BUSINESS - Keeping Up With a Generation of Social Innovators

Many young innovators and entrepreneurs, such as those at the Under 30 Summit 2016, are concerned about issues of racial justice, feminism, gender equality and representation, Muslim representation, and human rights.

They are a generation of social innovators, blending politics with business in intentional, meaningful ways, and although they face significant pushback (as any glance into the comments section attests), this generation of social innovators isn’t about to drop their politics.

Why is social innovation, which, according to the Standford Graduate School of Business, “focuses attention on the ideas and solutions that create social value,” driving “the exchange of ideas and values, shifts in roles and relationships, and the integration of private capital with public and philanthropic support” such a big deal for these young entrepreneurs?

Why is social value, specifically, gaining such traction and shifting the focus away from purely financial or economic value?

Because it is impossible to ignore the impact of representation on the lives and interests of people growing up in a media-saturated, highly connected world.

Technology has changed everything about how people engage with brands and issues. Humans are social animals, and given new avenues of connection, humans will build new paths to each other.

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of MuslimGirl.net, says, “Growing up with a name as foreign sounding as mine was, through puberty, not really just an issue of branding, it was predominantly an issue of identity. Thus began a lifelong navigation of who I was and what name I would claim. I did what any Millennial would do – I started my own group. [It was a way] to eliminate stereotypes and to help in a very accessible and unintimidating way.”

MuslimGirl now has unprecedented mainstream media presence, with regular columns focusing on the Muslim experience in Forbes, Fortune Magazine, Refinery29, TeenVogue, and others.

Al-Khatahtbeh has also published a book, claiming the name that caused her so much alienation and pain as a child.

This is the personal motivation behind young entrepreneurs bringing their politics into their businesses.

What does this mean for marketers and businesses that are trying to keep up with the social innovation generation?

It means being aware of the diversity of your market base.

Recognizing traditional marketing, which doesn’t take into account the presence of women, LGBTQI, people of colour, and other marginalized groups, will no longer get the same traction.

It means placing value on values as much as revenue and profits - like the recent purchase of Allpaws by PetSmart where the value is pet adoption.

Consumers want social responsibility, and companies that meet this need will be able to find long-term customers despite this generation’s fickle consumer habits.

The integration of private enterprise with issues of social justice – whether along lines of racial, gender, class, or ability difference – is driving social innovation.

It’s political, and it brings personal politics into businesses and boardrooms in a much more visible, challenging way.

Keeping up with social innovation, and embracing the diversity that these young innovators are demanding, will open up pathways for marketers and businesses to access consumers who were previously alienated and ignored and consumers who share their values.

Social innovation is good for society, but it’s also good for business.

The next articles in this series will look at the technological advances that are making social innovation possible, and the business models that make them financially viable.

By Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a writer, editor, academic, and animal lover who came late to her appreciation of pets. At 18, a rescue pup named Tasha saved her from a depression and she hasn't looked back. She has worked as the canine behaviour program coordinator for the Calgary Humane Society, and was a dog trainer specializing in working with fearful and reactive dogs for many years. She doesn't have any pets right now, but makes up for it by giving her petsitting clients (and any dogs she comes across on her frequent coffee shop adventures) extra snuggles.

LEADERSHIP - Ten Ways to Earn Respect in Business

Every leader says they want it, as does every worker. Organizations strive for it and it’s a powerful word that is often a core corporate value.

Respect is still very important in today’s business environment.

But how do you go about getting it? Great leaders know that respect isn’t an entitlement – they need to respect others before others will respect them.

Here are 10 ways to earn respect in business:

1.   Lead by example. Embody the qualities and traits you expect from the people you lead and people you deal with. You want your workers and peers to be honest, so be honest yourself in all your business dealings. If you want your employees to be hardworking, set that example and quit taking long lunches or leaving the office early all the time. Model the traits you want others to show, such as integrity, kindness, creativity, inventiveness and industriousness.

2.   Be humble. Don’t expect anyone to care about where you went to college or your past successes. Plenty of businesspeople went to top universities and graduated with honors, and plenty more win awards and honors from chambers of commerce all the time. Braggarts are boring and turn people off. Get over yourself and do it quickly. Avoid self-promotion and publicity stunts. They are obvious and obnoxious and can damage your reputation.

3.   Show your commitment every single day. Work alongside the people you lead. Work longer and harder than they do. Get in the trenches and get your hands dirty once in a while. If you manage a warehouse, manufacturing plant or factory, make it a point on a regular basis to get off the phone, get out of your office and visit the production floor. Talk to the employees, get to know their names so you can address them personally, ask them how things are going, and pitch in if needed. Ask them if there are any glitches that need correcting.

4.   Help people succeed and advance. Promote your staff. Help your employees gain exposure and give them opportunities for development and advancement. Great leaders let their teams shine and are confident enough not to need the spotlight.

5.   Be a teacher or mentor. People always have other work or educational opportunities regardless of the economy and will leave your business unless they see an investment is being made in their future. Focus on those people who are bright, hardworking, dedicated, reliable and creative, and have skill sets that you don’t, or those who show potential. Mentor them at work or support programs that allow them to earn a new skill certification or degree.

6.   Strike a balance between delegating and being hands-on. An excessive delegator is opting out of responsibility, but keeping too tight control of everything deflates employees and tells them that you don’t value or trust their judgment. Find the middle ground.

7.   Encourage creativity. Take chances to come up with new ideas. Teach people how to take calculated risks, and then let them test their wings. Don’t punish failure. Learn from mistakes. A leader has to create a setting where there is a full vetting of ideas, where everyone is expected to provide suggestions, and where nothing is necessarily wrong.

8.   Share your expectations of others. People want to know what is expected of them so they can work to meet or exceed expectations. Help your employees succeed by letting them know what’s expected of them.

9.   Reward success. If it’s a small business, thank those who do a good job with a personal handwritten note, a lunch out or a small gift card. Large businesses should have an employee reward or recognition program to acknowledge employee successes on a regular basis. People want to be acknowledged for a job well done and will appreciate being called out for respect in front of their peers.

10. Build coalitions and maintain civility in all business dealings. The “divide and conquer” approach doesn’t work in the private sector or in government. Nothing gets done! Civility and compromise are essential. Lots of people think that if you compromise, you’re weak. Nothing could be further from the truth. Leaders who compromise come across as caring leaders who are able to put others before themselves and who go out of their way to spend time understanding a differing point of view, even if they don’t act on it. Incivility impedes productivity - and profits.

These tips are from Ritch K. Eich. Eich is the author of three books: “Truth, Trust + Tenacity: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders” (2015); “Leadership Requires Extra Innings: Lessons on Leading from a Life in the Trenches” (2013); “Real Leaders Don’t Boss: Inspire, Motivate and Earn Respect from Employees and Watch Your Organization Soar” (2012).