Purpose 360 with Carol Cone

Latest Episodes:

Advancing the Stakeholder Economy with Martin Whittaker Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

From employer vaccine policies to shareholder activism, JUST Capital continues to rank and report on the companies, leaders, and trends advancing the stakeholder capitalism movement. As the leading voice in ‘just’ business behavior, JUST Capital is a nonprofit organization with a mission to equip the market with the data, tools and insights to deliver on the promise of an economy that works for all Americans.

To talk about the evolution of this movement and continued impacts of the pandemic, we spoke with Martin Whittaker, CEO of JUST Capital. On his fourth Purpose 360 appearance, Martin discussed new initiatives including the Corporate Racial Equity Tracker and how companies can better “walk the talk'' to address some of the world’s most intractable social issues.

Listen for Martin’s insights on:

How JUST Capital made strategic changes to the JUST 100 annual rankings framework, evolved based on the pandemic
Why the organization launched the Corporate Racial Equity Tracker to bring greater transparency and accountability to the corporate world through a DE&I lens
How CEOs can make authentic decisions using honest internal assessments

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(02:45) - Intro to Martin Whittaker
(04:09) - Background on JUST Capital
(07:39) - The Numbers
(11:19) - Polling During Covid & Social Unrest
(16:51) - Tracking Growth
(18:18) - Getting on the List
(22:21) - Toolkit for Companies Not Ranked
(24:32) - Impacts of Just Companies
(27:23) - ESG Equity Funds Momentum
(30:39) - Diversity & Equity Tracker
(33:49) - P&G
(35:10) - In the Know
(39:26) - Social Policy & the C-Suite
(43:39) - Big Just Issues
(50:34) - Importance of Action Vs. Talk
(53:28) - Last Thoughts
(55:05) - Wrapping Up

Building Equitable Futures with TCS Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

Last year, the pandemic wrought disruption on workforces around the world. Now, as corporate offices welcome employees back, HR and people managers face new and unprecedented challenges. With 488,000 employees in 46 countries, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has proven to be a case study in how to navigate uncertainty, with the company experiencing its lowest attrition rate in history, employees investing 43 million hours in learning, and social impact programs meeting ambitious goals ahead of schedule.

To talk about how TCS put its employees, communities, and customers first throughout the pandemic, we welcomed back to the show Balaji Ganapathy, Chief Social Responsibility Officer at TCS.

Listen for Balaji’s insights on:

Why purpose is an anchor during trying times, and how it can allow for reinvention while maintaining long-term vision and growth
How companies of any size can adapt to “borderless” workplace models which allow for flexibility and accountability while still upholding culture, and values
Why companies must recognize the shifting roles their employees have taken on since the start of the pandemic, including the burden that caretakers will continue to shoulder even as they transition back to a “normal” work routine
The importance of recognizing employees’ mental health and providing both benefits and an environment in which employees feel empowered to invest in their mental wellbeing

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:01) - Balaji Ganapathy from TCS
(03:48) - By the Numbers
(05:05) - Being a Superbrand
(06:58) - Purpose Is the New Technology
(10:21) - India in the Pandemic
(16:05) - Lessons Learned Through COVID
(18:35) - Customer Response
(20:39) - Retention Rate
(21:49) - A Talent Cloud Model
(23:10) - In the Know
(26:12) - Returning to the Office
(31:44) - Using Employee Input
(33:07) - Early Mental Health, Women, and Listening – How Are These Coming Together?
(35:41) - Transforming the Programs
(37:23) - Integrating with HR
(39:39) - Keeping Volunteering Up During COVID
(42:12) - Employee Response
(44:30) - Vaccine Equity
(46:02) - How to Work With Employees as They Come Back
(49:38) - Predictions for Employer/Employee Relationship Moving Forward
(52:01) - Purpose as the Glue
(55:06) - Final Thoughts

Humanity at Work: Returning to the Office Part 2 Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

This fall, employees around the world will return to offices and desks they may not have seen for 18+ months. Not only will they face a physical transition—trading familiar work-from-home routines for workspaces that will either look like time capsules or be redesigned to accommodate distancing—but many will face mental and emotional barriers. Returning to offices and the human-to-human interactions they enable will be a reminder of just how much has changed since the pandemic started.

