It’s that thing that makes you tick, that makes you the individual YOU that you are – your DNA. Nobody else has it. According to the folks at JustMeans, DNA is the 8th most common word spoken by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) folks.
I wonder how it’s used most, though. Is it that social responsibility should be part of a company’s DNA, how to work it into the DNA, or figuring out what complements or fits with the organization’s DNA? With the growth of social media mixed with the trends that show consumers want, and even demand, companies embrace a greater purpose, words like green-washing and brand-washing have popped up. To counteract that, some companies are likely seeking true authentic integration done in an organic way, including a reporting style that will satisfy stakeholders and consumers alike.
But you don’t suddenly have something in your DNA. You either are or you aren’t. But like Seth Godin will suggest, you can actually learn to be something really amazing like a Linchpin – an employee or individual who makes all the difference in the world, the indispensable and essential building block of an organization. The artist in us, the creative, the innovator, the person who wakes up every morning and is moved to do something meaningful. That’s DNA.
Since companies are made up of individuals, not things, I would submit that your DNA is found in your Linchpins (not your corporate mission statement or values). It’s found in your innovators who work on creating things at the edges and want to make an impact. How do you let them? How do you let them play a role in your CSR initiatives? I would suggest – make social responsibility an “individual” act.
Up next at #7 – leverage. Oooh – can’t wait.
Note: find out more about Linchpins at www.sethgodin.com
