Larry’s Business Cents

Think Globally, Act Locally - Sustainability is Everywhere - You can’t always SEE it!

As I began to think about the “SEE Your Future - A Vision for Wyoming” conference later this month and the topic of “sustainability,” I first remembered some general Webster definitions that are applicable to this context of the word. They are prolong, perpetuate, endure, provide nourishment and support as valid or true. Those are not necessarily normal business terms, but we will work on the context to come back to sustainability. The next major word in Webster after Sustain is sustenance and indeed is key in the support of “sustain” since its definitions include nourishment, supplying the necessities of life, and something that supports or sustains.

First lets take this on an individual path. Beyond the basics of life (food, sleep and shelter) what other things are needed to sustain you in society. Well, education, even continuing education so that you might reinvent yourself every decade or so. Reinventing yourself may mean staying in the same business, same family, same location or it may mean changing one or all three of these ingredients. You might be sensitive to your body and realize it grows older and needs an exercise regiment. Many people don't take the time or the trouble to listen let alone react to their world in continuous change. But by choosing to reinvent yourself you gain a new lease on life and new energy to face tomorrow with optimism because you are prepared for sustained change, not just change. Look around you, the happiest people you know have probably reinvented themselves in at least one of these areas. Contrast that to the saddest people you know, what haven’t they done. Without this foundation of self-worth, self-appraisal and self-improvement whatever building your are planning will soon collapse. This is the basis of any community and any success “know and improve thyself.” The future begins at home, you.

Now on a business basis these basic concepts still apply. Beyond the basics of the business (the knitting) what have we done to prepare to keep us from becoming extinct. Well, sure, we can increase efficiency more, we can offer more products in our normal product line and we can make sure we keep the morale of our people appropriate so that we can ultimately show a profit. But what do we have on the horizon, how can we reinvent the business to add leverage for tomorrow. How many businesses do you know of that are still here that were here 50 years ago. How many businesses can you name that are gone and you know the reason they are gone.
Some are obvious. Thoughtful conscientious change makes the difference. New horizons are there if we look for them and put our direction in harmony with the support structures that serve us, provide our nutrition so to speak. What are the support structures that feed and nourish us. It is our suppliers and customers that are local in nature, then regional in nature, then national in nature, then international, in that order. Cheap and quick from offshore is not the solution as we have seen in many areas... it is the community first. A good example might be Hawkins and Powers Aviation in Greybull. After suffering some aircraft tragedies in the firefighting arena, they have reinvented themselves to restore vintage aircraft for the archive market as opposed to using older aircraft for firefighting. But the real value stream here, was to keep the economy of Greybull alive by making sure the anchor industry stayed in business at any cost. Will they survive with this significant change in direction, maybe, but only if they continue to reinvent themselves to be in harmony with their environment, their community, themselves.

And finally we do have to look at the “greater good.” Sometimes we call that being civic minded, but that is much too shallow. We need to think of the implications of each decision, first on a local basis and then later on a global basis. The significance of the decisions we make personally or professionally can have a tremendous impact on the global environment; whether we think of that from a strictly environmental (nature friendly) or quality of life as a whole. For example we have just finished our 50th environmental assessment for small companies in Wyoming in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This is a win-win-win situation, we win, the business we are serving wins and the general environmental quality of the person, business, town, state and sometimes the earth becomes more positive. Recycling, reuse, sensitive to the contaminants in the air, water and soil are also part of the individual responsibility we share. Sensitivity locally can lead to sensitivity globally, but it has to start in the local arena. When we advertise and mentor our product or service as value added for the village, state, nation and earth we find followers to emulate us - it’s contagious. When we throw in the opportunity for significant tangible profit into the mix for all stakeholders involved then we have a SEE. SEE is always an AHA.

I hope you will have a SEE too.

My very best,