Virtual Conference: Building Resilience Through Values

Richard Barrett is a true thought-leader in the development of sustainable organizations. I highly recommend signing up to see this series of webinars to explore the theme of "Building Resilience Through Values."

This four-part series includes:

1. April 12 - a conversation with Richard Barrett about the importance of values to the future success of organisations
2. April 19 - presentations from the CEO of a global mining services company and the former Culture Manager at Volvo IT on their culture change initiatives
3. April 26 - presentations from Frontline a UK media company and from an international consultant and CTT trainer
4. May 3 - a panel discussion with Richard and experienced consultants in the CTT Network

To find out more about the series and register, please visit:

 http://www.cpdlive.com/barrettvalues/index.html   

All four sessions are interactive where you can participate, ask questions and engage with other delegates.

Each session is stand alone, and you can register for a single part of the series. However, there will be real value in attending all four parts of the series. Additionally, by registering for all four sessions, you will receive a copy of Richard Barrett's latest book - Love, Fear and the Destiny of Nations.

All sessions are scheduled for 9:00am to 10:30am British Summer Time, 6:00pm to 7:30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Can't make this session at the scheduled time?

A recording of this session will be made available. Simply choose the recording option when registering for this session. An email with a link to view the recording will be sent within approximately 48 hours of the live session.

New Research on "Selling Green" to Skeptical Audiences

As a follow-up to my May 14 blog post, my friend John Marshall Roberts has published new research with the Shelton Group that  “cracks the code” on the green marketing conundrum: How do you overcome cynicism and skepticism to persuade consumers to buy sustainable products?

The research distinguishes three kinds of environmental skeptics and suggests a number of ways to reach them. Among the recommendations:

• If possible, disarm the skeptics by showing you understand that they view the green movement as a scam.
• Suggest that China is beating the U.S. in sustainability (or, conversely, that China doesn’t want U.S. consumers to be sustainable)
• Focus on purity -- the lack of toxins and pollution created by your green products.
• Avoid discussing global warming at all costs.

For the full article check out the BusinessWire:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110608005462/en/Researchers-Crack-Code-Persuading-Skeptical-Cynical-Consumers

Wal-Mart Gets Behind the Planet

Esteemed Harvard professor Roasabeth Moss Kanter recently published an article lauding Wal-Mart's newest environmental initiative, saying: "This is one small step for Wal-Mart and one giant leap for Planet Earth." You can read the article here at Bloomberg.com.

This would seem to establish Wal-Mart as a leader in two of the "4 P's" of corporate social responsibility. They have long held a firm grip on "profit" and now seem intent on getting very serious about "planet".

Let's hope this is a signal that they will soon consider leadership in the the other two p's of corporate social responsibility- people and purpose.

You may already know about Wal-Mart Watch (http://walmartwatch.com/), launched in 2005 as a nationwide public education campaign to challenge the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, to become a better employer, neighbor, and corporate citizen.

"People issues" still dog Wal-Mart, particularly in the area of providing quality health care to employees and labor relations in general. "Purpose issues" also linger, with many still questioning the values and integrity of company leadership.

Overall, I am thrilled to see Wal-Mart stepping up their commitment to a sustainable planet, and hope that they will continue to make strides by embracing people and purpose in addition to profit and planet when they measure their bottom line.