Last February, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association signed on to the Global Principles for Socially Responsible Associations and Nonprofits. ASHA's executive director Arlene Pietranton told me it required a brief board discussion because the Global Principles align with ASHA's values and culture. When we met at the Great Ideas Conference, her question was "Now what?"
That question led us to tee up a larger conversation, a half-day experimental workshop, bringing together a cross-section of association executives and experts to talk about corporate social responsibility.
BOMA's Henry Chamberlain volunteered his boardroom and brought his senior management team. Arlene Pietranton brought Janet McNichol, ASHA's HR director, and staff responsible for the internal green team and community service activities.
Creativity guru Rhea Blanken designed real-life role playing exercises that let us all practice how we talk about corporate responsibility, and as BOMA's Pat Areno said, "see yourself as others see you."
Here's what we learned:
- Get outside perspectives. Practice talking about what you do. Be ready for skeptics.
- Design the conversation. Assign roles, limit time, build trust, take action.
- Map what you already do. Be more transparent.
- Spread accountability. Build responsibility into your RFPs and supply chain contracts.
- Widen the dialog. Engage members and their customers and clients.
- Get started! Do something.
Susan Gorin, executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists, said: "Sustainable social responsibility requires ongoing discussion among all members of a community or organization (and) ensuring that there are different perspectives around a table when a plan is being formulated enhances the outcome."
For more on the workshop and a list off all the terrific people who participated, see my commentary in the June 5 Association Trends. For more ideas on how to start your own conversation on corporate responsibility, look for the forthcoming Journal of Association Leadership (Spring 2009) and my article, Shared Responsibility: Collective Action for a Sustainable Future.
