[Applause]
even though it feels like real society
is faced with so many challenges and
uncertainty have you ever thought about
the fact that we are the most informed
the most connected the most educated
humans to ever on the earth what
exciting time to be alive being a
business consultant in consulting
businesses on sustainability and
resilience it makes me think about what
are the things that is required for
business to be in existence let’s say in
2030 so unfortunately we cannot predict
the future and I forgot my crystal ball
at home
so I would like us to pause and zoom in
on what it is we know today we live in a
world of disruptive technologies we
game-changers have come and changed the
way we commute how we pay how we shop
for things some of the most it’s the
biggest and fastest growing
organizations in in today’s world did
not exist ten years ago but innovative
confident intrapreneurs came and they
changed the way we do business we are a
connected empowered and democratic
society social media has changed the way
we go about our daily lives and I’m
pretty sure most of you has posted on on
some form platform about being here
today recently in the quarterly reports
of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg mentioned
that 1.8 billion people have access to
Facebook who is now using Facebook that
is the total equivalent of the world’s
population in 1918 to put it in
perspective and that’s not even a
hundred years ago geographic borders and
limitations has disappeared and the
world has become flat we know and care
about what is happening at any place in
the world at any time having this
platform and being able to share
information free
really change the way we view and shame
news so everybody that has a smartphone
is now a journalist and they will share
anything that they believe is newsworthy
so this has given the society of voice
the public of voice a voice that can be
used for crowdsource of crowdfunding
sourcing crowdfunding inducing
organizations boycotting organization
discussing political and societal issues
the power is now with the public and
there’s been a power a shift in power
from the monopolizing connected an
influential few to the informed public
society has certain expectations of that
business needs to adhere to and these
expectations if they not meet they will
use this voice this power that I spoke
about to make sure that organizations
act in line it’s not business as usual
and organizations they do not realize
the interest and pay attention to the
interest of society and think that this
corporate social investment initiatives
that they previously had is going to be
enough they will not exist in 2013 I
believe there is something called a
social licence to operate this is not a
new term and has been used in the mining
industry for some decades it refers to
the buy-in that is required in the local
communities where these mines actually
operates in but today mentioning that
the world is flat it’s not limited to
geographical borders it’s not limited to
certain industries and organizations all
organizations now need to maintain the
social license to operate I identified
five key behaviors or societal
requirements for organizations to a
deity to maintain the social license to
operate and the first one being honest
organizations need to be honest about
how they go about doing their business
with information being freely available
and sometimes evenly
society is requiring that organizations
is honest and ethical in the way they do
business I’m just thinking about a few
examples that are of what had recently
happened and what comes to mind is a
certain family I’m not gonna mention
they name that is not welcome to do
business in South Africa anymore and the
reason is because of the perception of
how they go about doing business another
example would be a very big global
organization that was not honest about a
system that measure emissions you can
just imagine the reputational damage
that this organizations has faced we a
society is suffer from severe income
disparity and there’s more and more
pressure on organizations to allow for
equal opportunity for all and if
organizations do not provide that we
want we want them to be honest to
default to enable us to do that
responsible so we trust organizations
with all types of data from your banking
details photos you share on social media
too sometimes
dating profiles there’s information that
you’re not aware that you’re trusting
organization with organizations with is
what you search for on Google or even
your location at any point in time
organizations needs to be responsible
with our our information cybercrime is a
reality and if your information lands in
the wrong hands it can be used for
fraudulent activities or even expose you
to identity faith the environment is
very high on our priority list and
organizations need to make sure that
they measure and monitor the impact they
have on the environment they need to
they need to incorporate and and take
into your account the impact they have
when doing business and creating working
environments and spaces they need to
promote human rights okay the public is
not going to support organizations that
support in your main working
environments for example making use of
child laborers inclusive so a lot of
organizations still see the social media
phenomenon as one of their biggest risk
I see it is one of our biggest
opportunities because what is necessary
is that we need to engage with us
stakeholders we need to engage with
society and make sure our product and
service operator offerings appeal to
them interestingly enough if you think
about it these ecosystems that we
created for ourselves government and
organizations consist of people people
that forms part of society we need to
encourage our all-inclusive stakeholder
approach where there is gain for all and
ultimately we can propel society forward
innovative this almost goes without
saying because we are living in science
exciting times when it comes to
technology change but we need to be
innovative in the way we market the way
we look at our products and service
offering with that engagement I believe
that organizations should not try to
play catch-up but rather lead the way
and that if they don’t they’re going to
be left behind and might not exist
purpose so if you look at some of the
biggest and fastest growing
organizations and you talk to their
leaders they all have one thing in
common a greater purpose so they try to
solve some societal problem there’s try
to better society we’re looking at
connecting the world we’re looking at
self-driving cars and alternative energy
solutions and solving medical problems
and as a society is not going to support
organizations that’s that the main aim
is to enrich a few we want them to be
part of the solution organizations need
to realize that there is a massive shift
from shareholder to stakeholder and that
includes the general public tracing
profit
is not going to ensure that your
business is going to be in existence
tomorrow it’s not going to ensure your
sustainability and now it brings me to
what is the social licence to operate in
I mean who’s gonna regulate it
there’s no governing body there’s no
regulator and the requirements to obtain
and maintain the social licence to
operate is gonna change as the society’s
expectations is going to change the
biggest risk for organizations is the
fact that there’s going to be no warning
you’re not going to get a blue letter
and then a yellow letter and in a red
letter and and then you cut off there’s
going to be no fine for non complying to
society’s requirements it’s going to be
disruptive I believe I want to leave you
with a statement something to think
about
and maybe even the title of my next talk
an organization cannot succeed in a
society that is failing
[Applause]
even though it feels like real society
