The hearts and minds
Within the South African context, Bright Future translates into looking at the positive impact Unilever can have on society and the environment.
Unilever’s Domestos brand, for example, has partnered with the United Nations to build and restore toilets in disadvantaged communities, thereby championing hygiene and sanitation in the country, whilst its Lifebuoy team works hard to encourage learners at schools to wash their hands, thereby helping reduce the spread of diarrhoea and other illnesses.
Inclusivity is also an aspect of culture that should be highlighted, particularly within a South African context, says Hull: “It’s really important from a business perspective to be inclusive in order to be able to achieve a 5% increase in operating income and sales, as shown in research conducted by the Centre Leadership Council.”
“Inclusivity drives an organisation,” he points out. “It’s imperative to be more agile, for example, to get products to the market faster. If in a brainstorming meeting a person feels that they can’t raise their voice because they won’t be heard (for whatever reason), then the organisation is potentially missing out on great insight.”
Inclusivity also attracts people to an organisation, and motivates them to give of their best. One of Unilever’s mantras is therefore “ensuring people bring all of themselves to work so that they can be the best they can be”.
Its proposition statement reads: “Unilever is a place where the rich diversity of the country is represented, and the power of an inclusive culture is embraced to deliver business growth and create a bright future for all South Africans.”
“When you join Unilever, this is what it’s all about,” says Hull. “It’s a diverse organisation that is inclusive. This inclusive culture is based on our Unilever values and code of ethics and is a strong driver of performance. By focusing on an inclusive performance culture we develop our talent to be able to perform on the global stage, and in this way ensure that our culture of inclusivity translates into high levels of performance.”
Implementing a culture of inclusivity, how- ever, is not without challenges. For starters, Unilever is a global organisation operating in a matrix structure and people in South Africa often report to people in London or Singapore, for example.
“Sometimes they don’t understand the South African context, but we have to keep trying to make sure that we include everyone and operate with inclusivity even within a global context.” Then there’s the fact that given South Africa’s history and diversity, certain people can feel frustrated or concerned about what an organisation that has taken a strong stance on inclusivity is trying to do.
Unilever has tried to overcome this by conceptualising a series of “Inclusive Culture Workshops”, which are facilitated externally. Over the course of 2015, 90% of its management has attended these workshops.
The workshops have been simultaneously challenging and useful. “It’s not all plain sailing — people don’t suddenly become inclusive — we have to go back and engage them in one-on-one debriefing sessions.”
But the constant emphasis on inclusivity has been fruitful. Hull cites the example of a senior manager who has started a number of initiatives to drive this culture of inclusivity in his department. Ultimately, Unilever believes that it is through this culture of inclusivity, underpinned by a desire to do good through its Bright Future initiatives, that will enable it to create the necessary environment for it to achieve its ambition of creating a brighter future for all South Africans.