New standard work on the implementation of sustainable transformation processes

What used to be "nice to have" is now an indispensable part of entrepreneurial activity: a sustainable, circular and responsible corporate strategy. Current climate protection strategies such as the European Green Deal, the social debate on global warming, and changing market demand as a result of growing consumer awareness have once again fueled this trend and are creating pressure for action at management levels. The problem: Many companies are struggling to decide at what level and to what extent they should get involved.

Universal approach for companies of any size

With the new book "Das Nachhaltigkeitsschachbrett - Zug um Zug zu einer neuen Führungskultur" (Süddeutscher Verlag) by authors Dr. Martin Eisenhut, DDr. Michael F. Strohmer, Angela Hultberg, Dr. Marc Lakner and Dr. Sebastian O. Schömann, the global management consultancy Kearney has created what it describes as a new standard work that closes this gap. "In the future, sustainability will be just as important for companies as financial performance," says one of the authors, Dr. Martin Eisenhut, Partner and Managing Director Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The sustainability chessboard is a universal, practical approach that is intuitive and easy to use and guides companies through the transformation process, regardless of size and industry. It gives beginners guidance on what is achievable and where they should start. Advanced users will find suggestions on how to deepen and expand their efforts, and pioneers can use it to take the next big step and conquer uncharted territory.

4 strategies, 16 approaches and 64 levers for more sustainability

The chessboard model is based on two dimensions: It combines the degree of sustainability ambition with the organizational maturity level of the company. The field is divided into four strategies: "Ensuring sustainability compliance", "Use of sustainability data", "Value creation through sustainability" and "Innovation leadership in sustainability". These four strategies can be divided into 16 approaches and - based on the squares of a chessboard - into 64 levers that help companies to position themselves. In this way, companies can make their organization, technology and corporate culture fit for the future in a very practical way. "Chess players must be able to plan ahead, assess strategic options and pursue their goal unwaveringly despite obstacles and enemy attacks," says Eisenhut. They need to know exactly what tools are available to them and how to use them in the best possible way. "The sustainability chessboard helps companies to align their capabilities and goals with the needs of the market, investors, talent and regulators and create value from them." The book is available here: www.de.kearney.com/nachhaltigkeitsschachbrett

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/neues-standardwerk-zur-umsetzung-nachhaltiger-transformationsprozesse/