Consciousness is definitely everybody’s business
WITH DUE respect, I think Mervyn King is amiss in “It is now timeous to have Conscious Companies Awards” (Business Report, May 15), when he says that having just had the inaugural Conscious Companies Awards. It’s long overdue. Think of the great strides business would’ve made by now in adding value, especially to communities, had this crucial awareness been created earlier.
Though King rightfully points out that it’s the conduct of leadership that dictates the sustainability of a conscious company. This speaks to a primary focus of ours at IQ Business: accountable leadership.
And it’s this very focus, as well as our passion for holistic growth that prompted our entry into the Conscious Companies Awards 2017. Our subsequent nomination to the Top 6 Conscious Companies resonates deeply, and is – of course – a real motivator for our purpose.
It’s one thing for a business to maintain a healthy bottom line, paid dividends and all. It’s quite another for it to continue to interrogate its current modus operandi, to the advantage of its employees and customers. There’s a certain consciousness that comes with this way of doing business that opens a whole new paradigm of inclusivity.
Social awareness
The world within which we do business has changed, and so has our business. For me, the epiphany happened at the realisation that business success transcends mere fiscal prowess and overall business acumen. It has also become more about the inclusivity that emanates from both robust relationships with customers, as well as acute social awareness.
Over time our business has managed to successfully integrate the values of sustainable and inclusive growth into the company culture. And my participation in the last two chief executive SleepOuts unveiled the harsh reality of inequality in our country. In fact, it compelled me to come face to face with my own prejudices against the poor and marginalised.
I fully agree with King when he says that the directors of a fully conscious company have honestly applied their minds in the best interest of the company, so that the latter is seen to be an ethical and responsible corporate citizen. My business is certainly not there yet, but we’re clawing our way towards it. The important thing is that we keep growing in the right direction.
After all, “Growth is the only evidence of life,” in the words of John Henry Newman. ADAM CRAKER CHIEF EXECUTIVE, IQ BUSINESS
Our government must step in quickly
YOUR edition of Friday, May 19 – “End of an era – GM cites poor returns”, refers.
It is a great pity and could be said to be even disastrous that General Motors have decided to disinvest. This will mean there will be enormous job losses as GM employs more than 1 500 people.
I urge our government to step in as quickly as possible to ensure that much of the manufacturing plant and structure is taken over by other operations, so as to ensure that the retrenchments are kept to a minimum. We can ill afford to lose jobs as already more than nine million people are desperately looking for jobs. The Eastern Cape is incredibly badly affected by the job shedding and every person who loses a job will effectively create a poverty trap for at least two or three families. MICHAEL BAGRAIM MP, DA DEPUTY SHADOW MINISTER OF LABOUR