It’s important that employers get this transition right, and purpose will play an important role. To talk about the realities of returning to in-office work, and the critical need for empathy and humanity in the process, we welcomed to the show Jonathan Atwood, a former global communications head at Unilever, provocateur, and champion for the voice of employees.

Listen to this special two-part episode for Jon’s insights on:

How his personal journey led him to be radically vulnerable with colleagues, in turn providing them with the space to have honest conversations at work
How employers can navigate the return-to-office period with humility and transparency, and how purpose can act as a compass for decision-making
The watch-outs surrounding this transition, including the reality that millions of front line employees never left their essential roles
Why and how creating space for open communication and sharing can empower employees to bring their personal purpose to work, for the benefit of the entire organization

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:09) - Intro to Part II – The New Normal
(02:50) - Returning to the Office
(08:15) - Insights Regarding Human Resources
(11:34) - Storytelling to Reshape the Work Culture
(14:14) - Design the Future Together
(16:53) - Changing Corporate Culture and Strategy
(17:53) - Companies Doing It Well
(19:52) - The Outcome Reveals Itself
(22:07) - Exodus of Talent
(24:31) - Nurturing Talent in a Post-Covid World
(25:22) - Individual & Team
(28:03) - Team Purpose
(30:40) - Making an A Team
(31:36) - Finding Time
(34:08) - Opportunity to Be Creative
(36:40) - Having the Conversation
(39:01) - Wrapping Up

Humanity at Work: Returning to the Office with Jonathan Atwood Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Listen to this special two-part episode for Jon’s insights on:

How his personal journey led him to be radically vulnerable with colleagues, in turn providing them with the space to have honest conversations at work
How employers can navigate the return-to-office period with humility and transparency, and how purpose can act as a compass for decision-making
The watch-outs surrounding this transition, including the reality that millions of front line employees never left their essential roles
Why and how creating space for open communication and sharing can empower employees to bring their personal purpose to work, for the benefit of the entire organization

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:11) - Intro to Jon Atwood
(07:54) - Helping Companies Get to This Same Unlock
(10:52) - Jon and Unilever
(15:07) - The Idea of "Mattering"
(17:50) - Other Companies Setting the Bar Too Low?
(19:01) - Hellman's
(22:44) - Turning Management's No Into Yes
(25:24) - Cage-Free Eggs
(27:30) - Last Thoughts on Hellman's
(29:10) - Convincing the Team to Do the Hard Work
(31:36) - Transforming the System
(32:09) - Lifebuoy
(37:31) - Five Key Tenets of Unilever's
(42:15) - Getting Back to Office
(48:08) - Part II Next Episode

Delivering Impact with Vitamin Angels May 18, 2021

Show notes

Vitamin Angels is a nonprofit organization that seeks to combat malnutrition by providing lifesaving vitamins to the most vulnerable and often overlooked individuals: pregnant woman, new mothers, infants and children under 5. Globally, Vitamin Angels serves 60 million mothers and children each year, in 65 countries and every U.S. state.

To talk about the organization’s genesis and growth, we welcomed to the show Howard Schiffer, President and Founder of Vitamin Angels, and Chris Hortinela, Senior Manager of CSR Partnerships.

Listen for Howard and Chris’s insights on:

The value of storytelling to amplify and advance the Vitamin Angels mission and critical work to save lives around the world
How the organization develops and evolves long-term relationships with mission-aligned corporate partners like Walgreens and SmartyPants
How Vitamin Angels developed a robust network of local program partners and national governments to deliver vitamins and nutrition resources

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:01) - Vitamin Angels
(03:24) - Definition of Purpose
(05:38) - Howard's Background
(09:16) - Creating Vitamin Angels
(10:21) - Where They Serve
(14:38) - Total Impact
(16:18) - Chris' Start With Vitamin Angels
(20:17) - The Numbers
(21:59) - Partnerships
(25:08) - Developing Walgreens' Partnership Further
(27:32) - Mining for Stories & Partners
(34:58) - Service Model
(38:01) - In the Know
(40:03) - Dealing With Covid
(45:07) - Consumers' Thoughts
(47:39) - Impact Qualitators
(50:14) - Takeaways
(53:06) - Writing His Own Obituary
(54:53) - Chris' Last Words
(55:04) - Wrap-Up

CECP Uncovers the Value of Workplace Volunteering May 04, 2021

Show notes

CECP, or Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, is a CEO-led coalition that believes a company’s social strategy – how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers – determines company success. A critical component of CECP’s work involves measuring and benchmarking cutting-edge work in CSR and purpose, from overall corporate philanthropy to volunteer programs. One of the organization’s latest reports, Value Volunteering, explores the multi-layered inputs and outputs of workplace volunteer initiatives.

