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The social value movement is gathering pace and the difference organisations can make is both limitless and exciting if they create a culture to do so.
A sea change[1] is happening in the world today transforming what the purpose of doing business is. How you respond to issues such as the climate emergency, rising inequalities, and the cost-of-living crisis is imperative to continuing commercial success in a way that hasn’t been seen before.
Those organisations who choose to embrace the change that is happening – and evolve their approach to doing business – will rise to the top and create a legacy for society. They’ll use tools such as social value as the key to unlocking change. And in doing so, they’ll attract and retain the best and most diverse talent to create positive and lasting impacts in the communities they work in.
Some organizations still believe that the requirement to deliver genuine social value comes at too high a price. But that’s usually down to how you measure your success, what you value as an organization, and what we value as a society. Some simply don’t know where to start.
A business that embeds social value into their organisation – thinks and feels very differently to how a lot of companies do. It doesn’t see social value as another legislative hurdle to jump over, or a way to pip the competition to the post, or a guaranteed way of winning more work, or an extra-curricular activity over and above the day job.
Instead, it thinks like the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector does. It recognises that social value involves a fundamental change to doing business that requires a commitment to delivering more than what we’re paid to do. Simply because it’s right and because we can do so.
The principles of the social value movement are a way to create human-centred outcomes and show how they fit alongside a business model currently focused on winning work and making profit.
Is your organisation ready to ride the wave?
Culture is often described as ‘how we do things around here’. But what characteristics make for a company that has social value at its core?
Like all cultural transformation, it starts at the top with emotionally intelligent leaders who embody values that respect human life, quality of life, and the precious resources our planet still has to offer.
It’s an organization made up of a diverse and included workforce with a willingness to engage with stakeholders, co-create, and advocate for change. Where definitions of success aren’t exclusively centred around money. An environment where people can speak up and make positive challenges.
It’s also a company that’s honest and transparent about how far they’ve got to on their social value journey.
No single brand can change the world. But as more organizations reshape how they think and do business, we can collectively start to make a difference to society. By doing this we can create meaningful change on a transformational scale we now know is required.
Today, society demands that your organisation measures it’s worth not only through profit and loss or the usual metrics where money always wins. Social value is the way to make this happen, so businesses can do well whilst doing good at the same time.
At AtkinsRéalis we’re on this journey and will share openly the progress we make and the lessons we learn along the way. You can’t turn the tide back, but you can have a lot more fun catching the social wave if you get on a board now!
Get in touch to talk social change, social value, or just surfing via [email protected]
- Definition of sea change: A sea change is a significant, fundamental shift, or systemic transformation.
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