How can we rebuild trust in the Sustainability / CSR field?

April 15, 20105:58 pm

Trust is something so important and also so hard to earn in any kind of business these days. But it seems that trust is even more important in the Sustainability / CSR field currently. The sector has grown so much over the last few years in terms of popularity and the number of people involved that somehow the trust element I feel lost its significance along the way.

I therefore believe that the current Sustainability/CSR best practice and innovation is at a crossroad at the moment. In order for the best practice to take the next step towards more sophisticated stakeholder engagement and more value-added reporting, professionals within the industry need to start trusting each other more. Innovation is a lot easier and much more effective knowing that we can call on our fellow Sustainability / CSR colleagues to help and engage with us when we need it. Conversation, debate and criticism is good when we know we can trust each other. This turns all of the feedback into constructive feedback. And this is the feedback we can use to innovate and improve best practice and make this world a better place one step at a time.

What do you think about this topic? What do you fell is necessary for all of us interested and passionate about Sustainability / CSR to trust each other more? Is it possible or only an idealistic wish? I would really like to get your feedback on this.

Picture Credit: batega

celesahorvath

Great post, Fabian. Particularly as we move into an era of greater collaboration, the need for trust among all stakeholders, practitioners included, will only increase. I think one of the ways we build trust is to share our expertise, views, opinions, and help openly and in good faith, and reciprocate when we receive these valuable inputs. In time, this goodwill builds social capital and will be reciprocated (perhaps not by everyone but by key progressives). Those who choose not to participate in a trusting, collaborative dialogue will, over time, will not gain the benefit of tapping into a broader 'braintrust' than is traditionally accessible.

A while ago I started an on-line network for Canadian corporate responsibility and sustainable development practitioners, now over 350 members strong. I post all kinds of content that I think will be of value not only to prospective clients (I'm an independent consultant) but also colleagues and competitors. One could argue this amounts to giving away a competitive advantage, but in my experience so far it has generated social capital and goodwill, reputation benefits, and opportunities.

So, I don't think you are dreaming. I think it is not only possible but within relatively easy reach. It might be a leap of faith for some, but I think it can work and bring value to those who choose to interact that way.

@celesahorvath
simongoldsmith

Fabian, welcome back!
..very interesting..
in the sustainability/CSR field it would be expected that trust and honesty are the default positions of all people engaged in it.. not so – a few of us yes certainly, but maybe with the increasing commercialisation of the SD/CSR field there are some 'un-reconstructed' professionals (who are all very welcome) but who don't have the same authentic passion – the mind or heart-sets that many others have that are drawn to the subject instinctively.

We have to find ways to illustrate that a new more collaborative approach is far better than the still largely competitive approach. Let us 'open source' the frameworks and tools we use, lets work together to generate solutions that aren't owned by companies and corporations, rather tested applied, reused and revolutionised by the masses of people out there that are passionate for change. Maybe then we can really bring forward some of the skill sets and knowledge of those that might not share many of our deeper green passions yet recognise they have something valuable to contribute.
@simontgoldsmith
http://npoingenuity.blogspot.com Heidi Massey

Hi Fabian,
When social action/volunteerism started to become trendy, all of the sudden everyone was “doing it.” There were a bunch of people not as invested in doing good as being with “the cool kids.” It is hard to create trusting open relationships in that setting. Sounds to me like the same thing is happening in the world of csr-people don't want to be left behind.

I guess there will always be those less genuine folks who really aren't that invested…but I agree with celesahorvath-they will lose out ultimately. I know that, as a non-CSR professional, as I have networked through twitter, especially, the CSR folks have been among the most engaged, warm part of the community. Those that don't fit that mold are just not going to get that far.

FYI, Angela McLowry has set up an interesting crowd sourcing site for all types of sustainability-the creation and governing guidelines. Might be worth a look for people who are interested. She is @opensustainable on twitter and her site is: http://www.open-sustainability.org/ (She also happens to be a lovely person who sadly, is leaving my town of Chicago to return to Australia!)

