Collaborate? : What I find interesting in the Charitable, NPO and NGO world is that ego rules. What I mean by this, is that when backs are against the wall and the chips are down individual organizations look to their benefit and theirs alone, to WIN. Aren't all of these organizations working to serve? If they truly are, then it is worth taking a look at innovation and creativity to do what you do more effectively, more sustainably. When you look at WikipediA's definition of collaboration you see this description in the first few lines:

Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive (the process of repeating items in a self-similar way) process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective) — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus. Most collaboration requires leadership, although the form of leadership can be social within a decentralized and egalitarian group. In particular, teams that work collaboratively can obtain greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources.

What is key is that last sentence. If you want to access greater resources to enable yourself to do more for the cause you serve, start by taking a look, with fresh eyes, at the environment around you and your organization. How might you have limited your thinking, limited the people and the organizations around you to participate meaningfully and in a collaborative way?

Sustainability : Many of us talk about Sustainability, Corporate Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with a big focus on CSR. We want organizations to be accountable and support community. Yet, really we should focus the other way around, focus on Corporate Sustainability. Sustainability or Corporate Sustainability is the basis for CSR. After all, do we want organizations to engage today or engage as a point and part of their doing business period? We want more organizations to really consider the triple bottom line, even when their reason for being is to serve the interests of and maximize returns for shareholders. We need to be able to demonstrate that taking the 3BL into account generates returns and supports the organization. At Manzimvula, we expand the triple bottom line in to 5P's+1, adding Passion, Purpose to the 3BL and '+1' as Partnership or Collaboration, to create an environment where CSR is sustainable itself and is the realization of corporate engagement and its responsibility to community and meeting the expectations of a broader group of stakeholders. A sustainable culture and set of management practices creates a culture and ultimately a legacy that is engaged and collaborative by nature; one that is sustained in future generations, becoming the culture of not only the organization but the broader organizational community itself. 

The Challenge? Create the environment for Collaboration : Companies, organizations and high-net-worth individuals receive requests all the time to donate and give. Try taking a different approach. Develop programs, initiatives and causes that not only show how you will address needs but what are you building into those to show benefit for the organization, sustainable investment, returns on investment (Yes! I really said ROI), opportunities to collaborate and how you will enable services and needs to be delivered in an entrepreneurial manner or result in a new social enterprise that can support itself. In other words, talk business, to business people. Take the time to research your potential supporters and collaborators. Understand their environment, their needs and what they are passionate about. A challenge? Yes, it certainly is. Create the environment to give and collaborate.

Your Comments: Let us know what you think. For more information and to find out more about our work and how we can support your organization, please contact us using the information below.

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Manzimvula® is a values-based as a consulting practice and a Certified B Corporation, and specializes in sustainability and corporate responsibility. To stimulate ingenuity and create growth, we work alongside our clients, guiding them through our Purposeful Path to Sustainability Program™ utilizing our Integrative Strategy Approach™ to help them engage their organization at a deeper level to understand mindset and create alignment with core strategies and principles.

For more information please contact us at:

email: info@manzimvula.com