Will social enterprise please put me out of a job?

And yet deep down I know that really I ought not to have a job. That, in fact, the true measure of my success is to be no longer needed. Bizarre? Maybe, but think about it for a moment.

 

The current economic environment has made us all think again about the purpose and role of business in society. What, ultimately is business for? Done right, business is a powerful tool for social change – not just through job and wealth creation, but in driving innovation and in solving big social problems. What role does corporate responsibility play in this?

 

It’s not enough for “responsibility” to be an after-thought, conducted at the end of a day when the real business is over. If all CR [corporate responsibility] departments do is to offer volunteering opportunities and write cheques, it’s all too easy to dismiss as just the “conscience column” of the balance sheet, and in the long-term it doesn’t change business practices or have any influence on purpose.

 

At Deloitte we have a long-term ambition is to be considered the responsible business. That is no small ambition and we recognise that in a business as complex, wide ranging and responsive to the changing environment as ours this requires constant evolution. We need to continually factor social and environmental concerns into every decision we make, every day. Whilst in the short-term this requires making tough decisions based on trade-offs between these elements, the more long-term a view you take the closer these goals are aligned. Ultimately it is in both society’s and business’s self-interest to act responsibly, balance these demands and for business to reimagine its purpose in society. That is the essence of sustainability – and it can’t be delivered by a CR department.

 

So there you have it – my job is to get fired (for the right reasons of course!). Reflecting on that some 18 months ago I started to think about how to realise that ambition. That’s really where my journey into the world of social enterprise properly began....

 

...social enterprises embody much of this philosophy. They use a business model to solve a social or environmental issue and balance the financial, social and environmental impacts of their businesses every day. As far as I know none of them have a CR department – because they don’t need one. It seems we have a lot to learn from the social enterprise sector on our journey to becoming the responsible business. On the other hand, the more immersed I have become in the social business sector the more I’ve come across fantastic social enterprises that struggle to realise their potential and maximise their social impact because they have not got a sufficiently strong focus on their business model, their competitors, their talent pipeline. Social enterprise too has much to learn from businesses like ours.

 

Recognising this, in November we launched Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers. We’re on the lookout for some of the UK’s most innovative social businesses, those that are delivering exceptional impact, have a sustainable business model and have a real ambition to scale. We believe we can help social enterprises with our business expertise, profile and contacts – and we believe we can learn a great deal from their philosophy, innovation and creativity (for all social enterprises out there, the application process closes on 29th January so don’t miss your chance to apply).

  

The way I see it, there are two key ways social enterprises can change the world. One, develop and scale their business models, in short become mainstream businesses. Two – influence the mainstream. Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers is trying to do both. And in the process help put me out of a job.