Remembering What Matters Most

This morning started out like any other day.

I was scheduled to attend the Communicating Sustainability conference in Santa Clara, CA, and in typical fashion, I was running a few minutes late.

Running out to my car, I didn’t notice anything amiss – at first.

But upon closer inspection, it hit me: shattered glass covered the driver’s side seat, the glove compartment was open and bare, and paper and trash littered the interior. My car had been broken into.

Practically everyone has had an experience like this – expecting your day to look one way, and in a flash, everything changes. Whether it’s getting your car broken into, or something more serious like being in an accident or being the victim of a crime – everyone knows that feeling of the pit in your stomach. How quickly things can change.

Thankfully, in my case, the story appears to end well. I didn’t have much of value in my car, and at the end of the day, all of my “stuff” is replaceable. I got lucky.

But this got me thinking.

Every day, people start their mornings expecting life to look a certain way. The community in San Bruno, for instance, who lost loved ones and saw their homes go up in flames, could never have imagined their lives would change forever, in an instant.

Today, in my own small but very real way, I was reminded how it feels to be vulnerable, like a victim. To have something happen that, no matter how random, felt intentional and hurtful. And I needed help.

As I waited for the police, my thoughts drifted to what I was missing at the conference. I looked at my watch and thought about who’d be on stage now, and what they’d be talking about.

I wondered how many of the panels and sessions today would talk not just about trends in CSR reporting, or measurement, or best practices. Instead, I wondered how many times everyone in the room would talk about the people their programs are trying to help.

Recipients, constituents, stakeholders – yes. But in many cases, the people who benefit from the “social” side of CSR work are victims. Victims of violence, of natural disaster, or even of lack of access to things like education or health care.

As someone who enjoys talking about the “business side” of CSR, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the issues of strategy, implementation and others.

But this morning reminded me the reason I fell in love with CSR in the first place: People.

At the end of the day, what I love most about CSR is the very real opportunity that the business community has to effect change and impact the lives of people who need help.

The people are what matter – in my opinion, they are what makes this work all worthwhile.

As I wait to have my window repaired and get all the glass swept up, I’m going to give myself permission to put down the CSR theory, and to stop thinking about the business behind CSR.

Instead, I’m going to spend some time remembering what matters most.

Making an Impact at Work

One topic that comes up often in CSR discussions is social intrapreneurship (in fact, it’s something I’ve written about previously on The Changebase).

Lots of people want to do CSR work, but not everyone is lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time to land that perfect CSR job.

Thankfully that doesn’t mean that you can’t still make an impact at work.

I recently sat down with Britta Durtsche, a true social intrapreneur who found her CSR calling in a most unexpected way.

Interestingly, Britta never expected she’d work at a big company like Best Buy.

A self-proclaimed “anti-corporate” college student who’d been active in causes like sustainable clothing and social enterprise, Britta never guessed that an internship with the consumer electronics giant would have such an impact on her professional career. But it did.

In 2004 as an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, Britta decided to “test the waters of a corporate environment” by accepting an internship with Best Buy. By the end of the summer, she says, she was hooked on the company’s culture and energy.

After graduation Britta joined Best Buy as a Demand Planning Analyst in the Marketing group, and even though she spent most of her time in spreadsheets and forecasts, she loved it.

Soon after starting, Britta heard about a new group being formed at headquarters by a fellow employee named Hamlin Metzger. The goal was to get Best Buy employees engaged and active in an internal movement to integrate sustainability into their everyday work routines. Hamlin was looking for help, and Britta jumped at the chance to get involved. Soon after, in 2006 the Best Buy Social Responsibility (BBSR) team was launched.

From working with Facilities to improve recycling programs, to hosting a company-wide energy-themed film festival, Britta and the BBSR team worked hard to create buzz and generate excitement internally. In addition to these highly-visible initiatives, the BBSR team also hosted smaller informational meetings to provide employees the chance to learn more about how they could personally get involved.

And the most amazing part? Britta, Hamlin and their colleagues accomplished all of this in addition to their regular day jobs. In fact, according to Britta, it really just started as “little grassroots things I could take on in addition to my role” in Demand Planning.

Today, more than 200 employees are part of the BBSR team and it seems inevitable that this number will grow with time.

Britta attributes the program’s success to the fact that the BBSR team taps into employees’ personal interests and allows them to “bring their hearts” to work – even if their jobs aren’t directly related to corporate social responsibility.

The other crucial success factor, Britta says, was engaging Best Buy’s senior leadership every step of the way. Through personal, one-on-one outreach with VP’s and other leaders, Britta and the team secured buy-in from key influencers throughout the company – a strategy she believes helped to “carry the legitimacy” of the BBSR team’s efforts and model the way for others to join in.

Although she has since left Best Buy and the BBSR team, Britta has continued to work with social intrapreneurs who want to identify ways to bring sustainability into their workplaces and schools. Today Britta serves as the Impact Programs Manager at Net Impact, where she provides resources, tools and support for professionals and students who want to make a difference in their organizations.

