Declining natural resources, radical transparency, and rising expectations are forcing companies to embed environmental and social sustainability into their core activities, not for moral reasons (important as those are), but simply because it's smart business. At the core of the challenge is meeting the rising demand for green and socially responsible business without trade-offs in price or quality. Sustainability-driven innovations are opportunities to strengthen any organization's existing business strategy, or to help it move to a better one.

In this program, we will explore both incremental and disruptive innovation based on companies of various sizes and industries as they respond to sustainability pressures. We will raise critical questions that can challenge fundamental assumptions about sustainability to reveal new avenues for profit and growth. And we will delve into the opportunities and challenges posed by economically-disadvantaged segments of the market and the lessons we can apply close to home. Finally, the workshop will provide tools to help move your organization forward using Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a proven approach for engaging multiple stakeholders to achieve rapid, dramatic and holistic change. Participants will apply these insights to real challenges they bring to class.

Led by Chris Laszlo, Ph.D., this workshop includes a guest lecture by David Cooperrider, Ph.D., co-originator of Appreciative Inquiry and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Case Weatherhead School of Management

Topics

Learning will be experiential, interactive and focused on real-time business issues. Using case studies based on sustainability leaders including Nissan, Wal-Mart, DuPont, and various small to mid-cap organizations such as Fairmount Minerals, discover the benefits of going beyond regulatory compliance and explore cutting edge ideas that are at the intersection of business and society such as:

• Business risks and opportunities arising from energy needs, food security, water scarcity, global health challenges, demographic shifts, and poverty
• Opportunities in emerging markets
• Supply chain management and product designs to meet changing societal expectations
• New skills required to create value for shareholders and stakeholders
• New tools and metrics to manage sustainability performance
• Corporate culture change required for system-wide success

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this programs, participants will:

• Explore risks and opportunities in their core business areas in a way that addresses environmental, health and social pressures and expectations
• Recognize the courage to ask the fundamental "disruptive" questions that are often avoided but risk becoming big game changers in the years ahead
• Analyze the cost of innovation, where it isn't just about being sustainable or green or believing in climate change, but it is about doing business in a way that is smarter and more profitable
• See innovation as a way to serve the "bottom of the pyramid", reaching markets where individuals are currently underserved
• Learn how to leverage the strength-based perspective of AI to lead the charge for sustainability

Who Should Attend

The Case Weatherhead School of Management strongly believes that sustainability requires a central place on the executive agenda. As a result, this program is designed for leaders focused on strategic initiatives including:

• CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives
• Country and business unit managers
• Line managers with profit & loss responsibility
• Leaders of Lean and operations improvements
• Marketing and branding executives
• Policy, NGO, and other public sector leaders
• Representatives from diverse sectors and industries

Costs

Individual Participants: $1,165
Package Pricing: 2 class day per participant

Available Discounts