Comments for The Changebase

Comment on Eating Seasonal (and Sustainable) by Sam Davidson

Sam Davidson — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:12:17 +0000

Thanks for this resource – the calendar is great! Here’s a link to a site that shows you what’s in season by state in the US:

http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/

Comment on What Yoga Can Teach Us About Sustainability by Ashley

Ashley — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:41:40 +0000

Hi Courtney, thanks so much for your thoughts and I’m so glad you enjoyed my post. It’s a fun exercise to take two seemingly-unrelated things and compare and contrast this way – and yet the more I thought about it, the more overlap I found!

Thanks for visiting The Changebase and good luck with your yoga (and sustainability!) practice!
-Ashley

Comment on What Yoga Can Teach Us About Sustainability by Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:32:57 +0000

As someone with a growing passion for both yoga and sustainability, I really enjoyed your post. I think you make a great point in that both practice areas are not about “winning the race”- rather, they are about being mindful and striving for continual improvement. Very interesting to compare the two practices!

Thanks,
Courtney

Comment on The Value of Listening by Ashley

Ashley — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:34:09 +0000

So true – whether it’s bad customer service at a hotel or concerns over an apparel supply chain, consumers and other stakeholders just want to be heard. That can be a scary thing for companies, but you’re right – if they can listen, they’ll win!

Comment on The Value of Listening by Janice Parsons

Janice Parsons — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:28:00 +0000

Really great post, Ashley.
Listening would solve so many issues in the world and company stakeholders don’t feel valued until someone actually asks her/him:
“What can we do to make it better?” and really mean it.
It’s scary for corporations to ask because most think it just means a response, whether it’s Yes, No or Maybe.
So, before they have even listened, they are worked up about what they might have to do! Someone comes in and “runs the numbers” and focus groups are framed to get certain, reliable answers.
Listening is good for business in the long run. It has just been the old way of doing business to worry about the short-term and kid ourselves it’s good in the end.

Comment on The Value of Storytelling by Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:36:15 +0000

Hi Perry, all great points. I especially like the idea of interactive reporting/storytelling – for example, a Build Your Own Report functionality on a company website. Like you said, it allows for customization of relevant content and easier navigation. All good things!

Thanks for checking out The Changebase and for your thoughts!

Comment on The Value of Storytelling by Perry Goldschein

Perry Goldschein — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:22:55 +0000

Spot on, Ashley — and often there are multiple stories to tell that may be relevant for different audiences. Moreover, with interactive technologies, you don’t need to leave much out — just need to structure the information in a way that what’s most relevant is immediately accessible; and everything else is placed in an information architecture that’s user friendly and allows “drilling down” for additional details. Finally, the folks producing the reports should be sure to team with their communications and marketing departments to discuss how best to spread the stories, as well as get feedback from stakeholders; and possibly produce employee guides for living and sharing the stories in daily interactions with other stakeholders and through social media, of course.

Comment on The Value of Storytelling by Ashley

Ashley — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:15:28 +0000

Hi Matthew, thanks so much for your comment. You’re so right about the alignment of CSR story and strategy. A well defined and implemented CSR strategy most certainly reinforces and enhances the corporate strategy, and the resulting stories that come through this inherent alignment not only enhance the company’s actual commitment to sustainability but also strengthen its “fan base” of employees, consumers, and community. It’s really a win-win.

And I love your idea that “value is derived from our ability to connect”! So true!

Thanks again for visiting The Changebase.

Comment on The Value of Storytelling by Matthew Rochte

Matthew Rochte — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:00:01 +0000

Ashley,

Great article. The value and impact of story is so often missed by corporations. Daniel Pink’s Whole New Mind really speaks to this. Value is derived from our ability to connect. We are living in a conceptual era.

I’d like to echo and enhance Elaine’s comment about how a story can demonstrate a company’s true understanding of sustainability. The more aligned the CSR work is with the core competencies of the company, the better that story will become and the results that come from it.

In addition, story creates attachment points for employee and community connection. It inspires people. Human beings are social creatures.

The interesting thing is that on some level, the whole point of CSR is about making companies more humane, or at least documenting attempts to to right.

The need for story and data lends well to the online CSR and interactive csr format. I wonder what would happen if online CSR reporting became like a wiki with interactive ability. In some respects this speaks to the discussions last Fall about whether CSR managers should blog.

Matthew Rochte
CSR/Sustainability Consultant
OpportunitySustainability.com

Comment on The Value of Storytelling by Tweets that mention The Value of Storytelling « The Changebase -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention The Value of Storytelling « The Changebase -- Topsy.com — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:26:27 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ashley Jablow, elaine cohen, James Osborne, James Osborne, Cindy Esposito and others. Cindy Esposito said: Cool dialogue going on here > @elainecohen @jabosborne: Thoughts on #CSR reporting, response to @AshleyJablow blog http://bit.ly/dqH3Nr [...]