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Posted by Sarah Brown on 28 Feb '18

How a wheel became a ROC to support you in achieving your business goals

A diagnostic tool the ROC which can be a strong foundation for any organisation

Almost 3 years ago I started writing about how to create organisations that are both ethical and successful economically. I developed it because I couldn’t find a model which encapsulated how a business can be both financially successful and act responsibly. Initially I called in the Ethical Wheel of Success but I didn’t like the name because ethical sounds too limited, that its only focus was values when in fact it covered so much more.

Fast forward and I am now well progressed with talking to a publisher and we both agree that the message in the book needs to get to as wide a business audience as possible so we began to think of other names which would make it more mainstream.

The phrase responsible business came up in fact the Financial Times runs Responsible Business Awards and there is even a Responsible Business Week (23-27 April) which is an annual awareness campaign which celebrates the brighter side of business by sharing great responsible business success stories.

However the messages in the book apply to charities, social enterprises and the public sector as much as business hence the phrase Responsible Organisation but I wanted to give people the chance to get involved so what about a Charter that we can all commit to and so the Ethical Wheel of Success became the Responsible Organisation Charter© with the tool acting as a means to audit where you are against each of the 15 key areas of focus. Like the parable from the bible I believe that a successful organisation is built on firm foundations, a ROC©.

The goal is to help leaders, managers, entrepreneurs and anyone running organisations to assess their own organisation and start addressing how they can create balance and success as they seek to change the world.

It reflects the complexity of running an organisation in the 21st century; from social media to rapid innovation, global markets to new technology.

Business thinking needs to change, to have a fundamental rethink. When I talk about “Being Good being Good Business” I am talking about how the business runs its everyday business not an add on that only the CSR manager worries about. I believe that if profits are made responsibly not only does the wider world benefit but also any organisation will be more successful even attracting investors who share your values. If “doing good” in your business is just the responsibility of a limited number of people then I believe your business will not flourish.

The ROC© is practical recognising the financial and marketing needs for success as well as the classically 'good' bits and this is why I think it can work because real companies can use it to help them run their business. I want my ROC© to become a mainstream business tool and I think it stands a chance with its new name. Find out more and sign up here.

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