In my previous post We are all DOOMED! ,I tried to send out a wake-up call for industry to actually accept that to exist in the near future companies need to acknowldege sustainability as a part of business and start innovating.
This post offers some suggestions, a call to action if you like, plus my ten steps of innovation for no extra cost.
What to do?
It’s not too late, but we are at the tipping point.
If we are going to save the planet, and our business’ in the process we do have to actually begin now. Talking about it has got us this far, but now is the time for action.
There are countless things we can all do that don’t have to cost the earth. Here is how to begin…
1. - Acknowledge that we all have to change. They are not planting any more dinosaurs so cheap oil has gone. We must start using renewable resources.
2. – Make a statement about sustainability – make it public, put your reputation on the line.
3. – Change the culture of your company. Put incentives in place to drive innovations that will deliver sustainable outcomes. People are essentially looking for some kind of pat on the back. Rewards do not have to be financial to motivate people who care.
4. - Set Milestones. No Child labour by 2014, Only renewable energy by 2016, remember wife’s birthday…etc.. Donate plastic clothes to charity and buy new wool suit!
5. – Start with the little things – reduce travel, or use trains. Switch off lights, recycle. Only procure from like minded businesses.
6. – Brag about your progress, tell people what you are doing, help your competitors do the same. You won’t cash-in on all your good work if nobody hears about it!
The spirit of competition is to strive for a better result. Being competitive does not mean banging your opponent on the head. Competition means creating opportunities for your industry to thrive.
Price wars and misinformation campaigns are not Sustainable. That type of strategy is dumb, short-sighted and doomed.
7. Start Innovating! That subject deserves a whole post of its own but the basic 10 steps of Innovation are here..
1. Observe (look for a problem and solve it, don’t reinvent the wheel)
2. Brainstorm (Gather ideas from your team)
2. Refine (Choose one or two ideas that seem plausable)
4. Prototype. (Build an idea into working model)
5. Test. (Show some customers and get an early market response)
6. Tune (Fix the gremlins, the ones your potential customers found)
7. Build it
8. Promote it.
9. Sell it
10. Repeat.. keep going the competiton are following your every move.
