The Elephant in the Gloom

(Inspired by Gorillas in the Mist...)

The "elephant in the room" is a phrase often used to describe the important if not critical topics of conversation which are strangely absent or avoided.

One that we observe in business is the small matter of saving the planet through optimising sustainable practices.

Whilst organisations often introduce and wax lyrical about their initiatives to show how eco conscious their brand is the reality is that their operations are not focussed on continually improving performance in this space and profit is a much more important metric than their contribution to the planet.

Interestingly however it's this contribution to the planet which is very likely to pay dividends and correlate with increased long term profit. A number of studies show that consumers and investors, particularly millennials, increasingly prefer brands who adopt an ethical and sustainable focus and are willing to pay more for their goods and services.

So if contributing to the planet drives corporate success and sustainability in itself why is it not a more critical focus at the top table right now? Perhaps senior behaviours are not incentivised towards this outcome or maybe there is no accountability for driving good practice at all..

Whatever the root cause of the elephant being present it's worth considering that future profits may be dependent on tackling it head on. The starting point is embedding a measurement framework with clear targets and bringing focus to it across the business. Perhaps over time the elephant will leave the room and the gloom will diminish. Here's hoping...