2011 Planning: Is Your Business Asking the Right Questions?

“To find the exact answer, one must first ask the exact question.” -- S. Tobin Webster 

Too many organizations underestimate the power of asking their stakeholders important questions in a timely manner. Even worse, too many firms treat their internal disputes and disagreements as sensitive information to be hoarded rather than as valuable insight to be shared.  On the flip side, our eco friendly consulting subscribes to the likes of Tom Peters, "Innovation comes only from readily and seamlessly sharing information rather than hoarding it."     In the corporate world, most business leaders agree that achieving real bottom line improvements, whether through cost savings or improved revenues, is critical to business sustainability.  However, these bottom line achievements are the result of close collaboration with key stakeholders committed to the business’s success.  2011 business planning is well underway.  What happens if you aren't asking the right questions? Or, what if you are asking the right questions but to the wrong group of stakeholders?     According to Ernst & Young’s 2010 Business Risk Report, corporate social responsibility and the need for social acceptance both appeared on the top ten risks facing businesses.  Asked in our sustainability consulting practice," Is your organization asking the right questions to best plan for 2011 and are you asking the right stakeholders?  Topics include: emissions, waste streams, energy consumption, supply and distribution, material usage, regulatory changes, employee and community impacts.    As sustainability consultants, we encourage businesses to engage in the conversation by asking questions.  Curiosity elicits the best answers.  Consider the results of stakeholder collaboration: click here to continue reading.  

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".

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