Tool 18/30 - CSR Framework

 

The objectives of this short ten minute exercise -

1. To learn a management tool that will be helpful in work life 
2. To apply the learning
3. To use this exercise as a morning ritual to start a great day 

Step 1 - the warm up

Keep your journal and pen at hand

Sit in a relaxed position with an intent to go into a ‘flow state’ to learn something new

Take three deep, powerful breaths to lock in your focus and start the next step

Step 2 - the learning

About CSR Framework

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Framework encourages businesses to act ethically, considering their impact on society, the environment, and stakeholders. It gained prominence in the 1950s, with scholars like Howard R. Bowen pioneering the concept. CSR became integral in business strategies by the 1990s, emphasizing sustainability and social responsibility.

Situations (examples) where this tool can be best used

• For Marketing Teams: Building Brand Loyalty
• For Function Heads: Integrating CSR into Operations
• For Senior Managers: Enhancing Employee Engagement

The top three mental muscles (competencies) developed by practicing this tool

• Strategic Thinking - The ability to align social and environmental initiatives with long-term business goals
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) - The ability to empathize with others, understand diverse perspectives, and foster meaningful relationships
• Ethical Decision-Making - The capacity to make choices that are not only profitable but also socially and environmentally responsible

A corporate story to understand the usage of this tool

The Tory Burch (Founder of women’s lifestyle brand - Tory Burch) story

Economic Responsibility
Tory Burch integrated economic responsibility into her business by creating a globally recognized luxury brand. The company’s success provides jobs and economic opportunities while promoting sustainable business practices, such as using ethical supply chains and environmentally conscious materials
Legal Responsibility
Tory Burch ensures compliance with labor laws, environmental regulations, and fair trade standards across her global operations. Her company actively supports diversity and inclusion, meeting legal standards while fostering equitable opportunities for women and minorities
Ethical Responsibility
Recognizing systemic challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, Tory Burch launched the Tory Burch Foundation in 2009. The foundation promotes gender equity by providing access to capital, education, and resources for women-led businesses. Its initiatives, like low-interest loans and mentoring programs, empower women ethically and sustainably
Philanthropic Responsibility
Through the foundation, Tory Burch exemplifies philanthropy by donating millions to support women entrepreneurs. She organizes campaigns such as the #EmbraceAmbition Summit, encouraging women to overcome societal biases and achieve their entrepreneurial goals

Summary
By addressing economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities, Tory Burch has not only built a successful business but also a platform for empowering women entrepreneurs, setting a benchmark for CSR in the fashion industry

A story from the World Wars

My personal story

Context

I was Head of Quality Assurance in our company. My role was to roll out processes and monitor their effectiveness. I wondered how I could demonstrate ethics and values in my role. Here’s my attempt to demonstrate how I could have used the CSR framework

Economic Responsibility - Work on reducing rework of coding and thus reduce the cost yet provide first time right solutions

Legal Responsibility - Ensuring all legal compliances including creating awareness among staff and management

Ethical Responsibility - Visiting suppliers to ensure that they followed laws especially the labor laws

Philanthropic Responsibility - Create awareness and initiate practices that could contribute to UNOs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Step 3 - the reflection

Sit back, go down memory lane, think of various events in your work life where you could have used this learning.

If nothing comes to mind, think of a situation that would help you answer any one of these interview questions.

1. “How would you align a company’s goals with social and environmental responsibilities?” - You could study the CSR framework of your existing company and the company where you are interviewing for (or any ideal company of your choice) and compare them for their CSR initiatives
2. “How do you measure the success of CSR initiatives?” - Good to integrate some CSR metrics in your work so that you can explain eg. Economic (ROI or cost savings), Legal (compliance audits or certifications achieved), Ethical (feedback from stakeholders and improvements in reputation), Philanthropic (how you measure community impact, I guess you could add how you train your team members about community service)
3. “How have you handled ethical dilemmas in your career?” - Explain your style of CSR integration of balance profitability with doing the right things related to legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities

Step 4 - the practice

Apply your learning to the situation you selected above.

• Economic responsibility
• Legal responsibility
• Ethical responsibility
• Philanthropic responsibility

Step 5 - the victory lap

Celebrate your achievement for a minute. Maybe a quick victory lap doing some energizing exercise?

**

To those who felt, “Without a sense of ownership, people might not feel the need to adopt new tools.” - Do you feel that the last ten minutes were worth the effort?

I must tell you that some inspirational companies have institutionalised this tool (Patagonia – "1% for the Planet", Microsoft – "AI for Good", Unilever – "Lifebuoy Handwashing Campaign", Starbucks – "Greener Stores Framework", IKEA – "Better Cotton Initiative", Google – "Project Sunroof", Coca-Cola – "World Without Waste") 

This exercise is not only about management tools. It’s about building a neural pathway. And it’s about my mantra for creating small daily acts of feeling successful and happy. 

Don’t forget to carry this image 👇 in your mind. There could be a great situation where you may want to use the tool. Keep a log of all such situations. This practice will help you when you want to train someone.

My congratulations for your first dose of the day of success and happiness. Have a great day ahead.