• the mission has a social purpose
• the organization earns some income from a trade operation; this income gives the organization a degree of independence from public or philanthropic requirements
• ownership is structured to assure that profits are channeled back into the core mission and invested to improve quality, expand scale or innovate

Neil Porteous, Executive of The Elevator Group and Altus Enterprises based in Auckland, is a burly man with kind eyes.  He graciously spent a few hours with me explaining about their operations and giving me a tour of Altus.  These two operations, recently re-branded, have helped in excess of 10,000 disabled people enjoy the benefits of employment.  Altus Enterprises employs approximately 200 people with disabilities and Elevator Group assists disabled people to work in careers of their choice.

When you walk around Altus with Neil his passion for the mission and the employees is palpable.  He knows everyone by name, and a few employees give him a hug and share a bit of news.  He asks about their family members and transport issues.  Some employees have 25 years of tenure.  It’s clear watching one crew retrofit Air New Zealand headsets that they know what they’re doing and take pride in their work.    Air New Zealand has contracted with Altus for 35 years and they retrofit 12,000 headsets a day. 

Neil explains some of the challenges of employing people with disabilities.  “They really need to feel it’s a safe environment.  We work hard to make sure they know that we care about them.”  When new jobs require training, it takes extra time to make sure the product is top quality.  When Elevator Group places employees in new jobs, they provide support services to make sure there’s a good fit with a prospect of long term success.  Altus is a business, not a social service agency, and Neil emphasizes that they focus as much on operations as on supporting the special needs of their employees.  Like any successful business, Altus understands its customers and delivers on its quality promise. 

I asked Neil if he considers diversifying to work with ex-offenders, youth or other constituencies needing employment support.  “We have to stay focused on our mission,” Neil explained.  The Elevator Group and Altus have developed core competencies and there is plenty more work to do to serve people with disabilities.  Neil explained that their next step is to consider options for growth.  They recently purchased new equipment which opened up new contracts, and they are in the exploring options for new facilities.

Neil came to this role from the private sector.  He emphasizes that you can’t underestimate how hard it is to run a profitable business whether it’s a social enterprise or another SME (small to medium sized enterprise).  The key to social enterprise is weaving together clarity and commitment to the mission with discipline and skill to run a savvy business.  The Elevator Group and Altus have demonstrated that it can be done.

I sought out Trevor Wilson, CEO of Whakatu Marae, after he spoke on a panel.  He exudes warmth, intelligence, passion and generosity.  He is a teacher at heart.  In his public presentation and our personal chat, he followed the Maori tradition of opening with his personal story and that means naming the mountain and river of his iwi (tribal group).  Two years ago when his Marae asked him to take on a leadership role, he didn’t hesitate to put doctoral studies on hold to take up the mantle.  He said he was honored to serve his community.  Trevor studied business and taught at Polytechnic for 24 years, and it is clear that he is putting his skills to good use, guiding the Marae to shift from deficits to growth and emerging sustainability.  They have piloted enterprises such as paving, gardening and lawn care, employing residents who gain skills and income.  Whanau (families) control the enterprises, consistent with the commitment to self-management that is part of Whanau Ora.  These business ventures are just a small part of the vast array of social services provided by the Marae.  Trevor does not describe these ventures as social enterprises, a term that is not widely used in New Zealand.  Yet it is clear that he understands the power of addressing social needs in the community by creating employment opportunities and business services that deliver broad market value and can stabilize and grow the important work of the Marae.   In my mind, Trevor is a savvy social entrepreneur.

I also met Stephen Keung, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Whanau Tahi Navigator, an initiative of Te Whanau O Waipareira Trust.  Whanau Tahi means Family First; they created this IT system to be person and family centric.  It maintains data across health, education, social and economic sectors to aid service providers to support the whole person and whole family.

