Hi from Mich
Hello lovely people,
I hope you've been blazing electrifying trails in your first month of 2020? So much has happened already on a personal and global scale, lots that is good, but some things too devastating for words.
If you're struggling with the immense pain and sense of loss caused by the Australian bush fires, this guide on 'how to cope with Climate Distress' may help. (The emotional coping strategies it covers may come in useful for dealing with other kinds of stress-inducing situations too)
The fires are just one strand of a much larger, unraveling tapestry that is the climate crises. Constantly front of mind these days is how my actions (or lack of action) might contribute to this destruction, or how I might help make change, no matter how small, to assist in stabilising the situation we're facing. This is going to affect how we do business, so what can we do in our daily lives and work to help?
Sustainability and care for the environment have always been part of my core values. Their vital importance again hit home for me when I bore witness to Charlie Waterhouse and Clive Russell (the designers involved in creating Extinction Rebellion's brand identity) delivering a riveting talk at Design Manchester 2019.
It was all powerful, but one particular thing they said stuck in my head: "What we do - or don't do - will decide the future on this planet."
So, this first edition for a change-making year is about our RESPONSIBILITY. Here's a few thoughts about how/where we as business people can step up, using the Triple Bottom Line (People + Planet + Profit) as a guide to working better.
|
|
|
Central to the sustainability issue, is the question: What is Enough?
We don't need ALL the stuff we think we do to be successful at work, create magical things, love like we mean it, or live an amazingly happy life.
So, if we could live more minimally and more mindfully, what would be enough?
What is sufficient to make our lives easier, more comfortable and less stressful, without taking more than we need from a supremely stressed out planet?
And from a business perspective, how can we as business owners reap the rewards associated with large-scale growth, without subjecting ourselves to the pressures of growing big. How can we work in a way that is enough?
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've mentioned B-Corp certification before - it helps companies across the world to focus on the impact their decisions have on their employees, customers, suppliers, community and the environment. BCorp Companies in the UK are diverse in range and size, from Innocent Drinks to Guardian Media, and a host of smaller businesses in sectors such as design, digital, food, finance, and fashion, in between.
As a starting point, there's a free BCorp assessment tool you can use. Even if you can't certify at this point, you can check up on your sustainability impact and consider opportunities for your business to get better.
Also can align what you do to support any of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030? There are several action areas to choose from in each category. If there's just one action area you could focus on to support these goals, which would it be? What can you do better, in ways that utilise just enough? (I've got a PDF cribsheet of all the action points, so hit reply if you want me to send it to you).
These types of considerations are going to become mandatory in future years. So get in there and help set the standard, before someone else makes it law.
|
|
JOBS OF TOMORROW
The way we work, and what we do for work, are changing. The World Economic Forum's latest report identifies 7 key and emerging professional clusters that will create new economic opportunities. There are 96 new 'Jobs of Tomorrow' that fall within them.
FUTURE SKILLS
Think about the skills you may need as part of your job in the future? Or the skills you need for the work that replaces what you currently do? Or the career path your children might take, that doesn't yet exist?
The University of Helsinki is offering a free introductory course on the Elements of AI. This is one of the WEF emerging clusters, and will also influence how we live, so it's worth improving your knowledge for what's coming.
DIGITAL PASSION
According to Andreessen Horowitz (the A16Z venture capitalists) there is also a move towards what is being called "the Passion Economy". I don't like the term, but this is essentially about people making a living in a way that highlights their individuality. The article covers how people leverage digital platforms to do what they love, in a way that is enough. This means they can scale in audience without having to scale in size.
SMALL CAN BE ENOUGH
In a similar vein, Brian Clarke's new podcast interview series "7 Figure Small" kicks off with serial entrepreneur Mike Brcic. Mike shares how scaling his first successful business ended up being the opposite of success. And why his second successful business is small for a reason. It is enough.
|
|
I recently saw a statistic that blew my mind! If we spend 30 minutes per day on Social Media, that's the equivalent of 22 x 8 hour days per month. A month a year on social media!
A lot of us spend more than 30 minutes per day without realising the cost. Do you really want to be using one month of your precious 12 on platforms that are purposefully designed to keep you there wasting time?
You could instead be using that time to do other fun and valuable stuff. Like implementing ways to live and work purposefully that save the planet. ;)
We can all be heroes, by taking small steps. That is enough to create the momentum for big change.
Are you in?
I'm leaping for joy that we have one extra day in Feb to activate ourselves. So get to it lovely ones, because I am too. :)
Take care,
Mich x
P.S. I'm currently running Mentoring Programmes with 6 clients (3 teams and 3 independents). My next intake will be in March, and I'll be offering a Spring Special. If this is of interest, then hit reply or check out the 121 and Team Mentoring options on Growth Sessions.
|
|
|
|
|