complying with legislation or a nod of some kind to Corporate Social Responsibility.
4. A focus on profit and the wishes of shareholders at the expense of the wellbeing of the people involved in the business and the natural world in which it operates.
Contrast this with the activities and attitude of those businesses whose remit is to employ ethical marketing methods. Ethical marketing in this case is an appropriate (and measured ) response to a wish to meet a particular genuine human need in a way that embraces care for the earth, for people and for how the wealth generated will be shared.
In a life sustaining society of the future, there is the potential for small, localised ethical businesses to effect positive change, not just in what they can provide materially and in the form of expertise, but in the ways they interface with their local community, other businesses and the wider world.
On a personal level, though, to be able to accept this reframing of “marketing” we require a change of mindset. This is not just for those natural leaders who are starting and running this new generation of businesses, but for those of us who will be their clients too. It involves acknowledging and examining our own needs and choosing to meet them, not primarily at minimum cost and maximum convenience, but by looking longer term and demanding sustainable solutions: those that are humane, environmentally responsible and fair to all involved.
For business leaders, this is also about a willingness to meet the needs of others through genuine service. I don’t mean the type of “meeting needs” that results in subservience, victim behaviour and other traits resulting from feelings of unworthiness. What I refer to is recognising that we each have a unique role to play in this world and that we can safely do that in partnership with others and for our mutual benefit. That the world might be a better place just because we exist – quirky and diverse beings that we are – is an idea than can be alien to many of us raised in a society that values compliance, standardisation and uniformity.
These new business owners – servant leaders of the future – know that their primary focus, with ethical marketing, is to find ways to offer their unique gifts to those who might benefit and to hold their business vision on behalf of those they employ.
It’s much easier and more enjoyable than “flogging stuff”.
From talking about growth in the last blog, my mind has turned to children and the subject of alternative education. Some of you, I know, are home educating parents and many of you who send your children to school question the methods that are used to teach your children and to interact with them. For the most part, our current school-based education system is still founded on ideas that stemmed from the perceived need to produce compliant recruits for the military and factory workers for the industrial revolution. Schooling in this form can be regarded as part of the, now receding, industrial growth society.
Here’s a delightful video from an alternative sort of school that I think you might enjoy:
For those of you who would like to see lasting, positive changes in the ways that your children are educated at school, the website mentioned in this video is worth a visit. If enough parents and teachers get involved, this could well be a route to the sort of education system that supports the transition to a life sustaining society.
Marks out of 10?
Despite what our political leaders insist on telling us, we all know deep down that persistent economic growth is no longer an option if humankind is to survive for very much longer on this planet. Yet it is not “growth” per se that is a bad thing when we consider what it really means. Growth is not about achievement, consumption, exploitation, manipulation, survival of the fittest, take-overs, domination, hierarchy, power or control. This is just what we’ve been led to believe through cultural conditioning and it is now so deeply ingrained that few of us can even imagine a different, more life-sustaining way of living and working.
So, if growth is not about all of those parameters I’ve just mentioned, what is it really? And how does this relate to our personal and business lives?
Exchange, evolution and renewal. One of the definitions of a living thing is that it grows. One of the miracles of our human forms is that, although on a moment by moment basis we appear to be solid, unchanging matter, at a microscopic level we are a buzz of activity with our cells continually exchanging matter, evolving and renewing themselves. So, growth for a living thing is about exchange, evolution, renewal and being part of a natural cycle that also, eventually, includes our demise.
Re-integration. In our personal lives, we are continually open to fragmentation and contamination, physically, socially and emotionally. Physically, we can become fragmented and contaminated through lack of exercise, eating unwholesome food, or being exposed to pollutants. Socially, this can happen through spending too much time with people with a negative outlook on life or who behave aggressively. We might also use socialising as a distraction or in order to manipulate others rather than to connect with them. Emotionally, we cause fragmentation and contamination by dwelling on grievances, bearing grudges and maintaining limiting beliefs.
So, on a personal level, we can ensure healthy growth by being aware of our behaviour and favouring habits that reconnect us with positive and wholesome influences on our physical, social and emotional wellbeing. We can take steps to remind ourselves of our part in the natural rhythm of life and avoid sources of physical, mental and social contamination.
Modeling Healthy Growth. We can model healthy growth for our children by living it ourselves and by encouraging them to do the same. For example, by eating well, getting plenty of exercise, steering clear of bullies (adults or children) and spending time with others who are caring and supportive of them. We can help them spend some time each week in nature and to express their gratitude for the things that have gone well, the true friends they’ve spent time with and the people they love.
