As a leader, how often do you ask yourself if you can do more to benefit society while keeping consistent with your firm’s mission? Is there another stream of revenue– one that is particularly meaningful– that you are leaving untapped?  If you’re unsure about how to get started, begin with your firm’s strategic plan.

Michael Porter shares my perspective and speaks about his own in this Ted Talk, Never Mind Corporate Responsibility, Companies Can Solve Actual Social Problems. He sees social responsibility as the largest opportunity in business today– solving social problems (also referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Michael identifies that there are several industries, like banking, who are seen by society as a cause of problems. This is where the A/E and environmental services industry is different. More than ever, we are seen as an important part of society’s solutions. So, how do we leverage that?

You will hear from me in the near future about an exciting new initiative assembled to do just that-to help our industry leverage our position, our skills, and new technologies to create more powerful, and rewarding business opportunities.  A group of 50 industry professionals, including myself, met last summer and early February at the University of Omaha and have established the Engineering Change Lab-USA.

Join my blog and you will be the first to know more about this initiative. In the meantime, here is Michael Porter’s TedTalk.

Corporate Responsibility Ted Talk

What opportunities do you envision for our profession 10 or 20 years for now? Share with me and I will bring your ideas to the Engineering Change Lab-USA.

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• hiring for potential
• delivering effective coaching programs
• empowering employees
• providing ongoing support

Why does this work? Is pay an incentive? Do we need to control the situation? In my experience the answer in the professional services and science services business is NO! The professional that will have the largest impact on your business wants autonomy, they want to be good at what they do (mastery) and they want recognition. This video by Dan Pink, author of Drive, will destroy your long held beliefs on how to get superior business results.

Here, I relate my own experience of creating this engagement in the professional services industry. A committee was formed and charged with overseeing the Strategic Plan’s execution. To test the notion that staff was on board with the plan and that the collaborative planning approach had achieved buy-in, the committee launched a Growth Initiative Plan employing a novel approach.

An RFP was created asking for growth proposals and it was distributed to every employee in the company. One of the few eligibility rules established was that the proponent had to personally commit to lead the effort. If the plan was to open an office in a new geography, that person had to be willing to move to that location. Proponents, after initial validation, were provided with coaches to increase the chance that the submitted plans would be complete and credible.

Over 15 proposals were submitted by employees which meant over 10% of the employees were engaged– exceeding all expectations. Themes ranged from on-line training programs, software products, new offices, new services and even buying a bottled water company. Five proposals were selected. Over a decade later, all five final initiatives were implemented, were successful and are still functioning today. The company enjoyed over 20% annual growth for more than a decade.

This firm used an innovative approach to executing its strategic plan. They practiced hiring for potential, not just current skills. They empowered staff to put forth their own ideas without restrictions, and once selected, professionally delivered education and coaching programs provided business skill development that exploded levels of energy and enthusiasm. This ongoing support set up initiative leaders for success which reduced fear and risk. This example demonstrates Strategic Execution at its peak.

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