What is true sustainability within a business?

Apparently the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

We would like to raise a point that doesn't seem to be spoken about often enough in our industry: Business Sustainability.

While we talk about sustainability for ingredients, packaging, new product concepts, transparency in the supply chain, renewable energy, carbon footprint, fair trade... too often we fail to raise the topic of sustainability and ethics within a business and what it truly means to be a sustainable company.

At Avenir, we believe that one of our strong point of difference is how we treat and care for our people.

Of course for a business to be sustainable it needs to be profitable but doing so at the cost of the wellbeing and esteem of their employees is not true sustainability.

We can simply look at the state of our planet to understand this. Taking over and over again and not giving back is not sustainable. Now we're only given a few decades to try and fix our overconsumption of our natural resources before it's too late.

It's the same within an organisation, if employees and owners are only prepared to take from others and rarely give, it's only a matter of time before the system breaks and everyone jumps ship.

Isn't it the role of a leader to lead by example and inspire others to do the same?

What can we do to ensure that everyone works with integrity, is supported and proud of the work they do?

Wouldn't it make sense to give first, support your team, put in place the appropriate systems so everyone can thrive and be proud of their achievements?

Wouldn't that increase productivity therefore profitability?

At Avenir, we certainly don't pretend that we have it all worked out or that we are perfect but our point of difference is that we are willing to look at what is no longer working and adjust how we do business to suit our team skills. So they feel seen and appreciated and are given the space and resources to realise their potential. In turn they are more proficient and engaged. We can then provide better services for our customers and increase our chances to be sustainable in the long run. We want to build a strong foundation so we can grow organically and remain true to our values along the way, not having to compromise quality and integrity for short term profits.

We want to generate a virtuous cycle where everyone involved benefits and keeps giving back.

We can't keep doing the same thing and expect different outcomes. It is indeed insane.

What can we do differently? What have you noticed does and doesn't work? What are your frustrations and wins within your work place?

What have you done or seen done within a business that has brought about sustainable and positive change?

We'd love to hear from you so we can be inspired by your initiatives.

Let's keep the conversation going.