To learn more about volunteering and purpose within corporates today, Purpose 360 welcomed Carmen Perez, former Senior Director of Data Insights at CECP; Lalita Badinehal, former VP of Corporate Citizenship at Credit Suisse; and Matthew Nelson, AVP Corporate Responsibility at New York Life Insurance Company.

Listen for insights from Carmen, Lalita, and Matthew on:

Why corporate volunteering initiatives should be rooted in community needs, and how that grounding supports ongoing participation and program impact.
The motivations behind workplace volunteering initiatives, and the shared value generated for companies and their employees, beneficiary organizations, and communities.
How volunteering initiatives affect consumer sentiment and drive objectives around reputation and trust.

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:01) - CECP
(03:07) - CECP Today
(04:03) - The Report – Why Now?
(05:22) - Lalita
(07:57) - Matthew
(09:39) - High Level Results
(11:31) - What does a successful workplace volunteering program look like?
(14:29) - Being Authentic
(15:47) - Measurement Strategies
(19:09) - In the Know
(24:10) - Communicating the Increase in Volunteering
(26:31) - Working With Agents
(29:46) - Built In & Built For
(32:38) - Volunteering vs. Training Programs
(35:10) - Changes Because of Covid
(38:05) - Other Keys in Value Volunteering
(40:02) - Three Levels of Measurement
(44:11) - Final Comments
(49:20) - Wrap Up

Learning the ‘New Rules of Business’ with Judy Samuelson Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

“Business as usual” is no longer viable—the landscape has changed, the definition of success has shifted, and the responsibilities of a business now land far beyond merely generating profit. It’s this thesis that frames the insights in a new book called The Six New Rules of Business.

To talk about these insights and more, we welcomed to the show author Judy Samuelson, Founder and Executive Director of the The Aspen Institute Business + Society Program, and Vice President of The Aspen Institute. Beyond sharing what those six new rules are, Judy spoke about the Institute’s work to gather diverse, nonpartisan thought leaders, scholars, creatives, and members of the public to address some of the world’s most complex societal problems.

Listen for Judy’s insights on:

The forces reshaping the role of business and value creation, and what purpose-driven leaders today need to understand about those forces
Why employees are a business’s greatest “ally” and accountability mechanism, and how they are aligned with the long-term health of an enterprise
Why purpose is “ground zero” and an organizing principle for a business’s activity and growth

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:08) - Judy Samuelson, The Aspen Institute
(03:56) - The Aspen Institute
(05:16) - Who Is Susan Samuelson and Why Does She Does What She Does?
(06:55) - Writing the Book
(08:08) - The Six New Rules of Business
(11:48) - Chapter 2: Purpose
(15:46) - In the Know
(20:32) - Defining Stakeholders
(21:54) - Boards and Purpose
(24:18) - Rule 3: Corporate Responsibility
(28:54) - Connecting Purpose, Strategy, & Capital Allocation
(31:54) - Rule 5: Culture Is King
(35:06) - Microsoft's Culture
(37:29) - Measuring Intangibles
(42:30) - The Role of CEOs Today in Activism
(48:26) - Lessons Learned Through COVID
(52:51) - Younger Influencers on the Market
(55:08) - Last Thoughts
(59:10) - Top Takeaways
(01:01:35) - Wrapping Up

Bringing Purpose Home at Nextdoor with Maryam Banikarim Apr 06, 2021

Show notes

By bringing neighbors together, we can cultivate a kinder world, where everyone has a community they can rely on. That’s the idea behind Nextdoor, the growing social network for neighborhoods and the people, businesses, and organizations that make them unique.

