John: |
When we last met in London at Be
the Change, you said that the particular corporate path you chose is
pretty lonely at times. |
Ray: |
It still is! |
John: |
How did other business leaders, your colleagues, respond to you in the
beginning? |
Ray: |
Nobody noticed. They’re too busy running their own businesses. Not
totally so. Sometimes they do call and inquire how did this and how they
might do something similar. When we talk, they begin to get interested.
Of course, there is room for big advances in all businesses in these areas,
but most of them just bolt on a green thing here and there and think they
are doing it. What you have to do is redesign the whole business. That was
when we found the huge waste elimination possibility, addressed it, and
had a net gain right from day one. It was not deliberate, it just happened. |
John: |
How did your staff, suppliers and customers first respond to your changes? |
Ray: |
It took a while. At first they thought it was just the initiative of the
month. But it didn’t go away. When they saw the waste elimination,
more people got involved and became interested. As we made progress, we
gained the goodwill of the marketplace. That is all important |
John: |
If you were to recommend to another business leader how to get started
on such a path, what would you advise? |
Ray: |
There are so many things, but if I was to select one, I guess I would
say, “Imagine you had to make a speech to the whole company about
your environmental vision beyond compliance. Then go and read up for it.”
There is plenty of information available. I would recommend two books,
The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken and my book Mid Course Correction.
You know, for a sustainable world the knowledge is all there; you just
have to get people into the right mind-set. But you know a colour-blind
person just can’t see the colour. We need perceptivity and receptivity.
Then I would say, talk to your customers and ask what they think and
what they want. Ask your technical people to find the answer to the question,
“What do we take from the earth?” It will be a lot, much more
than they think. |
John: |
How can one wake up sleeping business leaders? How tough can one be with
them, without scaring them off? |
Ray: |
I know someone who once said to the CEO of a major oil company, “Your
Company stands for nothing.” That got his attention! |