Like many indigenous enterprises I’ve encountered, Whanau Tahi states explicitly that it is designed to empower families to be proud and positive people (www.waiwhanau.com).  Built on a robust Microsoft Dynamics platform, it was created by and for this indigenous community.  As it expands its market reach beyond Maori clients, it is poised to grow and prosper so that funds can be channeled back into community social needs.

Like Trevor, Stephen was not terribly familiar with the term social enterprise.  But as we discussed the idea of charities engaged in trade to channel profits back into social needs, he agreed that the term was applicable. 

As tea and conversation progressed, Stephen asked Trevor if the navigator tool would be useful for the Marae.  They talked about the need to have IT systems that are people-based and holistic.  Sounded like the beginning of a sales opportunity to me.

When was the last time you disconnected?  I mean truly disconnected?  It’s getting harder and harder. When was the last time you hit the road to an unfamiliar place to explore?  Here are some valuable benefits I gleaned from my month on the road.

1.  Get rid of the mental clutter

Most of our travel was to remote places, without internet access.  It’s incredible how much brain space you gain when you eliminate time on-line!  Most of us are drowning in stimuli.  Not until we’ve turned off the power do we realize we’ve succumbed to tech overload.  By stopping this avalanche of clutter, I rested my brain and my soul.  I replaced e-mail and google with journaling and walking.  I reacquainted myself with myself. 

P.S.  we’re also liberated of physical clutter, arriving with one suitcase each.  But that topic warrants a whole separate blog!

2.  Be present

Of course disconnecting makes being present more possible.  I found myself listening much more actively to people.  I was in new places daily and I intently focused on my surroundings.  I spent hours mesmerized by the beauty, complexity and variety of ferns, New Zealand’s national symbol.  Have you paused lately to take stock of your surroundings?  I mean, really carefully examine and appreciated your environment?  

3.  Explore the road less travelled

When you travel, unanticipated choices surface constantly.  In our goal-oriented world, we have lost touch with the benefit of exploring uncharted paths.  We hesitate to make time and take risks to explore. One of the most magical moments of our travel happened when we left the guide books behind, wandering along the shore of a small coastal village after dinner as the sun set.  All-of- the- sudden we were nose to nose with a group of penguins coming ashore to nest for the night after a long day’s swim.  These blue penguins are the smallest of the species and unique to this locale.  What a marvel! 

4.  Bring the right tools

Having the right tools is one of the most important drivers of employee satisfaction.  No wonder!  Without the right tools, it is terribly frustrating and sometimes downright impossible to be effective.

New Zealand has notoriously unpredictable and variable weather and it’s essential to have the right gear for mountain hiking.  When we backpacked three days on the Routeburn Trail, one of the country’s famous hikes, in one day we adjusted layers of clothes practically every hour. We started the day in a hail storm, basked in glorious sunshine and during a downpour appreciated dry sacks.  A family caught in torrential rain used duct tape to craft a shoe when their young son’s boot was washed away in a raging river. 

5.  Pause – Don’t always trust your intuition

I’m highly intuitive and I’ve found through the years I can rely on my gut in most situations.  Not true when driving on the opposite side of the road!  Some people are adept at adapting to a reversal of familiar driving habits, but I get overwhelmed and really need to put the brakes on my natural response before acting.  I’m reminded that in foreign circumstances, intuition does not always serve well.   It is worthwhile to pause and consider the differences, cultural and physical, that require new responses.

Have you take the opportunity to get off the grid?  How has time away benefitted you?  And if you haven’t, what’s preventing you from giving yourself this gift?

