Shared Value: Business at it's Best!

This year’s Shared Value Leadership Summit theme was acceleration - from Shared Value theory to action. Companies around the world are intentionally designing business models and strategies around shared value that create both business and social value. As a practitioner and member of the affiliated professional network of the Shared Value Initiative, I am pleased to share my top take-aways from this year’s conference, with more to come in subsequent blogs!

The Truth About Employee Engagement

Getting (and keeping!) employees engaged and excited is a huge challenge for most businesses. Traditional tactics for engagement no longer work and people are more inclined to leave their jobs if they feel underappreciated, unchallenged, or dispensable. CEO’s are becoming increasingly worried about how they will replace the boomer generation as they retire, so it is essential that companies have great employee engagement programs in place to attract new talent as well as maintain the talent they already have.

Creating Social Value Through Behavioral Change

Changing human behavior is an incredibly strenuous process that can potentially have immense long-term benefits for society. 50 years ago who would’ve thought that smoking would someday be seen as detrimental to one’s health or that driving without a seat belt could land you a huge fine?Cause marketing initiatives often work to encourage positive alternatives to negative behaviors.

Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste - Collaborate!

“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” – former President Obama chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, commenting during the 2008 financial crisis.As Canadians stare down $50/barrel oil prices, we begin to see the impact it has on our country’s economic and social health.

What Corporations Can Learn from Great Non-profit Brands

Spotting an exceptional brand is easy, but building one is one of the most important challenges every organization faces. So how do you build a brand that breaks through? And is there a difference from one sector or industry to the next?  That was the challenge that I was presented when approached to write a chapter for the internationally published book “The Brand Challenge”.  My biggest takeaway - business can learn a lot from great non-profits! 

Combating Food Waste with Shared Value

Food waste is a huge problem in today’s society. Canadians waste approximately 40% of our total food production. The quantifiable value of food wasted in Canada is about $31 billion each year according to a recent report. Food waste is everyone’s problem, but many believe there is nothing we can do about it. Why do Canadians Continue to Waste So Much Food? BBMG’s recent “Waste Not, Want Not” report on food waste really forced me to reflect on food waste

How to Build Trust in Business: 2015 Trust Barometer Breakfast in Calgary

On Thursday, Feb. 26, Edelman PR presented its 2015 Trust Barometer research study results. JS Daw & Associates attended the event hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce at the Delta Bow in Calgary.In this blog, We break down the presentation’s key points, why it’s important to integrate trust into community strategies and what business needs to do to regain trust in the future.Trust in Business has DeclinedJohn Clinton, CEO of Edelman Canada, pointed out the report's four key findings:

Social Intrapreneurship: Innovate Your Company from the Inside

Intrapreneurs: People working within large companies that spend their time innovating, improving business and thinking like entrepreneurs. They are infectiously creative, passionate about their work and have a strong internal desire to bring corporations along with them. By trying to move away from ‘business as usual’ they can allow corporations to become much more efficient and progressive machines.

In a SINGLE day: Learn how to unlock the potential of partnerships

JS Daw & Associates is excited to announce that the Conference Board of Canada is offering a one-day course called “Maximizing Partnerships.” This course will be coming to Calgary on March 3, 2015. Jocelyne Daw and Senior Advisor Del Simon from JS Daw & Associates will be the co-trainers. This course has been developed in collaboration with the global Partnership Brokers Association, and will allow participants to: