It's time to get louder than words

This week, we were super proud to attend "Louder Than Words", the largest ever gathering of B-Corps from around the world - in the beautiful city of Oxford.?

Kin&Co ?have been a B-Corp since?2016 and in 2022, we received the recognition of being "Best for the World" in the Governance category.

And whilst the?accreditation?is hard to get, hard to keep and something to be super proud of - what this week's event reminded us of was that B-Corp is far more than a badge or logo. B-Corp is about standing for purpose, for community, for progress, for challenge and hope. It is a mindset and a movement. A way to think, a way to lead, a way to question the choices?we have to make everyday when growing and managing our teams and organisations in a more purposeful way.?

And it's never mattered more. Organisations today - of all sizes, in all industries - have a duty and a responsibility to be purpose-driven: to use their power, influence, expertise, products and services, the capabilities and passion of their people to solve the complex social and environmental challenges we face.?B-Corp is a model for purpose-driven organisations, for doing business better - and the world has never needed them more.

Here are three reflections that this week's event has sparked for us:

We need change fast.. so how can we make it more desirable?

The prevailing narrative around culture change is that it's hard, it's complex, it's exhausting, it's slow... the list goes on. So much so that often we see leaders feeling uncertain, ill-equipped and paralysed to act, or at worst giving up or turning a blind eye. This week, the brilliant?Mary Portas spoke about the alchemy of desire and trust that brands need to foster, to change how people behave and consume. She asked us to think about?Who Gives a Crap?- 100% recycled toilet paper wrapped in funky printed paper, as an example. This left us thinking: What if the corporate world told a more desirable story around change? That transforming culture and behaviour, whilst really hard, can ALSO be energising, motivating, experimental, full of learning and - dare we say it - fun??

We're all imperfect.. so what if we were all a little more honest??? Like any purpose-driven organisation, being a B-Corp doesn't mean you get everything right all of the time. There are trade offs, there are hard choices, the system (industry norms, cultural norms, shareholder pressure, regulation, policy etc) make it REALLY HARD to do business better and hold purpose and performance in equal measure. The truth is that being purpose-driven is a journey. It takes courage, humility, curiosity and a determination to try. And most of all an openness to working together and sharing learning along the way. So what if - as?Jo Alexander said this week - "organisations were all a little more honest about it"? Being a B-Corp is a journey not a destination, and it's ok to acknowledge it isn't easy and?there is always more to do.?

We need to work together.. so what if we more readily put competition aside?

There has never been a more important time to use the power of people to create the change we need to see and collaboration is the ultimate accelerator. As?Char Love, Co-Founder of B Lab UK said this week: "The problems in the world are connected, so we must be too". This week we heard about The Great British Beauty Clean Up - an important campaign and initiative launching in 2025 to tackle plastic waste from the?Sustainable Beauty Coalition?- a great example of the impact that can be made when organisations in the same sector problem-solve together. It's got us thinking: what kind of changes could be accelerated if those in the consultancy sector worked more openly together?

Thank you?B Lab UK. A brilliantly thought-provoking event.

We'd love to hear what others are taking away?

If you're curious about sparking change, our whitepaper, ‘Creating a Culture Fit for Purpose’, explores how to move your purpose from ‘nice words on a page’ to an intrinsic part of how your organisation works, igniting passion, engagement and commitment from your people along the way.