Every business faces countless decisions about how to invest the next dollar.
Should we spend more money on R&D, on new equipment, or on a new marketing campaign? Every business has some process, either formal or informal, for making these cost-benefit calculations and coming to a conclusion. For most companies, the decision hinges on out-of-pocket costs and potential financial returns.
WaveRiders operate like all other companies, but they think differently. They include more than the obvious dollar payoff in their decision making. When considering the return on an investment, they factor in benefits such as enhanced brand image and corporate reputation, improved employee morale, community support, reduced governmental red tape, increased speed to market, and competitive differentiation. These intangibles are hard to measure, but smart companies include them in their strategic planning, despite the difficulty. Leading-edge managers have taught themselves to fold intangibles into their calculations at every turn because they know that immeasurable sometimes produce the greatest value. Read more
WaveRiders consider short-term financial impacts, but they look past
quarterly financial results before making important decisions. They know that maximizing shareholder value is not the same thing as maximizing quarterly profits. And they recognize that proper analysis of some issues, including many environmental challenges, requires longer timelines.
Companies make long-term business decisions all the time. They spend millions on R&D when the potential payoffs down the road are, at best, uncertain. They enter tenuous new markets like China and India in the hope that business will boom. And they invest in leadership training to build up “bench strength” and prepare inn executives. The Eco-Advantage Mindset requires that companies bring the same long-term perspective to environmental strategy. Read more
In the corporate world, a handful of companies are developing new ways of
approaching a thorny problem: How do we grow and prosper while decreasing pollution and conserving natural resources?
WaveRiders build a foundation for Eco-Advantage by reframing how everyone in the company looks at environmental issues. For these companies, environmental thinking is not always the final word on strategy, but it is always a consideration.
In our research, we’ve found that this new mindset is absolutely critical to managing eco-risks, driving innovation, and turning environmental pressures into competitive advantage.Above point is highlight how WaveRiders use an environmental lens to change the way they think and sharpen their business strategies. After a while, these companies don’t have to focus consciously on finding an alternative perspective. Environmental thinking becomes intrinsic to how they do business. Deeply embedded, the Eco-Advantage Mindset arises naturally at every opportunity.