Thanks Fabian, for being a wonderful resource for me on this entire field.
http://twitter.com/JunkkMale JunkkMale

I can't really see trust, its loss, or its regaining, as different in any circumstance.

Beyond the bonds of family, or an extraordinary commitment, it is something that takes time to evolve. And you can't contract time.

Then, as you say, it can be lost in the blink of an eye. Personally I have trouble believing that, once lost, it can ever be truly regained. But maybe for some it's possible.

However, to try and find a positive to contribute, and sticking with the time imperative that I believe to be non-negotiable, the only mechanism is to be clearly independent, and then live that honestly without compromise, and communicate it humbly, sincerely and without a weather eye to any 'angle'.

Frankly, walking the talk first still covers it for me.

Of course that is entirely 'doable'. If rare. I listened the other day to a 20minute podcast on sustainability from a major retailer's head honcho the other day, and even just as an informed consumer most of it was pure self-serving, jargon-laden BS.

ps: 'feel' – last para, Line 2
http://TrustEnablement.com TrustEnabler

I think there are two issues here. The first deals with stakeholder trust in the CSR/sustainability practices of organizations that hire CSR/sustainability professionals. The other deals with the trust between CSR/sustainability professionals themselves.

Both issues are actually related. Neither corporate management nor CSR/sustainability professionals have a competency in enabling trust. Have you been formally trained in enabling trust? You may have attended a seminar on how to behave in a trustworthy manner, but that's not sufficient. A person with the same trust building skills will likely behave in a more or less trustworthy fashion depending on their environment. In other words, sufficiently rich conditions for trust are a prerequisite to trustworthy behaviour.

So in order for CSR/sustainability professionals to trust each other sufficiently to collaborate on innovations, they will need to establish an environment that is conducive to developing and maintaining trust. The same is true for developing and preserving the trust of the stakeholders of the organizations CSR/sustainability professionals serve.

Perhaps this is an opportunity for CSR/sustainability professionals to provide some leadership in developing and promoting a management competency in trust enablement.
markpeach

I haven't had time to read the comments so if I'm repeating anything apologies!

Living in South Africa I have a developing economy approach to this discussion and I have to say there is a great deal of mistrust within the industry, and most of that is because we have a very tense environment and we have role players within CSR/sustainability who do not want to see eye-to-eye because it means they have to change what they do and how they do it. I won't go into it in detail, but here are some observations:

1. To make redress after years of apartheid, the government has legislated something called black empowerment. It hasn't gone well over the last 10 years. The advantaged have become more so and the disdavantaged, more so as well. To many empowerment was CSR in this country. Hence mistrust.
2. Others have identified a very EU and US approach to CSR/sustainability as the way to go, and they have gained great traction, but among mostly white folk. I'll give you an example: last November a big conference of the advertising/marketing/communications industry was held where the discussion was brands and branding for good in SA. Of the 22 speakers on the podium, 21 were white; no government or prominent black speakers. In a country 95% black, with 50% in abject poverty and 30% unemployment. Who was there to give the local perspective? Hence, mistrust of this view of CSR and condemnation by each group of the other.
3. With openned and democracy only now in its infancy, and a slow equality emerging, there is a tension between sustainability advocates and the nouveau riche blacks, and it goes like this: “you opporessed us, built your riches on our ex[ploited backs and in our soil for hundreds of years, creating dirty industries and plunering nature, Now that I am able to afford what you kept from me for so long, now you want to tell me what industries I can and cannot support, and what food I can and cannot eat. You create the mess, and then try to tell me what to think and feel.”

You can see that the situations described in point2 doesn't exactly help what is going on in point 3.

So yes Fabian, there are serious issues of mistrust/definition and approach in this country. We have quite simply to come up with a CSR in Africa approach that will likely look and sound very different to yours. It is a process that has started with the Monrovia Principles. But first, there has to be agreement among the CSR industry that a Eurocentric approach, a US one, will not fly here – our issues are too different. Then we have to start working towards a new approach.

But can those with vested interests make that move? I'm not convinced but I'll be interested to see whether they put themselves or good business principles first.