is faced with so many challenges and
uncertainty have you ever thought about
the fact that we are the most informed
the most connected the most educated
humans to ever on the earth what
exciting time to be alive being a
business consultant in consulting
businesses on sustainability and
resilience it makes me think about what
are the things that is required for
business to be in existence let’s say in
2030 so unfortunately we cannot predict
the future and I forgot my crystal ball
at home
so I would like us to pause and zoom in
on what it is we know today we live in a
world of disruptive technologies we
game-changers have come and changed the
way we commute how we pay how we shop
for things some of the most it’s the
biggest and fastest growing
organizations in in today’s world did
not exist ten years ago but innovative
confident intrapreneurs came and they
changed the way we do business we are a
connected empowered and democratic
society social media has changed the way
we go about our daily lives and I’m
pretty sure most of you has posted on on
some form platform about being here
today recently in the quarterly reports
of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg mentioned
that 1.8 billion people have access to
Facebook who is now using Facebook that
is the total equivalent of the world’s
population in 1918 to put it in
perspective and that’s not even a
hundred years ago geographic borders and
limitations has disappeared and the
world has become flat we know and care
about what is happening at any place in
the world at any time having this
platform and being able to share
information free
really change the way we view and shame
news so everybody that has a smartphone
is now a journalist and they will share
anything that they believe is newsworthy
so this has given the society of voice
the public of voice a voice that can be
used for crowdsource of crowdfunding
sourcing crowdfunding inducing
organizations boycotting organization
discussing political and societal issues
the power is now with the public and
there’s been a power a shift in power
from the monopolizing connected an
influential few to the informed public
society has certain expectations of that
business needs to adhere to and these
expectations if they not meet they will
use this voice this power that I spoke
about to make sure that organizations
act in line it’s not business as usual
and organizations they do not realize
the interest and pay attention to the
interest of society and think that this
corporate social investment initiatives
that they previously had is going to be
enough they will not exist in 2013 I
believe there is something called a
social licence to operate this is not a
new term and has been used in the mining
industry for some decades it refers to
the buy-in that is required in the local
communities where these mines actually
operates in but today mentioning that
the world is flat it’s not limited to
geographical borders it’s not limited to
certain industries and organizations all
organizations now need to maintain the
social license to operate I identified
five key behaviors or societal
requirements for organizations to a
deity to maintain the social license to
operate and the first one being honest
organizations need to be honest about
how they go about doing their business
with information being freely available
and sometimes evenly
society is requiring that organizations
is honest and ethical in the way they do
business I’m just thinking about a few
examples that are of what had recently
happened and what comes to mind is a
certain family I’m not gonna mention
they name that is not welcome to do
business in South Africa anymore and the
reason is because of the perception of
how they go about doing business another
example would be a very big global
organization that was not honest about a
system that measure emissions you can
just imagine the reputational damage
that this organizations has faced we a
society is suffer from severe income
disparity and there’s more and more
pressure on organizations to allow for
equal opportunity for all and if
organizations do not provide that we
want we want them to be honest to
default to enable us to do that
responsible so we trust organizations
with all types of data from your banking
details photos you share on social media
too sometimes
dating profiles there’s information that
you’re not aware that you’re trusting
organization with organizations with is
what you search for on Google or even
your location at any point in time
organizations needs to be responsible
with our our information cybercrime is a
reality and if your information lands in
the wrong hands it can be used for
fraudulent activities or even expose you
to identity faith the environment is
very high on our priority list and
organizations need to make sure that
they measure and monitor the impact they
have on the environment they need to
they need to incorporate and and take
into your account the impact they have
when doing business and creating working
environments and spaces they need to
promote human rights okay the public is
not going to support organizations that
support in your main working
environments for example making use of
child laborers inclusive so a lot of
organizations still see the social media
phenomenon as one of their biggest risk
I see it is one of our biggest
opportunities because what is necessary
is that we need to engage with us
stakeholders we need to engage with
society and make sure our product and
service operator offerings appeal to
them interestingly enough if you think
about it these ecosystems that we
created for ourselves government and
organizations consist of people people
that forms part of society we need to
encourage our all-inclusive stakeholder
approach where there is gain for all and
ultimately we can propel society forward
innovative this almost goes without
saying because we are living in science
exciting times when it comes to
technology change but we need to be
innovative in the way we market the way
we look at our products and service
offering with that engagement I believe
that organizations should not try to
play catch-up but rather lead the way
and that if they don’t they’re going to
be left behind and might not exist
purpose so if you look at some of the
biggest and fastest growing
organizations and you talk to their
leaders they all have one thing in
common a greater purpose so they try to
solve some societal problem there’s try
to better society we’re looking at
connecting the world we’re looking at
self-driving cars and alternative energy
solutions and solving medical problems
and as a society is not going to support
organizations that’s that the main aim
is to enrich a few we want them to be
part of the solution organizations need
to realize that there is a massive shift
from shareholder to stakeholder and that
includes the general public tracing
profit
is not going to ensure that your
business is going to be in existence
tomorrow it’s not going to ensure your
sustainability and now it brings me to
what is the social licence to operate in
I mean who’s gonna regulate it
there’s no governing body there’s no
regulator and the requirements to obtain
and maintain the social licence to
operate is gonna change as the society’s
expectations is going to change the
biggest risk for organizations is the
fact that there’s going to be no warning
you’re not going to get a blue letter
and then a yellow letter and in a red
letter and and then you cut off there’s
going to be no fine for non complying to
society’s requirements it’s going to be
disruptive I believe I want to leave you
with a statement something to think
about
and maybe even the title of my next talk
an organization cannot succeed in a
society that is failing
[Applause]
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