Looking back I can’t believe it’s already been a month.
On February 10th I was humbled and (super) excited to attend the Leading Change Canada forum. Along with 149 other delegates selected from across Canada, we gathered in Vancouver to work towards accelerating positive environmental, social, and economic impact. I think it’s safe to say the Leading Change goal of activating Canada’s next generation of leaders was achieved! The ideas, passion and energy this group had was exhilarating and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for each one of these sustainability leaders.
I was fortunate to also attend the GLOBE 2020 conference which was held coinciding with the Leading Change forum.
To have an opportunity to be part of this progressive group and join in on the conversation was truly enriching (and energizing!). There are a vast breadth of components that form the concept and efforts behind ‘sustainability’; seeing industry leaders and youth from all kinds of backgrounds and sectors was only fitting. Whether the conversation was about the circular economy, clean tech, the blue economy, sustainability as strategy, inclusivity and social and environmental responsibility, there was constantly something to be learned. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity to connect and learn from such a diverse, engaged group of people.
Thank you Leading Change Canada and GLOBE 2020!
Another thank you is due to Business Sherpa Group who supported me 100%.
I was proud to be able to share how our model helps support sustainable business practices. Many of the people I met worked directly within industries like clean tech, circular economy, etc. so it was nice to be able to share how other companies – like BSG – are involved and support sustainability in business through methods that they may never have considered.
For us, we help smaller organizations by providing completely flexible support (in HR, bookkeeping, etc. – see services). This breaks away from historically ridged management consulting practices and is affordable making it feasible for small businesses for the long term. The positive consequence of this is that it enables smaller organizations to grow, and since most of the Canadian economy is small businesses, this is good! Championing technology helps us move our clients away from paper and modernize their processes, un-gated knowledge sharing helps build up those around us and virtual, flexible work supports the team that makes this all possible.
Also have to mention the example set within our offices – moving almost 100% away from paper (what a happy day it was when our invoicing process became fully paperless!), reusable hand towels (instead of paper-towel), LED lightbulbs, just to name a few things.
“Growth” within the business world is pretty universal goal. The combination of both the explicit and the subtler, more everyday sustainable practices is what (I think) has the most potential to positively push us towards overall sustainability in business. So while companies like BSG might not be building robots that turn carbon into solar panels, I think the attitude and approach of companies like us are fundamental to moving the needle. The grand gestures are important and impactful, as is the constant pulse of positive little things.
