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Welcome to the inaugural issue of A Different Optic, a monthly newsletter that aims to keep readers abreast of trends and new ideas in the realm of leadership and business strategy. If you know someone else who might enjoy reading this, please feel free to forward it to them.
Corporate Citizenship as a Strategic AssetAs corporate ethics has become the hot topic in the business press, the role of business in society is getting more scrutiny from both the general public and corporate leaders. Once thought of primarily as philanthropy and relegated to offices of corporate relations, corporate citizenship is emerging
as a new strategic element for leading companies. Citizenship programs are shifting from a focus on generating goodwill to generating a healthy bottom line. Globalization and heightened expectations from consumers and society are cited as the reasons for this new focus in a recent study by The Conference Board. Key issues are sustainable development and the environment. The study found that companies around the world are beginning to place more
emphasis on citizenship activities that do not rely exclusively on philanthropy. Forty-two percent of the companies in the study currently have an international grant program, with another ten percent planning to add one in the next three years. About 60 percent of managers surveyed report that citizenship activities have led to a better business environment and an enhanced reputation in
local communities around the world. And a thought-provoking article in the September issue of the Harvard Business Review lays out a compelling business case for stimulating economic development in the developing world, including in the poorest markets. But how — and how much — should corporations be expected to actively contribute to providing social and environmental benefits? In a new book, The Civil Corporation, Simon Zadek writes that “corporate citizenship is about business taking greater account of its social and environmental – as well as its financial – footprints.” Several commentators, among them Charles Handy, the distinguished business thinker and author most recently of The Elephant and the Flea, note that the American tradition of personal and corporate philanthropy is not well-established in other parts of the world, where government often takes a larger role in social welfare. Instead, in many countries, according to the author of the Conference Board study, “corporate citizenship is viewed and practiced from
the perspective of how business operations and citizenship performance interact.” As the trend toward globalization continues, companies large and small will be increasingly confronted with the dual challenges of how to integrate citizenship with business decision making, and how to measure the results. Not surprisingly, corporate leaders are reluctant to go it alone in the citizenship arena; most prefer to work in cooperation with either
governments or business associations. Some have developed working relationships with non-governmental organizations, primarily in the environmental and labor realms, moving beyond managing those relationships to more meaningful engagement. For small and mid-sized companies, then, alliances with other corporations and nonprofits, as well as public-private partnerships, may be their best bet for developing viable business strategies and practices to address the
emerging challenge of corporate citizenship. By joining in initiatives spearheaded by a business or trade association, for example, smaller firms can lower the costs and participate in the rewards of developing markets. Viewed as a strategic asset, an investment rather than a liability, a corporate citizenship program can help assure a more successful business future, even though there may be no short-term payback. As Handy notes,
“if you want people to buy your stuff, you have first to make sure that they have the means to pay for it.” The Marshall Plan accomplished that goal for American business in Europe after World War II. In our time, in an interconnected world, leadership will come from business, not government alone. 
(with apologies to Arsenio Hall)
A recent Gallup poll reveals that employees rate their own managers as much more honest and ethical than the people who run “most companies” (83% and 48% respectively.) Black-market activity conducted online will reach an estimated $36.5 billion this year--about the same as the $39.3 billion U.S. consumers will spend on the legitimate Internet this year, according to research reported recently in Business Week.
Job satisfaction is on the decline, according to a recent survey for The Conference Board. Only about half of those surveyed say they are happy in their jobs, while 58.7% rated their commute as the best part of their job. 
Neoteny In their new book Geeks and Geezers, Warren Bennis and Robert J. Thomas borrow a term from biology – “neoteny”, defined as “the retention of juvenile characteristics in the adults of a species.” The authors use the word to describe a powerful quality shared by every leader they interviewed
for their study of leadership, regardless of age, a quality marked by “curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, energy.” The most successful leaders, they say, bring both experience and this quality of youthfulness to their work. 
 Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. What I like about it: I’m fascinated by the biological basis of human behavior, and the authors present
new findings in brain research that show how the best leaders weave intellect and emotion together to create resonance with others.
Beth Bloomfield
Executive Coach, Strategy Consultant
Principal, Bloomfield Associates  Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together
, by William Isaacs, Introduction by Peter Senge. What I like about it: A powerful alternative to the problem-solving model that sabotages any sustainable cultural change effort, dialogue offers a transformative process for people to embrace learning together, to innovate from a collective mindset and to bring communication to the deepest levels. Isaacs’ case studies illustrate how dialogue unfolds hidden possibilities while
revealing the assumptions and underlying beliefs and structures that keep groups, teams and organizations from true collaboration and optimal performance.
Alicia M. Rodriguez, M.A.
Executive Coach, Consultant, Facilitator
Principal, SOPHIA ASSOCIATES
Share what you’re into — books, articles, movies, music, websites — with others on the list! Send us the title and author or other pertinent information, along with one sentence on what you like about it, and if we use it in A Different Optic we’ll not only quote you, we’ll provide a link to your website. 
"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."
Thomas Jefferson |  |
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Beth Bloomfield will speak on Executive Coaching
at the September 26 meeting of the Annapolis/Anne Arundel Chapter, Public Relations Society of America. Beth and her colleague Sheryl Phillips – partners in Coaching Frameworks, LLC -- will make a presentation on their approach to Designing a Coaching Program at a two-day symposium on coaching sponsored by the Capital Area Network for Organizational Excellence
(CANOE). The session will take place on October 11, time and place (in the Washington metro area) to be announced. For information, call Jane Mayne at (202) 267-3606. Beth will join a panel of coaches for a discussion of Executive Coaching for Business and Corporations sponsored by the Howard County (Maryland) Human Resource Society. An excellent opportunity to learn
more about how coaching can work for your company -- panelists will represent several different coaching approaches, and will be available to answer questions from the audience. The event will be held in Columbia, Maryland, on October 17, 2002, from 8 - 10:30. For information and registration, contact Illysa Izenberg at (301) 602-6414. Beth and two other Washington-area coaches, Randy Chittum and Alicia Rodriguez, will present a
workshop on Leadership Development for members and guests of the Washington, DC chapter of the Institute of Management Consultants on Saturday, November 16, 2002. Mark your calendar now -- additional information is forthcoming. If you haven’t visited the new Bloomfield Associates website yet, click here to take a look. We have received a lot of positive feedback on the design -- the look and feel of the site – as well as on the content, and many people have asked who the web designer is. So…take a bow, Sandy! Sandy Gibson of Breezy Hill Designs did a wonderful
job of bringing the website, and this newsletter, to life. You can click on the link, or call Sandy at (207) 764-1010 for more information. | | | | | | | | At Bloomfield Associates, we believe the best way to appreciate the benefits of executive coaching is not just to read about it, but to experience it for yourself. That’s why we offer a no-cost,
no-obligation coaching consultation where you can be coached by a professional, certified executive coach. Click here or call 410-626-6008 to schedule an appointment.
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