Fabian Pattberg

Tag Archives - business sector

Tolerance for other business sectors by CSR / Sustainability professionals

May 27, 20111:14 pm

6 Comments

You might have heard or read on this blog that my life has changed dramatically over the past year. We have gone from A to Z in terms of changes in our lives as a family. I will not go into detail here but we totally changed our life’s to say the least.

A a consequence of these changes, we decided to move back to Germany at the end of 2010 to start a new chapter in our lives.

tolerance Tolerance for other business sectors by CSR / Sustainability professionals I took over the family business next to my own business and Anne, my wife, recently started her new job as a Senior Manager at Accenture in the Sustainability Services team here in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Over the past weeks I had several interesting and in a way eye-opening conversations with CSR / Sustainability friends about the new role running the family business. And with eye-opening I mean, that these conversations basically went this way.

  • Person 1: So what do you do now?
  • Me: Oh, next to my own CSR / Sustainability business I run a business called PMM Services together with the rest of the family. This business is very different to what I did over the past years but in the end it is business and a vehicle to earn money to feed the complete family. I am also passionate about this topic as I helped found the company around 12 years ago and feel strongly about the necessity of this service we provide.
  • Person 1: (after taking a minute to look at the site): Hmm. I am not so sure about this business to be perfectly honest Fabian. I really did not think you would do this kind of thing. Defense you know……..
  • Me: What do you mean?
  • Person 1: Well, being in the defense business and all. I really need to have to think about this Fabian. Hmm…….

The conversations usually then went on to focus on other topics but the tone really changed in most conversations from that point on. I felt that this association with the new business in a way shocked people to say the least .

But what is there to be shocked about? We as PMM Services assist the German Army to properly train their staff so that they can defend German soil and their own as well as allied troops the best way possible. Someone needs to provide this service and we as a business have provided this for 12 years now.

The lesson I learned from this so far is that it is important to stand up for the changes you do in your life. No matter what they are. In my case the changes might be quite drastic but I always thought that CSR / Sustainability people in particular had a high tolerance for different points of view and would not judge as quickly as they did in many conversations.

This is a new challenge for me and my family and just because it is not necessarily CSR / Sustainability related does not mean that I am a bad influence for some people all of the sudden. My point of view has not changed and will not change either. CSR / Sustainability is what I believe in. End of story. And it is your decision whether you would like to further have contact with me or not.

I am not sure whether this is how you will react when you read this but I would be much interested in your point of view on this topic.

 

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/codepinkalert/2426602356

Risk-taking in the CSR / Sustainability business – As bad as every other business sector?

February 10, 20114:09 pm

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We all take certain risks in our personal and business life on a daily basis. Some are minor whereas others effect us and our environment more significantly. Risk taking by companies working in the CSR / Sustainability business sector to gain market share and to increase the profitability is there fore a topic which I thought be make and interesting blog post.

Is the CSR / Sustainability business sector more responsible in taking risky business decisions? Or do you even consider risk not at all a relevant issue for this business sector? Have you ever thought about this relationship?

If not, then you need to see this interesting TED talk by Naomi Klein published last December. She makes the case, that a backup plan needs to be included into each risky decision. Especially if we jeopardize our society and planet by this addiction to risk.

This is the video:

My view
The important aspect in my view is that businesses working in the CSR / Sustainability sector have more than others the duty to raise awareness with their customers/stakeholders about the risk they are potentially taking with regards to CSR / Sustainability actions. In my experience are a lot of CSR / Sustainability decisions also in many ways very risky decisions as they will effect the company in unforeseeable ways in the short and long run. Companies advising these businesses need to be their second pair of eyes in my view when it comes to spotting decisions/actions.

What is your view and opinion about this topic? Do you have anything else to share that could help us understand the meaning and relevance of risk for companies working in the CSR / Sustainability business sector?

Sustainability Business: A different Business Sector?

November 16, 20097:27 pm

3 Comments

I have been working in the Sustainability /CSR business for many years now. And I am increasingly coming across more and more people that are of the opinion that the Sustainability Business sector is totally different from all the other business sectors.

business Sustainability Business: A different Business Sector?So I asked myself that question. Is this business sector different to other sectors for example the chemicals business sector?

Is the Sustainability business sector different?
Can we actually say this is correct just because we as Sustainability professionals and enthusiasts, claim to have the moral high ground and possible answers on how to save our planet and all of us eventually?

The answer in my opinion is a clear “No”. I don’t think we can say that the business sector is different from any other business sector.

Why? Because no matter what you do, business, including the Sustainability related business, is being conducted between individuals that have their own personality, likes/dislikes, ambitions and education.
In my opinion any outcome / interaction of these individuals is what you call “Business”. These business basics are also valid for how business is conducted in the Sustainability business sector in my opinion. This is a very basic way of seeing business but it always helped me in the business world.

Having said that there is just one that probably is more developed in the successful business person working in the Sustainability sector then in other sectors.

What Really Counts in the Sustainability Business Sector
Being a level-headed, open and approachable person is essential and even more important in the sustainability business sector then it is in other sectors. Why? Because we can only then convince other people and organizations that we are serious about what we preach if we are seen as realists as well as enthusiasts at the same time. In other business sectors this not an absolute necessity for conducting business from what I have experienced so far. For people in the Sustainability sector this is an absolute business imperative.

This view of the Sustainability business sector always served me well but I am keen to hear what your experiences are? Do you agree or disagree?

Picture Credit: lepiaf.geo

Elements of Trust for the Sustainability and CSR professional on the Web

October 19, 20091:33 pm

5 Comments

I am currently reading Chris Brogans and Julien Smiths Trust Agents book. And one of the key themes of the book is the trust agent concept. A quote from the book reads: “Trust agents aren’t necessarily marketers or sales people; they are the digitally savvy people who use the Web to humanize businesses using transparency, honesty, and genuine relationships.”

trust Elements of Trust for the Sustainability and CSR professional on the WebReading this prompted me to take a critical look at my own industry, the Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) industry, and what people we trust in this industry.

Do we truly trust people like John Elkington, Jonathan Porritt, George Monbiot, or Al Gore? Only to name a few.

I am not so sure. We like them and agree with most of what they do and stand for. But do we trust them? Doesn’t trust really mean a lot more then just agreeing with someones views?

These are big questions and they are tough to answer but I believe there are certain key elements we are looking for when we decide to trust someone or not. Especially in the context of the web and the fact that you can not meet the person face to face right away.

Today I am looking for the elements of an online presence you should look out for when someone claims to be part of the CSR and Sustainability sector.

Elements of Trust for Sustainability and CSR professionals on the Web

  • Does he/she have a blog or a website where I can take a look at what they do? Company websites are okay but the really interesting content and context is usually on the blogs. We seem to trust blogs more then company websites.
  • Is this person using social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc to reach out to more people? If not then how is he/she communicating their messages online? A Twitter and LinkedIn profile is a must nowadays.
  • What is the first impression of the content he/she is providing on their website/blog? Is the blog being used for self promotion only or is this real content with a proper message that adds something to the discussion of the particular topic?
  • How long has he/she been working in the sector? Is he/she just out of university (not bad- but not so much business experience of course) or is he/she a seasoned professional that is now discovering the web and is willing to engage us online now?
  • What is their general business experience other then in the Sustainability/CSR sector? The Sustainability and CSR business sector is not so vastly different to normal business sectors so general business experience is a very important aspect of trusting someone.

These are just a few, but in my opinion most important points to look for in new people coming into the Sustainability and CSR field.

Have I missed anything? What do you think could be added to this list?

Picture Credit: purplejavatroll