You championed a CSR initiative, but stakeholders are pushing back. How will you navigate this challenge?

Listening is crucial in the CSR scope. Many of the immediate bosses or the owners will look at CSR from their own perspective or from what they have seen. This is not always right in the existing scenario as you might be dealing with something totally different. In this sense, listen to understand- not to react. This way you will have a good understanding of what the problem really is. By this you can gather information on your current plans and show how this is different from what they know. This will be the tip of the iceberg, yet it's very important.

Navigate stakeholder pushback on a CSR initiative by first listening to their concerns and understanding their perspectives. Communicate the initiative’s benefits clearly, using data and success stories to support your case. Engage in open dialogue to address their objections and find common ground. Be flexible and willing to make adjustments to the initiative that align with stakeholder interests while maintaining core objectives. Foster collaboration by involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. This approach builds trust and encourages buy-in for the CSR initiative.

As a Corporate Social Responsibility professional, you have the difficult task of balancing the demands and expectations of your internal stakeholders and societal need. Your stakeholders might be pushing a particular piece of content or program because it aligns with business needs, but your beneficiaries might not need that specific initiative. So it’s critical to listen first to both sides because that’s how you’re going to get ultimate alignment around something that makes sense for both parties.

I'm not sir, but I would still like to comment on the matter. In the strategy of communicating the value of the CSR initiative, my focus would be on presenting concrete data that demonstrates both tangible and intangible benefits. I would use both quantitative and qualitative information to show how the initiative can bring positive impacts not only to the company but also to stakeholders and the community at large. Additionally, I believe it's crucial to address the critical points that will require attention throughout the project. This not only demonstrates transparency but also a comprehensive understanding of the challenges that are expected.

As from the previous section, the most important thing is to show what values you bring with the program and the importance of your project. Have a set of values as people understand different perspectives themselves. This makes you have one or two most important determined factors and several other things that will be facilitated through the outcome. That way you showcase the importance to management and other stakeholders that are involved in the process. If it's environmental, relate it to community engagement, if it's community outreach, you might also be able to show other benefits of the program. And its also important to show how business will benefit from this outreach connecting the people, plant and profit components.

In CSR, it’s also really important to demonstrate that in addition to improved brand reputation, customer loyalty and operational efficiencies, a meaningful and dynamic CSR program can also have a positive effect on talent. For example, employee retention, skills-building, better connectivity to the organization. While not the focus of the programs, those positive outcomes can have a really big impact on the business.

When you start on a high phase, many of the other stakeholders might not be able to manage with your phase. It may be due to their capabilities, external factors, or even due to environmental conditions. You might have set up timeframes to completion, yet be human enough to adjust. Your workforce could be volunteering, budgets might have shrunk, climate might be harsh or even the collaborating partners could be finishing up an overdue project. CSR isn't the top priority of everyone, not even your organizations. So make sure to be lenient and in the same time get the job done. This is all about gathering up everyone to make a collaborative effort. And also remember to appreciate and acknowledge when the work is completed.