Mark
heidimassey

Mark,
WOW! Sustainability is complicated, to say the least. Your comments really moved me. I am pretty involved in helping bring literacy and other support to low income communities in Chicago. And other than a significant urban agriculture movement (organic, local) sustainability is not a conversation I am hearing a lot about. But then again, my 16 year old daughter is very frustrated with her peers' total lack of commitment to green actions. And that is an upper middle class community.

Most of the readers of Fabian's blog are probably in the CSR world professionally, working perhaps with corporations or nonprofits and volunteer programs. But my csr interest is primarily motivated by my interest in the planet surviving and people on it being happy and healthy-I don't have the resume or knowledge base of the CSR professional. And what I see from others like me is that we have a LONG way to go in every community because people have not really internalized how important so many of these issues are. So as much as people want the companies they do business with to be ethical and charitable and green, so many aren't living that way themselves. And those same people are the ones that work in those companies.

I may be rambling…but I am wondering if the bigger issue is that the focus may need to shift to the general population-to creating more awareness of what csr is about and why it is important. Once there is at least some level of understanding/awareness, that may mean we share vocabulary, reference points, etc. Then that may ultimately be what fosters more of an atmosphere of trust..because lack of knowledge foments mistrust.

This may be a bit of an issue over silos. CSR pros and corp people who get it (along with perhaps nonprofit pros, scientists, researchers and more) may need to really join forces to create this higher level awareness, which will perhaps naturally lead to more trust…

Just an outsider's view…worth what you pay for it, I guess!
http://www.fabianpattberg.com FabianPattberg

Thank you everyone for the great comments and insights.

@Heidi: Thanks for providing your perspective Heidi. Really useful. I really like the idea of joining forces!

@Mark: Great insights Mark. I thought that CSR is a challenge everywhere across the globe but the SA perspective/history is obviously another challenge.

@TrustEnabler: What kind of environment to enable trust would you be thinking of? An online environment to help communications or something more basic?

@JunkkMale: Interesting points. Thanks for sharing.

@Simongoldsmith: Really well said. I absolutely agree. I love the idea of an open collaboration and free sharing of resources and ideas. Imagine how much progress we could make.

@celesahorvath: Really good to hear that you think I am not dreaming when I am hoping for an ongoing collaboration within the field. It would definitely be a leap of faith for some but then I believe that the majority would be inclined to participate. It would just need to be started.
http://sustainableplan.se/ Canan Yasar

Great and interesting topic!

We think that the topic of trust in Sustainability/CSR is very important, and we also believe that one way to regain trust is through communication.

Every year Berghs School of Communication has an end-of-the-year exhibition and this years theme is Sustainability. Therefore we are questioning companies and organisations about how sustainable they act in comparison to how they communicate. This is our way of taking a stand against companies and organisations that are taking advantage out of the word sustainability.

If this sounds interesting please visit our website http://sustainableplan.se/,
and don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best Wishes.

Canan Yasar
Studentbyrån 2010
http://sustainableplan.se/ Canan Yasar

Great and interesting topic!

We think that the topic of trust in Sustainability/CSR is very important, and we also believe that one way to regain trust is through communication.

Every year Berghs School of Communication has an end-of-the-year exhibition and this years theme is Sustainability. Therefore we are questioning companies and organisations about how sustainable they act in comparison to how they communicate. This is our way of taking a stand against companies and organisations that are taking advantage out of the word sustainability.

If this sounds interesting please visit our website http://sustainableplan.se/,
and don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best Wishes.

Canan Yasar
Studentbyrån 2010
http://www.mbt-outlet-store.com/MBT-Lami.html ugg sale

Thanks a landlord it! I acquired yet some insight. Life is so colorful, we should be able to live in, such as Korea and honor the planet. Human life is like rivers, slowly flowing, flowing rivers, flowing through the snow, flows through the prairie and ultimately into the sea, return to the embrace of nature, start a new reincarnation. Allow us to feel the meaning of life will come only to those you have those memories http://www.chaneloutletstores.com/Chanel-shoes.html