In March I travelled with Leading Women ( http://www.leadingwomen.biz/) to the mountain village of Santa Cruz, to work with emerging leaders at their nascent vocational center and micro enterprise, CECAP, a project of Amigos de Santa Cruz (www.amigosdesantacruz.org).  Before launching into work, I visited Antigua, reigniting my Spanish language skills, rusty from years of hibernation.  The night I arrived I attended a talk by Sue Patterson, founder of Wings Guatemala (www.wingsguate.org), an important NGO that strives to curb exploding pregnancy rates. Sue’s informative talk armed me with data about the nation’s deep history of violence (still one of the highest murder rates in the world), severe poverty and malnutrition(fourth highest rate of chronic malnutrition globally with 49.8% children under five malnourished)).   I was pleased to deliver some product samples to Wings provided by Maternova (http://maternova.net) a global organization addressing maternal and newborn care that is based in Rhode Island.  Meg Wirth, Maternova’s founder, offered me the kits at the Social Enterprise Ecosystem Development Conference (SEEED) at Brown University just days before my trip.    I also had several conversations at the Conference that connected me to social entrepreneurs who I met in Guatemala.

Our delegation from Leading Women gathered in Antigua before heading off for our assignments on Lake Atitlan.  As luck would have it, President Otto Perez Molina arrived in Antigua for drug talks with the Presidents of Costa Rica and Panama the same day.  Their talks focused on headline grabbing calls to decriminalize the production, transit and consumption of illegal drugs.  Security officials casually paroled.  Hundreds of school children in uniforms filled the town square, waving national flags in anticipation of a brief hello to the crowd from the officials.  While we waited for the Presidents to address the crowd, Lent processions paraded through the streets carrying statues of Christ on their shoulders accompanied by the dirge of amateur bands.

This scene epitomizes Guatemala’s cultural cross currents.  In one town square, Democratic leaders sought to garner attention and support from the masses to address seemingly intractable problems.  A stone’s throw away, Catholics, dressed head to toe in black, streamed through the streets to publicly honor the ritual of Christ’s crucifixion while indigenous Mayans dressed in colorful traditional woven attire sold wares to curious tourists.  Guatemala struggles to weave together many complexities and contradictions.

Enriched by this introduction to the country, we survived a stomach lurching 3 hour van ride to Lake Atitlan to begin our work.  My commute by foot was complicated by recent floods that submerged critical paths that link villages.  I navigated makeshift platforms along the lake and climbed the mountain to reach the village of Santa Cruz.  I was greeted by founder and Director Pat Torpie, an American who moved to the area in the late 1990s and was aghast to discover the deplorable condition of the local schools where children rarely attended past third grade and teachers were woefully unprepared.  Amigos has evolved from an initial focus on education to address nutrition, environmental issues and most recently sustainable economic development.  I spent the week working with the board and staff of Amigos and CECAP, the vocational training center they built 2 years ago.  The bright yellow building towers on the mountain side and symbolizes an important presence in the village.  Programs train students in culinary skills, weaving, sewing, computers, woodwork, metal work and more.  The culinary program graduated its first class last year.  Two students started their own enterprises, most were hired by nearby hotels and restaurants and Juan Carlos, the top of the class, was selected to launch CECAP’s new café.  I can attest to his impressive cooking skills, having enjoyed not only local dishes but also Italian and Asian cuisine.  Even more impressive, the Café is earning a small profit in its first year of operation!  This initial enterprise is promising for the students and organization alike.  It means that students who commit to ongoing training have hope to find work, earn better income and secure an improved quality of life. For CECAP, micro enterprises can earn funds to reinvest in critical programs.

I worked with the program managers, all indigenous young people from the area.  What struck me was their tenacity.  In one-on-one conversations, each person explained that in addition to working full time for CECAP they are all pursuing additional education each weekend and they work other jobs just to make ends meet.  It was not surprising that they described feeling exhausted!

The highlight of the week was a team meeting.  Like meetings I’ve facilitated for decades, we identified themes that support and hinder their work.  The challenges are universal issues: programs operating too independently; managers needing more feedback and support; and communication, communication, communication.  People working in enormously diverse contexts often share basic challenges.  What was unique at CECAP was the passion and commitment this young management team has to solve these issues.  Every day they see the fruits of their labors.  New students gain knowledge, skills and confidence.  A rooftop organic garden is installed and fresh vegetables are immediately incorporated into the café menu.  Students get new jobs and can afford to purchase a family stove, improving family and environmental health.  A donated laptop helps one more program gain access to global resources.

