Creating Shared Value Blog

The night before a major meeting with our client’s executive team in Santiago, Chile a few weeks ago, I was scarfing down dinner at a pizza joint while discussing with my team the shared value strategy we were recommending for our client. About halfway through dinner, a woman at the table next to us leaned over and said, “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear you mentioning shared value. Do you mean the Porter and Kramer concept?”

For the third year in a row I’ve just had the privilege of spending two days in the Czech Republic to talk to and learn from companies implementing shared value. The sophistication of the conversation has shifted every year – which is heartening and inspiring. This time we talked a lot about how to move the elephant to a new room. Curious what moving elephants has to do with shared value? Interested in becoming an elephant mover yourself? Read on!

Last month Verizon released its 2011 Annual Report. Amidst this integrated report of financial and corporate responsibility is found the launch of Verizon’s “Shared Success.” While the idea of “Shared Success” is new, it’s only the most recent step Verizon has taken on a long journey toward creating shared value.  FSG has been working with Verizon as it builds its Shared Success effort, giving us a great viewpoint into this journey.

One of my favorite things about FSG is our enchantment with ideas. FSG loves to noodle over, consider, go to the whiteboard, take time to reflect. We love to share and get feedback on our ideas, as well – hence the many white papers available on the Knowledge Exchange section of our website, our webinars, our social media campaigns. But sometimes you just can’t beat a live idea jam.