To talk about how Nextdoor brings purpose home, and how the platform played a critical role in COVID-19 response, we welcomed to the show Maryam Banikarim, Head of Marketing. Listen for Maryam’s insights on:

How Nextdoor built a productive platform for individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, and local governments to connect and support one another
How Nextdoor rapidly implemented new functionality in response to the pandemic, to better support communities and mobilize resources
Why Nextdoor integrated local nonprofits and community organizations so deeply into the platform, and how it empowers neighbors to support them
How Nextdoor is taking a big-picture approach to community engagement, with neighborhoods as powerful “units of change” that can drive civil progress (and kindness) at scale

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:07) - Maryam Banikarim – NextDoor
(04:20) - Maryam's Background
(05:33) - Her Professional Journey & Watching Marketing Evolve
(10:28) - Why is purpose important to the world today?
(13:06) - NextDoor's Purpose
(18:23) - Stories From the Pandemic
(21:09) - In the Know
(23:59) - Partnerships
(30:45) - Different Neighborhoods
(31:53) - Going Global
(33:51) - Kind Campaign
(35:39) - Getting Through the Pandemic
(37:19) - Public Agencies
(39:13) - Advisory Boards
(43:35) - Insights for Listeners
(48:36) - Wrapping Up

Achieving More at Microsoft Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

Since pioneering personal computing, Microsoft has continued to push the boundaries of innovation through its growing suite of products and services. With more than 75 million customers, 160,000 employees, and presence in 190 countries, Microsoft is truly a technology behemoth. So, it’s no surprise that the company has a long list of global social impact commitments, ranging from digital inclusion initiatives and rural broadband access to robust employee engagement programs.

To talk about all things “good” at Microsoft, we spoke with Kate Behncken, Vice President and Lead of Microsoft Philanthropies. Listen for Kate’s insights on:

How Microsoft focuses its far-reaching social impact efforts, ensuring every program ladders up to corporate purpose and values, while having localized, meaningful impact.
Why Microsoft places employees at the center of many of its social impact programs, and how their ideas are instrumental to the pursuit of the company’s purpose.
How Microsoft brings digital “skilling” initiatives to life around the world, for beneficiaries ranging from urban children to adults in rural areas.
The role of innovation in purpose, including examples such as Xbox’s adaptive controller for disabled gamers.

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(01:02) - Microsoft Philanthropies • Kate Behncken
(02:44) - Reimagining a Better Future Together
(04:58) - Microsoft Philanthropies
(06:07) - Kate's Journey Through Microsoft
(09:17) - Areas of Focus
(11:01) - The Numbers
(13:28) - COVID Response
(18:34) - Making Online Collaborations Work Better
(20:38) - Programatic Focus Areas
(23:00) - TEALS
(25:32) - Sharing Ownership
(27:01) - 25 Million Initiative
(29:51) - Protecting Fundamental Rights
(33:06) - In the Know
(41:02) - Going Carbon Negative
(42:52) - Providing Meaning and Adaptive Controllers
(44:21) - Employee Giving & Matching
(47:18) - AI for Good
(48:51) - Three Insights
(53:09) - Closing Comments

Purpose Pays Off at American Express with Timothy McClimon Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

Not many consumers know that American Express pioneered modern cause marketing. In 1983, the company launched a breakthrough campaign to support the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. (Even fewer know that American Express launched its very first employee giving campaign in 1885!)

Since then, the company has continued to evolve as an outstanding corporate citizen. To talk about American Express’s initiatives, we spoke with Timothy McClimon, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and President, American Express Foundation.

Listen for Tim’s insights, including:

How philanthropy, citizenship, and purpose have evolved over the company’s century-plus history
Why the company is committed to being a low-carbon organization, and how it’s working to protect the environment
How the company’s pioneering support of the Statue of Liberty—dating back to 1885—has evolved into a long-term commitment to preserving historical places
How American Express transformed its iconic Green Card to raise awareness for the ocean plastics crisis
Why employee volunteering and giving are essential to the company’s purpose efforts, and how they make American Express an employer of choice

Links & Notes

(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360 • Tim McClimon — American Express
(03:47) - AmEx's Evolution in Its Commitment to Society
(07:38) - Tim's Start
(10:05) - Getting to the Focus and Innovating
(12:24) - The Numbers
(15:11) - Leadership Academy
(21:04) - Preserving Special Places
(24:17) - Dine Small
(30:11) - Small Business Saturday
(35:39) - Partnering With Others
(37:58) - In the Know
(41:44) - Sustainability Efforts
(46:02) - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
(51:42) - Virtual Volunteerism
(53:25) - Measurement
(56:22) - Three Key Insights
(59:47) - Wrapping Up

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