Business remodelling

Is life a circular or linear process? Some say attitude to life differs between cultures and that western culture always has been linear. Maybe that is why this winter has hit us so hard, both in Europe and in the states. We have been expecting a linear change from cold to warm winters believing the cold ones never will come back.

I don´t think life is a circular process. I think it is more like spiral drifting in certain direction but with situation reoccurring. This development is both good and bad. Good as it gives you the possibility to use your experiences from last time but bad as you have to be very carefully to identify the gradual change. It is like with fashion, even if you keep a coat from the eighties in wardrobe you realize when the eighties is back in fashion in 2010 the coat is not really up to date anyway.

This is something I have learned about technology for energy efficiency as well. Much has been invented earlier, especially in the seventies, but it does not really fit today. It needs a lot of remodelling to fit in the new business environment. I am glad to have had the opportunity to participate in the HINT project. I think that we in this project really have taken sustainable business remodelling one step further.

Only nine (9) days left of the year and it is with surprising indifference I slide into 2011. According to reliable sources, in 2011 India will surpass China as the fastest growing economy, we will hit seven (7) billion ihabitants on earth and Putin will likely re-elect himself as Prime Minister of Russia.

With that said, what have we learnt from 2010? Well, a good bar of Fairtrade chocolate can go a long way in creating results in diverse and challenging projects like HINT. It can also bring people closer together. Thanks to several creative chocolate breaks, and empathic management, venturing into a new profession after the end of HINT will not be without at least one bar of 70% + Sea Salt Premium.....

People as Chocolate

Today we wrapped up a very long and successful project called HINT, focusing on sustainability, innovation and growth. It was during this project that the concept of Management By Chocolate was conceived. At the end of the closing ceremony, I held a speech directed to all the participants. I talked about each and everyone's qualities and invited them to continue the good work by contributing their experiences from applying the Management By Chocolate in new contexts.

As a symbol for each person's characteristics I gave him or her a chocolate bar. Anders received an Ecuale chocolate from Sackeus which is both Fairtrade and Krav, since he is so true to all sustainability aspects. Jenny got a Chili&Honey bar from Anthon Berg, since her sharp comments can sting sometimes although she is such a sweet person. Mats has a lot of energy and knows a lot about it too, why he was given a Green&Black Milk Chocolate with almonds (and not because he's nutty!). And so on.

I had much fun matching individuals and chocolates and it was also a great tool for reflection. Using chocolate as a symbol can be applied in many ways. Why not ask people in a group that meet regularly to bring a chocolate that matches their present mood, or that symbolise the state of the current project or... What do you suggest?

Swap Your Choc!

Are you thinking about using chocolate as a means in creating a sustainable organisation? Are you unsure about what kinds of chocolate to use? Well, have a look at the Fairtrade website where you can find a list of all the fairtrade chocolate products. If you need arguments regarding why you should use this kind of chocolate, you can always look at this video.



For the pros and cons, I also recommend having a look at the Wikipedia explanaition of Fairtrade.