Business Punk (Part 6) | New Business Models (Part 1) | Let´s Spread Light, Hope, Change and Innovation
At the end of 2023, different to “normal”, “traditional” Seasons Greetings, I want to share some thoughts, and share with you one activity which failed: It happened to me more than a decade ago, when we were looking for a carpet. The salesperson in the shop was a good salesman understanding what we were looking for: Quality. “all our carpets are made without child labor” was one of his statements – and without thinking, I replied “I am so sorry.” We discussed my answer and agreed that a label “made by protected child labor” could be an answer to child poverty. However, this salesman was optimistic such products might find a (limited) market.
Next, this idea did not fade away, or I could not share it with you. I was connection to some charity organizations to discuss the idea. Most organizations even did not reply. The one with the longest dialogue was Misereor. Based in Aachen, Germany it is a charity organization of the catholic church supporting the poor to make their life better in the sense of living from own work and income. They got the concept but did not see it working. Expected market acceptance was not given, and therefore not interest to continue.
Having been in another turnaround management, I was busy in stabilizing a company creating a future for hundreds of colleagues by improving the power of innovation.
During my work, I was once in San Francisco for a trade show. Being in Chinatown, I purchased fife different souvenir t-shirts 99 cts plus local tax each. One thing is sure – the seller was not working for free. Whatever his buying price was – it was cheaper. Who made such shirt? Good cotton quality, colored, flocked, printed…
Many steps contributed to the shirts I could carry home. Back in Germany I wanted to use them as living examples for the pressure my actual employer was in and the create a certain level of awareness how we would have to change the way we work. Innovation is for me always the answer. To ignore uncomfortable messages may be the entrance card for later harsh reactions. However, this message was not well taken by most colleagues.
We all tend to wish us a great year’s end and all the best for the years to come. Today, I will certainly join this chorus. This year I would like you in addition to give me a favor: Please use some of your time to think about this planet and not just to stay in your stereotypes of thinking. It is horrible what we see in wars. It is horrible when we see people killing each other. It is disgusting when we see the waste and the poverty and understand our contribution. We can change it or accept it.
On the other hand, we all have our talents, our cultural backgrounds, our religions, our worldviews that limit our thinking and level of awareness. To overcome our own ways of acting and thinking may make the difference between a “normal” or “better” development, whatever it means.
Would be a label “Made by controlled child labor” be a good or bad thing? Most likely both: If we bring children our of poverty, let them work and study, it may be like in my childhood when school holidays have been used to support the farmers harvesting. A combination of work and studies might offer a better future to quite some people and nations. If children have no chance to get family support consequences may be harsh: Children may get sold. Children may have to offer prostitution. Children may become child soldiers, just to name a few possible consequences. If we as consumers would look for such label, it could be a success. Products would be more expensive, other countries would get different perspectives. Even in our countries, work might again be meaningful and not to fade away, eventually to become competitive again. We should keep our eyes open.
However, the support of such label with all consequences may force collateral damages, too: In societies, families are the center of social interaction, and the parents have a certain role. Such role may be challenged if children might bring more home than the parents. There are already examples of conflicts caused by upside down turned financial contributions by children to the family´s balance sheet.
We may have to understand there is no one single way the right, the best, the only walkable. We may have to be aware of unexpected consequences.
With this said, I want to join the chorus wishing all of us a good year’s end and all the best for 2024. If you want to change this world to the better (whatever this may be for you), feel invited to think it through.
If you are interested to establish a label “made by protected child labor” with all associated structures from a business platform to supply chains to all other aspects, please look for sponsors, partners, investors and share your post in your communities. Being now a consultant with quite some talented peers in the background, we would be able to work on such project with the competence of more than 100 years global business experience in international and intercultural management.
I would love to spend part of my time from next year onwards for such project in whatever role might fit best to the task.
Thank you for your kind support. Here or there.