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Losing Your Temper is Costly for Leaders - Phillip Van Hooser

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Scott McKain -- Customer Service Lessons from "Taxi Terry"

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Investing in Communities: Opportunities at the “Base of the Pyramid’?

by Michelle Brown / CSR Asia

Faced with recession, the response of companies to global development challenges will need to be more strategic. For many years, companies have been called on and expected to ‘do more’ in tackling global and local development challenges. At the same time, there is a growing enthusiasm for new approaches to addressing social and environmental challenges that embed a spirit of entrepreneurship and good business practices. Can strategies to engage new markets at the ‘base of the pyramid’ help make a real difference?

Charity and philanthropy alone is not going to get us there. If we want to improve the impact that business can have on communities and on development we can’t rely on charity. Many global companies use a guideline of ‘one percent of pre-tax profit’ to guide their community contributions. With this equation, despite some companies arguing otherwise, it is reasonable that with falling profits we could see ‘falling contributions’. This is not to say there is not an important role for philanthropy – I believe there is; but there is also ‘good philanthropy’ and ‘really bad philanthropy’. It also can’t be used to define an overall approach to CSR. Community investment can be one part of CSR. Like other aspects of business, companies should be able to track and measure their community investment and understand the value for both communities and for the business. Investing to build sustainable communities is a must for business. While we can continue to encourage companies to not forget about the community and to work to address poverty and underdevelopment, we need to help create new partnerships for business to have a positive and sustainable impact on communities.

Alongside this trend, companies have been looking to understand how to engage with new markets. CK Prahalad pointed to the potential ‘fortune at the bottom (or base) of the pyramid’ (BOP) in his influential book, a reference to the billions of people who are not recognized in traditional companies’ target customer audience. This book and the other writings of Prahalad and Hart were also influential for business audiences stressing the need to recognize the poor as creative entrepreneurs and not as ‘victims’. This also follows good practices espoused over the decades by development agencies. BOP theory presented itself as a strategy for companies to alleviate global challenges and tap into potential markets at the same time.

For those concerned with pro-poor development and poverty alleviation there have been some interesting reports released in 2008. All of them call on companies to focus on building sustainable communities with their core business. Last summer the UNDP released a study on ‘Growing Inclusive Markets’, which was a compilation of case studies written by 50 authors throughout the world. Recognising the contribution that micro-finance has made in this area, the authors looked for case studies from across other sectors. Cases from Asia included in the research were:

• Coco Technologies: a Philippines company that produces geo-textiles from waste coconut husks. It is a growing and viable business that has created an additional income stream for coconut farmers, helped to empower rural women, and reduces waste.
• Huatai’s work in China’s wood-pulp production for the paper industry is referenced. They provide alternative income sources for local tree farmers and add to the incomes of about 6,000 rural households.
• Lafarge’s work in Indonesia is noted for the positive outcomes in rebuilding cement-based homes and businesses in post-tsunami areas. The structures provided homes for employees and the wider community and also helped the company showcase cement structures.
• Narayana Hrudayalay, the Indian Hospital group has developed an insurance programme for low-income patients.
• Tsinghua Tongfang’s affordable computer for rural areas in China
• Smart in the Philippines provides mobile telecom products and services for low income and overseas communities. Its distribution system, using SMS technology, allows merchants to re-sell minutes, taking a commission on every sale; in essence creating a business opportunity for 450,000 entrepreneurs and proving telecom access to communities previously underserved.

Another interesting partnership in the region is between Danone and Grameen in Bangladesh. In 2006 they joined to form a new company called Grameen Danone Foods, which is a social enterprise. Initially focusing on affordable dairy products, the enterprise also plans to get involved in biogas and solar energy. Clearly these are examples that are ‘good for business’ and ‘good for communities’.

In reference to the BOP strategies of multi-nationals, Prahalad and Hart (2002) note that “it requires a radical new approach to business strategy”. Their research pointed to the fact that initial strategies of large companies to tap into the BOP failed because they looked at the poor only as consumers as opposed to partners in production and distribution. The strategy cannot be alien to the communities in that it wishes to serve. While early attempts were applauded for making an effort, many simply didn’t work. Many BOP strategies have not been successful because they saw the poor as a homogeneous group of consumers and, by their strategies, often created excess packaging and engaged in unsustainable business practices (Welford, 2006). Learning from the past, companies that are successfully engaging the ‘BOP’ are shifting from ‘selling to the poor’ to ‘business co-venturing’.

A useful and recently updated resource is The Base of the Pyramid Protocol: Toward Next Generation BOP Strategy by Erik Simanis and Stuart Hart (Cornell University: 2008). ‘First Generation’ BOP attempts failed because they did not adequately understand the market or consumers. The BOP protocol points to a ‘Second Generation’ of BOP initiatives, which brings MNCs into partnership with local communities creating lasting value and measurable impact. Companies can help to develop social enterprises that can in turn help them to better understand and reach a new market. But for some companies, this can mean a very different way of doing business. Local participation and a ‘bottom-up’ approach to product development are seen as crucial for such ventures to work. Furthermore, success will be measured not just on the financial viability but also on the social value created.

