“For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:6
What insights can Mother Nature offer to a business?
According to the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Environmental Education Centre in Chennai, India – www.cpreec.org – Mother Nature has her own ‘waste disposal’ solutions in place for millions of years. Predator animals in the forests kill only when they are hungry. Once the predator has eaten its share, scavengers like the hyena feed on the remains. What is left of the bones attract insects such as flies. The leftovers are broken up by microorganisms like the bacteria and the fungi. All things that were once alive in time become part of the earth again.
The website www.asknature.org states that humans are becoming increasingly dependent on our ability to connect via technology and easily access the energy grid. Practically every facet of our lives is somehow plugged in and powered up. Yet as our demand for power increases, so must the innovative and life-friendly ways we access and use that energy.
There are many insights that Mother Nature can offer a business regarding her waste minimization strategy. An understanding of this is expedited by addressing the management of the five business systems in the ManOBiz™ Matrix.
(1)The corporate governance system – if we start our business with a well designed board meeting or dialogue culture, then we build a sound foundation for the business incorporating all issues which are necessary for business success. To ignore this, will allow inefficiencies to creep in which will eventually erode the triple bottom line (profit, people and planet).
(2) The investment finance system – if we follow the philosophy of “start small, do it right, make a profit, then expand” to guide the investment strategy, then financial security is built into the process. To ignore this may result in the wastage of your own and other people’s money or burdening your business with unnecessary costs associated with the procurement of funds.
(3) The marketing system – if we structure the Marketing matrix to reflect the target markets for the innovative products and services that a business offers and systematically mine the matrix, in a sound customer relationship management environment, then we inject life in the business which will bolster revenue growth. To ignore this, may result in the wastage of marketing resources and fluctuating fortunes in revenue growth.
(4) The operations system – if we invest time in developing process flow charts to identify all sources of cost and a high quality “zero defects” culture, then the business is more likely to generate profits and grow. To ignore this may frustrate the primary objective of being in business.
(5) The human resource development system – if we invest time motivating and training staff to increase their productivity and making them happy in the business environment, then the business has a greater chance to experience sustainable growth. To ignore this may result in the rapid decline of productivity which impacts directly on sustainable profits.
Let us be guided by divine light, in good times and in difficult times. This light illumines our path and gives us the inner strength and confidence to move forward without fear or concern.
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. – CBET. His email address is basilgf57@gmail.com and his columns may be found at www.cbetmodel.org and www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com.)