This Margaret Mead quote is overused: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  Yet it is an accurate description of the impactful work of Amigos and CECAP of Santa Cruz.  They are truly changing lives and their community.  It was a privilege to spend some time with them in March.

When I studied leadership in graduate school, I came to udnerstand that leadership is an action, not a person.  THe same is true of mentoring.  We need to think of acts of mentoring.  I invite you to seize mentoring opportunities daily.

I also believe we can mentor people of all ages and stages, not just younger women.  We all have a mentoring responsibility.  Our community faces daunting challenges.  Yet it is also filled to the brim with talent an possibility.  We will transform our communities by nurturing that talent.

I urge you to ientify a young woman, preferably someone who was born into disadvantage.  Conncet.  Make a commitment to spend time together.  guide her.  Support her.  And in years to come, let’s celebrate when these women step into roles as leaders.

Ted is currently the Chair of Journalism at Emerson College and an accomplished investigative reporter for The Washington Post, Time Magazine and other prestigious publications.  He is the author of Nation of Secrets: The Threat to Democracy and the American Way of Life and the bestseller The Book of Honor: Covert Lives and classified Deaths at the CIA.

I found his most recent book moving for different reasons.  First of all, the letters and context Ted shares bring to life the profound human suffering of the depression in a way facts just don’t communicate.  I hadn’t appreciated how basic people’s needs were and these personal stories make that reality vivid and raw.  Secondly, Ted’s grandfather chooses to reinvent his identity as a Jewish immigrant.  I appreciated the identity confusion that elders have experienced when they first arrived in this country.  Immigrants of varied backgrounds have struggled and still struggle today to fit in and bridge their roots and their new home.     Finally, the power of this modest act of kindness reminds us how important caring is, especially when there is collective suffering.  Ted’s grandfather gave people hope, whether or not they wrote a letter to ask for help.  Obviously $5 did not feed the starving or clothe children.  But a Christmas meal or pair of shoes were a boost to help give people psychological strength when despair was warranted.

Hope is truly priceless as Sam Stone’s act of kindness reminds us and Ted so eloquently captures.

Jim Collins, author of When the Mighty Fall, describes 5 stages of decline by highly successful businesses.  It is increasingly evident that Toyota moved through the first 3 stages during the past few years and hit stage 4 last Fall.  Stage 1 is characterized by outrageous arrogance built on years of success.  Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the founder who became president in June, agrees that the company became cocky.  Toyota also became undisciplined, a descriptor of stage 2 in the downward spiral.  Unbridled growth and focus on financial return corrupted Toyota’s highly acclaimed quality operational system.  It is now surfacing that error signs were evident internally for several years.  Jim Press, then president of Toyota North America, and other top U.S. executives testified as long ago as 2006 that reliability was slipping.   Alarm bells should have gone off as more and more crashes and deaths were linked to unintended acceleration and other malfunctions.  According to Collins, executives deny data that indicate early warning during stage 3.  Hubris prompts more risk and eventual peril for these behemoth companies.  Toyota followed this path like a script.

Toyota is a case study for stage 4; decline becomes publicly visible and the company grasps for salvation.  How can a company survive once its derailment is public?  If leadership embraces the harsh reality of the disintegration and  systematically retools, understanding there is no silver bullet, then there is a chance of preventing ultimate demise.  For companies with global reach and an  iconic brand like Toyota, covering from this type of crisis is daunting enough.  With shares plummeting, consumer confidence shaky and recalls aplenty, can Toyota reclaim quality as a core competency quickly enough to win over buyers’ growing disenchantment and the media lust for punishinga corporate giant? 

Time will tell.  I for one wouldn’t buy a Toyota if I was shopping for a car today.  For now, I have to dash to the dealer so my car can be retrofitted.