For many Net Impact members and recent MBA graduates, working in sustainability or CSR is an important goal. Often, however, those jobs are tough to find and can be very competitive.

Nonetheless, Britta’s story reminds us that we don’t need “CSR” in our job title to make an impact at work. By finding a company she loved; volunteering to help with an issue she cared about; and engaging with employees at every level, Britta was able to meaningfully participate in and help guide Best Buy’s sustainability journey.

Clearly Britta’s story serves as a great example of finding ways to contribute to your company’s sustainability goals, even when you’re not working in the CSR team. But why tell her story now?

As you may know, Net Impact’s terrific annual CSR conference is taking place October 28^th through the 30^th at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and I want to encourage everyone to attend.

This year’s theme is “2020: Vision for a Sustainable Decade” and, given Net Impact’s own interest in social intrapreneurship, I have a hunch it’ll be a great place to learn more about how to get involved in your own company’s CSR journey.

They’re still announcing speakers and sessions, but trust me: the networking is great, the energy is contagious, and the learning is invigorating.

And the best part? For another week you can take advantage of early registration! So: what are you waiting for?

Conscious (and Sustainable) Consumption

Last week The New York Times published an article called “But Will it Make You Happy?” and it quickly made the rounds among my friends and family.  The article centers on the idea that “Conspicuous Consumption” – or the idea of buying “without regard” – is out.

Instead, Americans today are not only consuming (and spending) less, but also changing how they do it.

Rather than spending on material goods like couches and cars, people these days are focusing on “experience” spending; that is, on weekend getaways, nice dinners, or basically anything that can create memories.

Interestingly enough, this shift in where and how people consume doesn’t just mean they’re saving money in a tough economy. In fact, it’s more than that: “Current research suggests that, unlike consumption of material goods, spending on leisure and services typically strengthens social bonds, which in turn helps amplify happiness.”

That’s right – as people are choosing to shift their spending habits away from material goods and towards memory-making experiences, they’re actually happier!

The article goes on to say: “People are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.”

For me, the idea of trying to outdo the Joneses especially resonated. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest “must-have” gadget, the newest electronics, or the most stylish outfit. I’ll admit it: this is definitely something I struggle with sometimes.

But, like the people profiled in the article, these days I’m really trying to be more thoughtful and present when I make purchases. Whether it’s deciding not to go shopping for new clothes (when I already have a full closet) or choosing to go out to a nice dinner rather than buy a new ipod, I’ve definitely seen my own personal shift in spending.

And like the article says, I feel better about my life, my health and my relationships because of it.

That said, one thing The New York Times article fails to mention – and that for me personally has been crucially important in my spending shift – is the rising awareness among consumers relating to the environmental impact of their consumption.

Instead of conspicuous consumption, you might say we’ve entered a time of Conscious Consumption. These days, many American consumers are thinking carefully about the products they buy, the food they eat, the cars they drive and the homes they live in – not just because of their desire to spend less, but because of the waste and excess that come with these purchases.

I mean, seriously – if Oprah’s talking about conscious consumption, you know the American public is too!

In this way, I believe The New York Times article missed one important piece in the puzzle. Yes, we’re changing the way we spend and what we spend on – and it’s partly because of the economy, that’s true. But I believe we’re also consuming differently because we know that our choice to buy bigger and live bigger just isn’t sustainable.

The good news is, whether you shift your consumption habits for Mother Earth, or for your wallet, I do agree with The New York Times on one point: it will definitely make you happier. Give it a try!

The MBA CSR Job Search

Hello everyone!

I am back from my cross country road trip and happy to report I am officially based in the San Francisco Bay Area again.

I have many stories to share from the road, but before I recap my trip, I wanted to give a quick plug for my friend and fellow Twitterer Aman Singh Das, Corporate Responsibility Editor of Vault.com.

For anyone who participates in the CSR community on Twitter, Aman’s name and her work on Vault.com and the In Good Company blog will definitely ring a bell. I first met Aman a few months ago when she was interested in publishing one of my CSR job search posts.

Our paths crossed again a few weeks later when she reached out to me for an interview. Curious about how MBA graduates are faring in their CSR job search, Aman decided to write what she called an “intergenerational study” of MBAs who want to create change in business.

Included in my interview cohort were MBAs from Case Western, Marlboro College and UC Irvine (including my friend Geetanjali Singh). The unifying theme for all of the interview subjects was our interest in finding a job in corporate social responsibility.

Here’s what Aman had to say about her report:

Over the next two weeks, I will be publishing interviews with each of the graduates, providing you with in depth insights into their worlds and their progress—or lack of it—in finding employment in their chosen field. Each of the graduates left behind stable, well-paid careers—ranging from IT, programming, and nonprofit fund raising—to strike out in a field they feel truly passionate about. Will they sacrifice that passion for CSR in favor of employment? And if not, how long are they willing to search for that perfect job, and what alternatives exist in the marketplace?

