Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Part of the season is children returning to school; pictures of students moving into dormitories and parents following buses to kindergarten; all made me recall an Oscar Wilde quote –
“What you read when you don’t have to determines what you will be when you can’t help it”
Organizations like people do not live in isolation. It is not acceptable to experience economic prosperity abandoning their social responsibilities. Some firms are 
discussing “green “initiatives and a “sustainable plan.”The Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina has suggested a that the issues of organizational economic growth, societal needs and environmental responsibility are integrated and on a continuum.
Organizational identity plays a role in corporate and social responsibility. “Integrity includes but goes beyond honesty. Honesty is telling the truth-in other words, conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality to our words-in other words keeping promises and fulfilling expectations. This requires an integrated character, a oneness, primarily with self but also with life.”
Balancing a firm’s economic growth, social responsibility and environmental commitment are part of the succession plan. When we think of succession planning we must consider collaboration, innovation and talent. Collaboration includes the promotion of good news events and recognition of individuals.
Innovation not invention, innovation for the team recognizes change as a positive not a peril. Many companies believe succession plans are about replacing talent. Besides collaboration, innovation succession plays need to retain talent, train, develop talent and attract Talent.
If we are balancing economic growth with social responsibility and an environmental commitment the attraction of talent will be easy. Building a great team is not easy. That said it doesn’t require a Faustian bargain. Collaboration, innovation and talent are woven together to make great firms.
Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased. ~Adam Smith
All the runners in the race compete-only one Wins; Run to Win!
[…] Let’s review a few points on surviving to thriving and how to outlast an L shaped decline. We must have a good business plan, not only an annual profit plan with rigorous monthly reviews but a solid 5 year plan. Part of this plan must be analysis of performance. Who sales are up, down, where are we investing manpower, machine time? Do we need to shift our material focus, alter our methods? Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Challenging ourselves and candidly reviewing all performance is a key. We need to juggle those three balls, Financial, Social and Environmental. […]