 NO FISH, NO FISH STICKS
Peter Senge, author of The 5th Discipline and now The Necessary Revolution, recently gave a half-day workshop at The Vancouver Board of Trade, probably one of the most inspiring sessions of the year so far. His message to corporations is very clear. You have to be part of the sustainability equation — in fact you have to be a leader.
Senge told a story which resonated with everyone about the chairman of Unilever, which is a multinational selling everything from olive oil to frozen foods. The chairman wanted to explain sustainability to his employees — why they have to be involved in sustainability, why it should matter to them. So he simply said: “No fish, no fish sticks.” You can’t get a much more succinct message. His point is if you can’t do it for altruistic reasons, do it for practical reasons.
“No fish, no fish sticks” is what neuroscientist Matt Riddley calls “self interest for the common good” and it’s one of the key themes of The Rix Center for Corporate Citizenship & Engaged Leadership. The Rix Center has been established with the support of Vancouver Board of Trade chairman, Dr. Don Rix. The Rix Center champions a revitalized brand of citizenship, which goes beyond mere corporate social responsibility compliance. In these difficult economic times, The Rix Center makes a case, as Senge did, that there are reasons to give, to participate, to champion community and global causes. Imagine our city with less crime and the subsequent benefits to quality of life for all citizens. Or imagine a society that gives every child a chance for lifelong success by investing in early childhood development. It is not much of a leap to understand that not being engaged and not contributing to the well-being of society creates a “no fish, no fish sticks” scenario.
 WOULD YOUR MOM APPROVE OF YOUR WORKPLACE?
Moms across Canada are seeking employers who offer flexibility, supportive leadership and progressive programs. Just in time for Mother’s Day, Canadians can nominate “mom-friendly” organizations for the 2009 Progressive Employers of Canada List.
Connect Moms, momcafé and Martin Group International (founder of the Briefcase Moms Program) initiated the 2009 Progressive Employers of Canada List, after conducting a nationwide survey in November 2008 asking moms what they were looking for in a workplace of choice.
The survey found that organizations need to offer a range of the following services or benefits to be considered supportive environments for working parents:
- personal/life balance coaching
- concierge services
- access to emergency childcare
- lactation rooms
- flex-time
- on-site daycare
- job cooperatives / job sharing
- information and access to daycare facilities
- part-time or contract positions
- maternity and parental leave top-up
- gradual re-entry after maternity leave
- health benefits
Companies meeting these criteria will be considered for placement on the 2009 Progressive Employers of Canada List www.progressiveemployers.com.
Nominations are being accepted until April 15, 2009 by emailing info@momcafe.net with the following information: a company name, corporate representative’s name and contact details and an explanation why the company should be recognized as “mom-friendly.” Nominees will be interviewed and assessed for inclusion on the 2009 Progressive Employers of Canada List which will be officially announced in May 2009.
List-worthy companies to date include: Vancity, RBC, BC Hydro, Webnames, TELUS, Flight Centre, Habernos, and McNeill/Nakamoto.
 ARE YOU STRETCHING?
According to a recent study by Accenture entitled Untapped Potential: Stretching Toward the Future, 46 per cent of women and 49 per cent of men worldwide believe they are insufficiently challenged in their jobs. And, over 76 per cent of these men and women are confident that their current skills make them capable to take on new and expanded roles.
So what does that mean? According to Armelle Carminati, managing director of Human Capital and Diversity at Accenture, companies have a huge opportunity to tap into those resources. In a recent Business Week article she states, “Your employees are eager to do more. They are capable of doing more. They want to do more. This is a great competitive advantage for you as a company because you don’t have to hire new talent in a challenging environment—you have the talent in place.”
What else did the study of 3,600 professionals in 18 countries find? Almost six out of 10 women believe their careers are “successful” or “very successful”. These women “stretched”, taking on additional responsibilities to advance their career (81%), learning new skills (78%), regularly asking for new challenges (65%) and stretching themselves beyond their comfort zones (75%).
To help with their success, 83 per cent of the men and 75 per cent of women said they relied on technology. And although women believe that a mentor can contribute to their success by helping them build their skills, raise confidence levels and open their eyes to new opportunities, only 14 per cent of them had a formal mentor at work. Instead, they relied on family, friends and former colleagues.
To read more visit Accenture 2009 Research
 CONVENTION CENTRAL
If you missed the open house last weekend at the new Vancouver Convention Centre, attend an event in this stellar facility. It is considered one of the world’s ‘greenest’ convention centres with a unique seawater heating and cooling system and a six-acre grass and wildflower roof complete with four beehives. It is also one of the largest waterfront convention centres anywhere in Canada, with lots of outdoor terraces and spectacular views. The 55,000-square-foot ballroom can accommodate 6,000 people and the exhibition hall is larger than the playing field at B.C. Place!
Check out the Vancouver Convention Centre at the May 14 ME TO WE event.
 COOKIES FOR A CAUSE
Good news for all you ‘cookie monsters’ out there. Girl Guides of Canada (GGC) is now selling their classic chocolate and vanilla cookies—and they are now made with 90 per cent less trans fat. Believe it or not, Girl Guides have been selling cookies for 81 years and those cookies have even made it into space. Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar took GGC cookies with her in 1992 on the space shuttle Discovery, when she became the first Canadian woman in space.
Next year, this wonderful organization that offers young girls the chance to discover new interests, learn valuable leadership skills and make lasting friendships will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. Support them now by ordering your cookies from a young girl in your neighbourhood or by going online to: http://www.bc-girlguides.org/cookies/cookies-form.html
 POST YOUR EVENTS ON THE SPIRIT OF VANCOUVER CALENDAR
Did you know that the Spirit of Vancouver® website hosts a great community calendar? It provides one stop ‘shopping’ when you want to find out what is going on in the city–whether it be in the arts, music, sports, 2010 Olympics, you name it. For example, want to know what charity events are on? Just hit the Charity button and the calendar will show you the events scheduled in any given month. To post your organization’s events on the calendar just go to the Spirit of Vancouver website and hit the ‘Add Event’ button and complete the pop up form. It is simple and free! So, please spread the word.
YOUR FEEDBACK
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments, ideas for this newsletter, for speakers, for content to: info@wlcircle.com
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A PRIVILEGE 
Apr 21, 2009 