I am so thrilled to have taken part in such an interesting inside look into how MBAs are finding their way in the field of corporate social responsibility. Thanks Aman for including me in your study!

Since I thought this content would be of interest to readers of The Changebase, I’ve provided links to all of Aman’s great reports, including the full transcript from her interview with me.

I hope you enjoy!

-Ashley

• Job Hunting in CSR: What’s Next for These MBA Graduates?
• Part 1: Will the Recession Serve as a Tipping Point for Corporate Responsibility?
• Part 2: Connecting Corporate Responsibility with Career Objectives.
• Part 3: After All is Said and Done, Where Are the Jobs?
• Career Change: Leveraging Business School to Move From Nonprofit Fundraising to Corporate Sustainability (My Full Interview with Aman)
• Readers Respond: The Evolution of CSR and What Might Be Next.

Request from a CSR Job Seeker

I'm thrilled to announce that in two weeks I'll be graduating from business school!

As unbelievable as it sounds (even when I say it), the end of my MBA program is amazingly just around the corner. While it hasn’t always been fun – derivative equations in economics class come to mind – it has been an incredible two years of learning and 100% worth it.

Now with my diploma (almost) in hand, I’m ready to take all of my new knowledge and skills out into the big wide world and get to work.

The only problem? I need a job! Which is where my request for help comes in...

In past posts I’ve tried to stay away from obvious self-promotion – if only because I wanted the CSR stories and innovations to take center stage.

While this will almost always be true here on The Changebase, I also have to own up to the fact that I’m an MBA who’s done enough IT strategy coursework to understand the value of crowdsourcing.

Knowing that I'm lucky enough to have readers from all professions and areas of expertise, I was hoping to enlist your help in my job search. As you'll see below, I've taken a few paragraphs to outline who I am, what I do well, and how I might be able to help your organization with its CSR work.

And, if you like what you read and have some ideas or suggestions to share, of course I'd love to hear from you.

Who I Am: I’m a CSR strategy and communications specialist with a combined 7 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, corporate philanthropy, marketing, and social media. As an MBA I have consulted with a number of corporate, agency and social enterprise clients on topics including sustainability strategy and reporting, stakeholder engagement, brand management, and consumer marketing. Curious to learn more? Check out my LinkedIn profile.

What I Do Well: While I like to think I’m pretty good at a number of different things, there are a few areas that I think are my core competencies:

CSR Strategy and Communications – I have deep subject-matter expertise and experience in CSR strategy and marketing, and I get especially excited about opportunities to help companies tell their CSR stories in ways that resonate with stakeholders and drive business value. Want an example? Check out this press release to learn more about a sustainability communications project I recently completed.

Social Media Strategy and Execution – Since starting my blog I have basically embedded myself in the social media world and, through thoughtful strategy (and lots of practice), I believe I’ve developed an approach to social media for CSR that is effective and successful. Want to see my social media work in action? Check out my Twitter feed – in just over a year I’ve built an engaged group of almost 1,200 followers through tactics that include developing a point of view, staying on message, and creating genuine conversations.

Research and Writing – Given my blog, it’s probably no surprise that I love to write. It turns out, though, that I also really enjoy doing research. Whether it’s gathering secondary data, creating surveys and analyzing results, or performing in-depth interviews, I have extensive hands-on experience with market research methods and tools. The best of all? I can turn that research into persuasive, actionable white papers for clients looking to create or maintain a thought leadership position in the CSR space.

People, People, People – It's safe to say that, in many ways, a successful CSR strategy hinges on whether you can build relationships and create allies both inside and outside your organization. Whether it's facilitating conversations, building partnerships, leading teams, or even engaging critics - you name it, I enjoy it. And I think I'm pretty good at it too.

How I Can Help You: I believe my experience and background in CSR, philanthropy and marketing can add value to the following kinds of organizations:

1. Corporate brands that have CSR programs and/or a sustainability focus
2. PR, communications, or consulting agencies that specialize in CSR marketing and strategy
3. Start-ups with innovative business ideas for “doing good and doing well.”

Whether it's crafting a CSR communications strategy for your client; integrating social media into your corporate marketing portfolio; or developing a sustainability strategy for your new start-up, I know I have the skills and experience to help you get to where you want to go.

A few other details: as I mentioned, I graduate in two weeks and I’m able to start working shortly thereafter. Oh, and I’m focusing my search in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, WA or Portland, OR).

So, what do you think? Are you looking for help strategizing, implementing, or growing your CSR program? Know someone who is?

Please feel free to contact me - I’d love to hear more and talk through specific ways that I can help you and your company achieve your CSR goals.

Thanks again for all of the support you have given me throughout my MBA journey. It’s an exciting time and I’m really looking forward to starting my next adventure!

-Ashley