The Protocol walks readers through both a preliminary research and development phase and a community based planning phase. Research and development involves selecting the project site; creating multi-disciplinary teams and selecting community partners. The planning phase involves working together with communities to develop and build an initial prototype. The protocol also provides a Code of Conduct on BOP business strategies that calls for the following:

• Design businesses that increase earning power, remove constraints, and build potential in the BOP
• Ensure that wealth generated by the business is shared equitably with the local community
• Use only the most appropriate – and sustainable – technologies
• Promote the development of affected communities as broadly as possibly in ways defined by the local people themselves
• Track the “triple bottom line” impacts associated with the entire BOP business system
• Monitor and address any unintended negative impacts associated with the business model
• Share best practices with local partners to the extent possible
• Report transparently and involve key stakeholders in an on-going dialogue
• Commit to increase community value regardless of the business outcome

Those working in this arena argue that we need to understand and measure the social, economic, and relational aspects of communities that engage in BOP projects in order to understand the full impact.

Interest in this continues to grow; even the Journal of Consumer Marketing recently had a whole edition dedicated to engaging with poor consumers. Will more companies use the ‘slowdown’ as an opportunity to ‘get ahead’ in new markets? Can co-creating social enterprises provide the answers? Thoughts? Ideas? Good examples? Lessons learned in Asia? Please get in touch.

Reports and publications mentioned in this article:

• CK Prahalad and Stuart Hart. 2002. ‘The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid’. Strategy + Business. January edition.
• CK Prahalad. 2005. ‘The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid: eradicating poverty through profits’.
• Erik Simanis and Stuart Hart. 2008. The Base of the Pyramid Protocol: Toward Next Generation BoP Strategy.
• Richard Welford ‘MDGs and BOP’’ in CSR Asia Weekly, Vol.2 Week 34 (23 Aug 2006). ■

PowerPoint Presentation Skills

Preparing your next PowerPoint presentation doesn't have to be too taxing. Yes, it's true that the medium has its problems. But you can solve most of these problems by being more choosy with the PowerPoint palette.

So when you are ready to prepare your next PowerPoint presentation here are ten essential tips:

1) Typeface. Choose a typeface that your audience can read on your presentation screen. Experiment with a serif Typeface such as Times New Roman and sans-serif typefaces such as Arial and Verdana (Format: Replace Font).

2) Font. You want your words to be readable by your audience – so aim to use a font with a point size that is fully legible: 16 point or 18 point, perhaps (Format: Font).

3) Colours. Your choice of typeface colour is also important (Format: Font: Color). Some colours will be less visible to your audience than others. Greens and reds can be indistinct on a white background. Blues and blacks have more visibility. Don't forget to consider your background colour scheme (Format: Background).

4) Bullet Points. It's the bullet point list that creates most problems for your audience. There are either too many bullet points, too many words per bullet or just too many lists in a presentation. They work best when you want to summarise or signpost direction. This is what we've done. This is where we are going.

5) Images. Aim to use images as effective visual metaphors in your presentation (Insert: Picture). They will enhance and support your speech. Make sure that your pictures are big enough to fill the screen.

6) Video. Use video and audio files in your PowerPoint presentation when you have the opportunity (Insert: Movies and Sounds). It's an ideal way to build interest and keep your audience engaged.

7) Charts and graphs are key to many presentations (Insert: Chart). Remember to keep the charts big, without too much distracting detail. Don't mix them with bullet points. It weakens their impact. Try to use the "build" technique (Slide Show: Custom Animation). Your chart can build itself as you speak – based on rehearsed timings or your mouse click. Very effective.

8) Special effects can make or ruin a presentation. Try to be selective in your choice of PowerPoint effects (Slide Show: Animation Schemes and Slide Show: Slide Transition). Don't allow the special effects to be more memorable than your message.

9) Talking. Avoid the temptation to look at your PowerPoint projection when talking. Each time you do so you lose engagement with your audience. Use the Fn F5 shortcut on your keyboard to toggle your notebook display and your projection display. You can glance at your notebook screen without losing audience contact.

10) Remember the point, turn and talk technique for PowerPoint. Point at the screen, turn to your audience and then make your point.

PowerPoint gives you some exciting tools for your presentation to be truly successful. PowerPoint's visual and multimedia effects can be stunning. Just beware the trap presented by too many special effects and the standard text layouts.

(Timetomarket)

Napoleon Hills 14 Secrets to Success

1. Render more service than I ask people to pay for.

2. I engage in no transaction, intentionally, that does not benefit all whom it affects.

3. I make no statements that I do not believe to be true.

4. I have a sincere desire in my heart to be of useful service to the greatest possible number of people.

5. I like people better than I like money

6. I am doing my best to live, as well as to teach my own philosophy of success.

7. I accept no favors from anyone without giving favors in return.

8. I ask nothing of any person without having a right to that for which I ask.

9. I enter into no arguments with people over trivial matters.

10. I spread the sunshine of optimism and good cheer wherever and whenever I can.

11. I never flatter people for the purpose of gaining their confidence.

12. I sell counsel and advice to other people, at a modest price, but never offer free advice.

13. Which teaching others how to achieve success, I have demonstrated that I can make my philosophy work for myself as well, thus "practicing what I preach"

14. I am so thoroughly sold on the work in which I am engaged that my enthusiasm over it becomes contagious and others are influenced by it.

From Napoleon Hills book The Master Key to Success.

Positive Mental Attitude - Napoleon Hill Foundation

Napoleon Hill held a Positive Mental Attitude as his foremost desired quality in one's journey through success. This clip is in honor of his message and how that message is being passed on from one generation to the next.