Innovation + Responsibility

Think Local, Act Global
This twist on the old adage, "Think Global, Act Local," is, I believe, the next stage of corporate social responsibility at Sun. It used to be that we were pressed to think globally (in other words, see that there is a world outside of your local community and think about your impact in terms of that broader community) and act locally (take that broad thinking and apply it to your own life) to create positive and meaningful social change. Recycling is a great example of thinking globally and acting locally. So then what does it mean to think locally and act globally?

When it comes to corporate responsibility, I think it means we need to think about how we responsibly run our business day-to-day in each of the places our products are made, sold, bought and used, and then we need to connect that to a broader, global vision of our responsibility. It is my experience that each of these halves happens fairly well at Sun, but connecting them is proving to be a challenge.

For example, I was recently preparing for a customer presentation with a colleague from the UK. She was giving me suggestions on the topics I might consider covering. One of her suggestions was (and I quote): "We have had some of the countries, like Portugal, really keen to share their Corporate Responsibility [CR] initiatives with [the customer], so it would be great to show how Sun's Group CR works with/promotes and/or publicizes local CR initiatives." My response was something along the lines of, "We have an office in Portugal?"

And this is not the only example of this. I found out about the SunShine Education Fund - an amazing initiative spearheaded by Sun employees in China several years ago that raised money to build modern schools in rural communities throughout China - because I happened to be in a meeting with someone who had just gotten an email about it. I got an email from Sun's "Director of CSR for Liberia" after we published our first CSR report this past January.

You see what I am getting at here? There are lots of people thinking globally around Sun - understanding that as a multinational company we have a responsibility to operate our business in ways that take into account the social and environmental impact of what we do. And they are taking that mindset and applying it locally, creating country- and even city-specific CSR programs. But how do we connect them together? How do we make it so that all of the Sun locations that have such programs are connecting to the global Sun CSR mission? So they are thinking (and acting locally) and acting (and thinking) globally?

So far, we have not figured this out. Or, it is more correct to say, I have not figured this out. I think one piece of the answer is for me to go global. Literally. I think I need to find a way to connect with many more people outside of the US. Does that mean traveling to some key Sun locations just to see what kind of things are happening? Perhaps. Given the fact that I learn about things happening around the company simply by meeting new people, it seems like part of the solution is to meet more new people outside the United States. Of course, this would require a fair amount of flying which is not great environmentally or, for me and my fear of flying, emotionally. But it seems like an important piece of the puzzle. I am not sure how feasible it is, though, given resource constraints - namely time, money and the fact that the CSR team at Sun is made up of me and, for the next few weeks, Gabe, an MBA intern.

Another piece of the puzzle is broader, more robust employee engagement. I am working to figure out a way to better draw in employees to the work Sun is doing at the corporate level and help them make the bridge to their own day-to-day work. I especially want to draw in those employees in regions of the world, like Western Europe, where corporate responsibility is a cultural expectation, and those in developing regions, like India, China, parts of Latin America, where corporate responsibility can be a lifeline to successful development.

Needless to say I haven't cracked that nut but am working closely with some internal partners to figure it out. I welcome any and all ideas.

On a Personal Note
For anyone who reads this blog, I have to apologize for being less than stellar about posting these past few months. It's been a tough time, to say the least. With my dad getting sick, a painful and scary bike accident in May, and then my dad's passing in late June (not to mention all the other things that happen in the course of a life!), I have been doing so much personal writing (a preferred form of self-expression) that I have not been able to muster the inspiration for work blogging! I have a hard time compartmentalizing my life and I didn't want all the other stuff to seep in here, although as you saw from the last entry about bereavement fares and customer service, I cannot really help myself! Anyway, I am starting to feel the weight of the past several months lifting. Slowly but surely. So hopefully that means more relevant blog posts. Starting with this one.