3 Steps to Future-Proof Your Company in 2023

There is no easy way to say this: the saga of volatile, weird years is set to continue. How do I know this? Basically the variables and the indicators are all there: uncharted territory for the markets, disruptions to international commerce, growing mistrust between regions and country groups, brewing crises regarding food security, little progress in global goals (with its toll on stabilizing the most vulnerable regions), and so on.  

And honestly, businesses have to adapt to volatility, period. There is no space for wishful thinking, for fantasizing about stability and “normal years.” There are many factors that contribute to this growing complexity, and there is only one way forward for companies: future-proofing their operations, their business models, and their brands.

How? There are, of course, many different approaches to this, from the purely technological approach (update this system, update that hardware), to the purely organizational approach (reduce bottlenecks here, change the governance there), but it is time to review the “reality check approach.” Here are three major areas of opportunity that you should not miss in your 2023 planning:

1. Get real about inclusion and innovation. Diverse teams are more creative, more resilient and more flexible. They are also more complex to manage, true, but there is no substitute for diversity in the successful companies of tomorrow. Don’t pretend, don’t do the bare minimum, smash the glass ceilings everywhere they might be across your organization and just get real about inclusion. And inclusion means openness, it means welcoming different perspectives and backgrounds, but it must not stop at opening the door: real inclusion never stops happening, unfolding, evolving. Innovation is also a continuous process, not a one-time event. And innovation cannot be dictated, it has to be enabled, and then nourished anywhere it happens across the organization. 

2. Get real about sustainability. Train your teams on sustainability: organize training sessions and workshops to help your teams learn about what is happening to nature and the planet, what role your industry plays in this, and how it all affects your industry and company. Sustainability training across your company will make a difference from day one because sharing the same knowledge base will fast-forward your progress on environmental responsibility initiatives as well as improve their positive impact and the measurement and reporting of that impact. 

Creating an ESG (environmental, social, governance) policy is fundamental for companies to have integrated guidelines regarding sustainability efforts, and avoid wasting resources or duplication across departments. Such a framework allows companies to translate vision and values into action and metrics. A good ESG policy is an up-to-date one: there must be guidelines for the constant updating of the policy. 

Another area that is attracting headlines is the carbon net-zero commitments. Net-zero commitments are indeed multiplying. There are hundreds of companies that are pledging to reduce and compensate for their carbon emissions up to the point where they manage to neutralize them (reaching net-zero emissions). This trend will only grow as the public puts more pressure on companies that don’t show real commitment to align with the international efforts to tackle climate change. The first thing that a company has to do in order to start its path toward net-zero is, of course, calculating its carbon footprint. Then it has to create a comprehensible plan to reduce emissions and compensate (offset) for the emissions it cannot reduce or neutralize internally. Then choosing the right offset is becoming an art, since there is so much greenwashing out there, and it is truly a terrible thing to waste resources on carbon offsets that are not really changing anything. 

Another area that is of great interest to companies, and where there is rather a lot of confusion and also a lot of greenwashing, is green certifications. There are now green certifications for almost every industry, and it can indeed be complex in some cases for companies to identify which certifications will actually bring value and align with the company’s vision, and which are unnecessary medals. What is more, companies should already start transitioning to Decentralized Environmental Verification (DEV), which means the highest level of transparency: opening and showcasing data about sustainability efforts in such a way that green certifications become a complement and even a consequence of open data from those efforts, rather than substitutes of transparency.

3. Get real about sustainability communication and marketing.  Most companies have already implemented sustainability projects at this point. Many have documented results. Some have both implemented high-impact projects and obtained quality data and valuable experience. But very few companies know how to communicate these efforts successfully. The problem starts, I believe, in training (go back to step No. 2), since it is easy to overlook the importance of speaking the same language internally (within the company) before moving on to publish sustainability reports and metrics. Storytelling is important, but it is also important to know where the conversation is going: every year, every month there are new developments in the environmental arena  — not only minor changes but also transformational changes — and your narrative can greatly benefit from incorporating them. Preparing internally to understand and interpret these changes is crucial, and that can only be done with training and with rewarding curiosity and activism within the company.

Besides crafting the right messages, it is important to convey them in the right way to the right public. Don’t forget that communicating about sustainability should be an open dialogue and not a monologue. You should listen to your clients, providers and all stakeholders, since on many occasions their response to your messages will give you valuable clues on how to adapt your narrative, and what is more, will tell you where you can make those stakeholders part of the solutions you are developing. Involving your audience in the sustainability solutions you are designing and implementing is the best outcome to aim for. In terms of sustainability marketing nothing beats getting your audience to join you in your solutions on the field.

So, to future-proof your company in 2023, you have to get real about inclusion and innovation, get real about sustainability, and get real about sustainability communication. Quite a challenge, I know, but also a great opportunity.