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Blog Posts by Thom Elkjer

Going Beyond The Numbers of Employee Engagement

January 5, 2014 —

Going Beyond The Numbers of Employee Engagement

We were reminded about the sign Albert Einstein had hanging in his office: “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” We’re not here to say that the measurable dynamics of employee engagement don’t count. But we do believe that what really counts in employee engagement can’t really be counted. That’s because employees are inevitably driven by how they feel. There’s nothing strange in that; all rational thought and action is driven by emotions. So what drives how employees feel? More important, what...
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The Right Brand For A Transformation

July 23, 2013 —

The Right Brand For A Transformation

We’ve blogged here about something called integrated reporting, which would merge financial reporting (which public corporations are already required to do) with sustainability reporting (which only some companies do). What we’ve missed – until now – is the need to brand this transformation. Integrated reporting is a transformation for a whole bunch of interrelated reasons. First, financial reporting is mandatory and highly regulated. All big companies have full-time staffs of people to prepare the reports, and the big accounting firms around the world have armies of people to check them....
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Socializing Sustainability

April 7, 2013 —

Socializing Sustainability

We hear a lot that companies are struggling with creating the right strategies for socializing sustainability and to get employees even engaged in sustainability. One of the most common complaints is, “They won’t even read our sustainability report!” No, really? Expecting employees to read a sustainability report is like expecting them to read patent applications. No one does that unless they have to, because patent applications are written by lawyers for other lawyers. It’s the same with most sustainability reports: they’re written by sustainability geeks for other sustainability geeks....
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Merchandize Your Corporate Sustainability Report

April 3, 2013 —

Merchandize Your Corporate Sustainability Report

When all is said and done, how many people will read your entire corporate sustainability report (CSR), from beginning to end? Chances are that only a few eager readers will read the whole report. Since many of your stakeholders may not delve enthusiastically into the technical details, it may take some additional effort and a bit of creativity to reach them with your company’s main messages about sustainability strategy, philosophies and achievements. While the quality of the full report is top priority, it is important to consider your options to extend the reach of your report through...
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Millennials. Baby Boomers. Can Brands Reach Both?

February 10, 2013 —

Millennials. Baby Boomers. Can Brands Reach Both?

Yesterday, I heard some folks having a conversation about how hard it is for brands and employers to engage millennials as consumers and employees. The litany of popular complaints was on full display. “They’re so spoiled, and they don’t even know it. Their parents showered them with everything and they think it will always be that way.” “No attention span, because someone else has always run the agenda for them.” “Superficial, just bouncing from one fad to the next.” “No work ethic. No drive. They want work to be enjoyable – what a fantasy!” “Hopeless consumers. Can’t make an individual...
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