PUBLISHED 06/2021
COALITION - GOODNESS & CO JOINS #NEWDEAL TO SUPPORT POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION
1 / What do you remember about this crazy year?
This year has been, in my opinion, a tipping point for all of us, especially for companies.
I have always wanted to contribute to a better world, and this through the lever of business. But today, even more than yesterday, I believe that business is the path to transformation, that it is the real lever for progress in our society. My conviction is not a utopia; it is above all economic, managerial and societal. All actors have a role to play: politicians, NGOs, investors, etc. It is time to act, and I fundamentally believe in the capacity of companies to act.
2 / What is the basis for this belief?
We are at a point where companies must reinvent their model, create meaning and thus demonstrate their contribution to society – as we have seen in the way they have played a role alongside the State in taking charge of the general interest. But only organisations with a positive impact will thrive because they will be chosen by employees, consumers, investors and partners.
The facts are there! The new generation is mobilising. Consumers are looking for activist brands. Employees care about their company’s behaviour and its impact on society. From this perspective, the pandemic is a wake-up call for all.
Of course, not all companies are destined to become a B Corp or a Mission-driven Company; not all of them are as advanced, not all of them have it in their DNA… But all of them, whether they are large or small, are moving along this path. They no longer have a choice.
3 / Wasn’t this the case before? What will this pandemic year change?
It’s happening in stages. A few years ago, when we talked about the role of companies in society, beyond those whose business it was – as in the health sector – we were keen to act to help our ecosystem. Often, corporate foundations or commitments with NGOs were the spearheads of these actions alongside the business.
Then we all became aware of the challenges facing our society:
- Millions of tons of plastic are in the oceans.
- The need to build a more inclusive economy.
- The challenges of the climate.
Our planet was burning, and there was no plan B. No transformation could take place without the economic world. This is the stage of deployment of CSR policies, a real accelerator of progress, to help companies limit their negative externalities, protect our planet and take care of people in their daily practices.
Today, we need further to embrace this revolution in consumption practices and economic models: this is the challenge of Positive Impact Business. How can we rediscover the meaning and usefulness of our activity? How can we create a virtuous model that combines economic performance and societal impact? How can we turn our raison d’être into a competitive advantage? How to cultivate the synergy between economic performance and positive impact?
How to operationalise this vision?
The time has come for companies to create meaning; the time has come for action: to put the raison d’être at the heart of the business.
4 / The Pact law was passed in 2019, and already nearly 166 French companies have decided to become “mission companies”. What advice would you give to a manager who wants to take the plunge?
The Pact law encourages companies to go further down this path. My first piece of advice is not to rush into anything, to know precisely what you are getting into. Because not all companies have the same level of maturity, specify the usefulness of your company in society, its commitments to create a positive impact concerning your activities and business model. Draw this path by listening to the people around you, your employees and stakeholders. Your purpose can become a competitive advantage. Embracing a cause beyond current capabilities encourages teams to think big, push the boundaries and fully commit to the journey. I believe it all starts with this vision, as a strategic compass for all, with social and environmental commitments to create impact.
On this journey, it seems essential to move from talking to action. Successful operationalisation relies on three levers.
The first: most of the time, we do not start from scratch. It is a question of starting from assets, from successful initiatives, which need to grow, to be taken further.
The second is that this positive transformation concerns all the company’s businesses and functions. To create value, offers and brands play a decisive role in winning the preference of distributors and the hearts of consumers.
Third: the need to engage your employees, customers and stakeholders. The collective will make the difference.
Communication is an indispensable lever in the transformation. However, the raison d’être is not limited to a communication operation! All the studies show it: if most employees prefer to work in a company with impact, they massively reject false speeches and inconsistencies between words and actions. We must therefore see communication as a lever for transformation, not as “purpose washing”.
5 / Is it also a question of leadership?
It is, above all, a question of leadership. Implementing new governance models is the work of courageous leaders who dare to reinvent their model and question the company’s activities and practices. These courageous leaders opt for more collaborative and inclusive governance. These enlightened leaders seek to transform their companies. But they need the energy of those “dreamers who do”, those “early makers”, those generous individuals who are working for transformation, those activists who are inventing the models of tomorrow. I am convinced that the companies that will succeed in this transformation will be those that have supported, encouraged and mobilised this generation of “activists in business”. The new economic order depends on it. It is also a real employer brand issue to recruit and retain the best talent.
These companies are undertaking a fundamental transformation, reinventing themselves with great courage and leadership. But they are still too often acting in isolation. This is not enough. No company can do it alone. Companies are starting to federate, to put in place new business practices. The emergence of partnerships and coalitions of action means giving life to new paradigms to multiply the impact of companies.
6 / What is the news that concerns you, and what gives you faith in the future?
I have become aware that “thought leaders” are becoming a significant movement. After more than 20 years of leading these transformations from the inside within committed companies, such as in recent years as a Catalyst for Danone or as Co-Chair of CHL at the Consumer Goods Forum, I created Goodness&Co to help these courageous leaders in their strategic choices and the operationalisation of their approach.
The question is no longer “why”. The question has become “how”. There is a way to reconcile business and sustainability. It will not happen by chance.
On this conviction, I created Goodness&Co, to accompany managers in their positive transformation, to make the reason for being a value creation. There is nothing worse than good ideas that are not implemented.
