We have been surprised at how often we get asked to undertake work where we need to sit back and go ‘Do we want to do this?’
We often have had friends and family assume that because we work in the environmental field that all the work we get offered is for the benefit of the environment and people. That is definitely not always the case. We often have to dissect work options to work out whether or not it meets our business ethics. Luckily, we have our Statement of Performance to help us make ethical decisions.
In 2018, when Jess joined Murrang more permanently, we realised that we needed a clearer outline of our purpose, values and principles. This was for a few reasons. Firstly, because we saw the need to be clear about who we are as people, who we work with and how we want to manage the business. Secondly, so that we could use our Statement to make decisions ― to work out if a business decision does or does not align with our commitment to people and the environment. And finally, we wanted to be able to demonstrate that we have an ethical business model — as a step towards achieving a B-Corp certification or something similar.
Since we developed the Statement, we have updated it numerous times and used it to make decisions that align with our ethics. Just recently I picked up our Statement of Performance and asked myself ‘Does this work opportunity align with our principles and values?’
The Statement has allowed an almost natural and reflexive response to any niggling questions. We feel can use it to assess a situation, consider our choices, analyse the decision and test it, reflect on our principles and then act upon a final outcome. The Statement has definitely helped us to make decisions that align with who we are and what we want to achieve.
Jess highly recommends looking at work and talks by The Ethics Centre if you want to know more about ethics in small to medium business or get in touch and we can point you towards other contacts with expertise in the area.
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