Do you know about The B-Team?
Virgin enterprises founder Richard Branson has assembled an international braintrust
to make corporate social responsibility a frontburner issue among C-suite execs and in boardrooms.
We gather that this effort is designed to bring the same kind of muscle to perplexing and pervasive social issues as some companies already do individually and foundations frequently do collectively. Yet, Branson’s goal is to harness the somewhat unique collective power of global business to amplify the impact on some of the world’s most intractable social problems.
By its own telling, The B-Team’s “vision of the future is a world in which the purpose of business is to be a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit.”
Taking up the mantle of a modern-day Henry Ford, The B-Team offers an equally bold mission: “to deliver a ‘Plan B’ that puts people and planet alongside profit. Plan A — where companies have been driven by the profit motive alone — is no longer acceptable.”
The B-Team Web Site
Branson, noted for his bold and audacious corporate moves, brings a very different force, and perhaps focus, to the rather low-key world of CSR. The powerhouse group’s manifesto is an unblinking call to action, which includes these statements :
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“Non-Profits alone cannot solve the tasks at hand, while many governments are unwilling or unable to act.
- “While there are myriad reasons we’ve arrived at this juncture, much of the blame rests with the principles and practices of ‘business as usual’.
- “These are not the outcomes we envisioned as we grew our companies; this is not the dream that inspired us.
- “And the overwhelming conclusion we’ve reached is that businesses have been a major contributor to the problems, and we as business leaders have the responsibility of creating sustainable solutions.”
(Check out their video declaration of these principles: http://bteam.org/leadership/watch-the-b-team-declaration/ )
We hope it makes a difference. We couldn’t agree more that the public and nonprofit sectors alone can’t address the growing host of existing global and social problems—a number of which are caused by bad business practices. This movement bears watching; and we hope this consolidated global business force can bring to fruition some of its most lofty goals:
“Therefore, if we leverage the many positives of business – the spirit of enterprise,
innovation and entrepreneurship that has helped realize improvements in quality
of life and enabled technological and scientific progress – we can create an
unprecedented era of sustainable, inclusive prosperity for all.”
So what do you think? Are you enthusiastic? We’d love to read your comments.
prdoctorchicago 