Georgia wanted more than anything to grow her fledgling organic clothing business. She had begun by searching for business partners and associates, approaching retail outlets, online green products directories, anyone she could think of who might want to do business with her. Now, she was at full capacity with her suppliers, the working capacity of her staff and the limits of what her mental and physical health could stand. Initially she wanted coaching to help her take a step up to the next level
The next stage of growth for her business, as she saw it, was massive expansion, but it involved a leap of confidence – to take on extra staff, quickly find additional suppliers and promote herself to a more hands off directorship role. She had held off taking this next step and she wasn’t sure why, but her body was telling her something. She had some persistent low level illnesses that she just couldn’t shake off.
When we took an audit of the company, a kind of bird’s eye view coupled with some reliable financial data, we discovered that if she were to take the steps she envisaged to grow the company (as she thought she “ought to”) then she would be a little better off financially, but would be spending most of her day doing tasks that she didn’t enjoy. She would have completely lost touch with her reasons for starting her business and her business mission.
Business growth, in terms of increased turnover, profit or manpower, is not always the healthiest move, for the company or for the business owner. A mature approach to business growth means:
Exchange and renewal – reviewing business and personal data on a regular basis, communicating with and acting on messages received from clients, associates and employees.
Re-integration – being aware of sources of fragmentation and contamination (be they physical pollutants, changes in external circumstances, complaints from clients or unhelpful behaviour and beliefs from colleagues.) and addressing these. It also means having methods in place for helping the business learn by adding more effective communication systems, more enjoyable working conditions and continual professional development.
Through coaching, Georgia was able to reconnect with her business purpose and reintegrate that with her personal aspirations. Both she and her business were able to continue to “grow” but in a way that was sustainable for her and her employees as well as for the planet.
Not one, usually, to wave the flag for our Royal Family, I surprised myself yesterday by shouting “Go Charlie” at the radio on hearing Prince Charles’ speech at the BBC Food and Farming Awards. Known also as the “British Food Oscars”, these awards are designed to help us celebrate the culture of quality food in Britain and to encourage us to “keep our food system in good heart”, something very much valued by simple living and sustainable living enthusiasts.
The winners and finalists came from a wide range of food related enterprises and represented many fascinating, foodie specialities. What I found so uplifting about this programme was the initiative and imagination demonstrated by all of them in a very challenging industry and with stiff competition from giant corporations.
Do have a listen online. Prince Charles’ speech lasts for approx 4 minutes 30 seconds and starts about 2mins 20 seconds into the programme. In particular, listen out for the “important questions we should be asking ourselves” and “What we risk losing if we continue to treat food as an easy commodity rather than as a precious gift.”
Happy New Year!
An inspiring guest article today from Edwin Datschefski.
Edwin is a product design consultant, speaker and author who helps people figure out how to make their products sustainable — good for people, profits and the planet. The following is reproduced with his permission:
*********************
I was thinking about the basics of my perspective on the environment when I noticed that they are very similar in structure to the four noble truths that underpin Buddhism.
In case you don’t know them, they can be summed up as:
1. Suffering exists.
2. The origin of suffering is egoistic craving and attachment.
3. There is a way to the cessation of suffering, otherwise known as Nirvana.
4. This Way is the Eightfold Path: Right Understanding; Right Thinking; Right Speech; Right Attitude; Right Livelihood; Right Effort; Right Concentration; and Right Mindfulness.
So here is my version:
1. Pollution exists
There are people who say that there is no problem, but if you are an environmentalist you acknowledge that there are terrible things happening to the natural world and to people.
2. The origin of Pollution is poorly-designed industry and agriculture
I’m using ‘pollution’ as a shorthand here for all environmental ills, including habitat destruction and so on. I think it’s a pretty good word that anyone in the street can also understand. It is the design that’s to blame, not the designers; they didn’t know any better at the time.
3. There is a Way to have no Pollution
A surprisingly large number of people in the environment movement really don’t believe this. I’ve asked large groups of people during my talks and it always amazes me how few think we can have no pollution.
4. This Way is the Fivefold Path:
· Right Flow of Materials (100% cyclic);
· Right Sources of Energy (100% solar);
· Right Type of Materials (100% safe);
· Right Use of Materials (Ultra-efficient);
· Right Treatment of People (Social).
What’s also interesting is that many non-buddhists adopt the Eightfold path as a good way to live anyway. It can provide a good model for an environmentalist as well:
Continually learn about nature and about new sustainable technologies and techniques.
Make a commitment to work towards 100% sustainability in your job and home life.
Get on with it. Do what matters, do what works.
Speak helpfully and compassionately about your work to everyone.
Be sustainable in all your tasks; walk the talk.
Make your living from working on sustainability.
Keep focused on your goal, avoid distractions.
What are you waiting for?
Edwin Datschefski
BioThinking International
This site seeks to explore the heart and soul of downshifting to a more sustainable, ethical and holistic way of living and working, in keeping with the needs of the planet, humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals. (read more)
