Barrier:
How to move from 1 but 3 bottom lines

This really is the central shift of our time: redefining what it means to win. For way too many individuals and companies over the last decades (and certainly at the heart of the financial crisis), the operating model has been: "for me to win, someone else must lose." I think that going forward, the real winners will not only see a new way to win in their industry, but will aspire to win precisely by figuring out a way for everybody to win. It's very clear that business has woken up to the imperative of rethinking its broader responsibility to society and the planet (not just because there's a market for all things green and good, but because that's where the talent market and, indeed, the values of the culture are headed), BUT (and this is the crux), how you actually make this shift in a meaningful way isn't exactly clear. I think it starts with drawing a line in the sand, stating unequivocally who you are and what you stand for (and what you won't stand for) as a company of people—and then having the courage to be unfailingly transparent about where you are on that journey and when you stumble.

A great example of that kind of Declaration is the Whole Foods Declaration of Interdependence--which also happens to be a great model of a "triple bottom line" or integrated stakeholder model. Check it out on the WFM site: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/declaration.php Also, check out WF cofounder and CEO John Mackey's MIX Maverick essay here on the site: http://www.managementexchange.com/blog/creating-high-trust-organization

I'd be curious to hear more about your experience with this shift--is this something going on in your organization? What's working, what's getting in the way? What do you think a critical first step might be?