Creating a culture of impact through B Corp Advisory
Identity. Impact. Transformation.
The situation
Two owners of an ecommerce company were determined to make a greater impact on the world through the business, both socially and environmentally. They had already achieved Carbon Neutral status, but felt the impact was too far removed from their day-to-day. They wanted to do something greater, where the impacts would be felt as an active part of their culture.
What they did
The company’s leadership team embarked on an eleven-month journey with Modern People. In their first three months, they first looked inward. They articulated their organisational identity, which includes their purpose, values, behaviours, vision and mission. Then, they completed a culture insights phase, working with Modern People to survey and interview their team members. Their initial work revealed a positive, people-focused culture with a seed of desire to make a greater impact on the world – if they knew how.
Together, we formed a co-design team who had the sole purpose of leading the company to B Corp certification. They would meet monthly with Modern People, exploring each pillar, identifying what a great score would look like for that pillar, before scoping the work and assigning accountabilities. Though the company had a full schedule, the team knew they wanted to be a high-scoring, high-impact B Corp.
The impact it made:
By the time the team had pressed ‘submit’ on their application, they had transformed nearly every pillar of the business, from governance, to people practices, to their supply chains and community relationships. They’d developed a series of signature practices and impact initiatives that their people were proud of and excited to contribute to – and they’d made impact a part of their organisation’s day-to-day conversations, stories and culture. It was embedded in their rhythm, their meetings, their job descriptions, KPIs, and impact reporting.
Note:
Our hero’s industry is changed for privacy.
