The Tao of Jones: Redefining Values
By Mathew Gerson
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, The Big Picture |
In today’s market we are familiar with two types of organizations, for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations. In very general terms, business operates for the benefit of share-holders, i.e. profits, and non-profits operate for the benefit of a specific social or environmental cause.
The For-Profit Model
Traditionally, to evaluate and measure the “value” of a company, more specifically a For-Profit company, we generally look to the profit and loss graphs of the S&P 500. To date, the Dow Jones has been the benchmark by which businesses can measure themselves. Value in the form of dividends and performance defined by profits. All so nice and tidy, up and down arrows, points and percentages, very simple. These “values” are clear indicators of who I want to be in business with, right?
The benefit here is defined only by the result of a singular relationship between the company, its owners and shareholders, and the profits. What is missing here? What about the relationship between businesses and community? What effect does the almighty profit have on our planet as a whole?
With this 
in mind, I sat down and attempted to chart the “benefits” of my personal and intimate relationships (with both humans and nature) on a graph. The parameter I created for this graph was that the “benefits” could only be profits that could be quantified monetarily. This would be great, I thought. Perhaps I could finally have a clear and rational sense of where to divide up my attention and energies, who to spend more time with and who to kick to the curb. Of course, if I could flush out the more profitable relationships, I could certainly double down my attention on them and rake in the benefits! So I drew a nice chart, calculator in hand, and I sat there and looked at it. And what I came up with was nothing, absolutely nothing. Maybe I just suck at math? I was stumped. I couldn’t quite figure out how to fill in the chart. What is the “value indicator” for compassion, belonging, creativity, and love? How many points does breathing fresh air, wading in pristine rivers, or observing nature free and wild get?
If I acted like a business and defined the benefit of my relationships solely in terms of monetary value, I would merely become a consumer of my friends, lovers, neighbors, rivers, and trees. In financial terms, you’d have to say that, as far as my humanity went, I was completely bankrupt. Somehow this equation did not compute.
But I’m mixing apples and oranges right? Personal and professional? Businesses and individuals? Profits and planet? Personal and planetary well-being can not be the responsibility of business. It must be the toil of therapists and non-profits, right? Well, maybe the old model is just wrong.
What if we created a cultural architecture that maximizes the well-being of society and nature. And what if we made this the organizing and operational principle of business. How would that change our bottom line? Introducing the For-Benefit business model.
The For-Benefit Model
By referring to eConscious Market as a For-Benefit company, I find myself in the unlikely position to hold up the term “benefit” to the business community at large and ask-What is the true “benefit” of business? Let’s first consult Webster’s Dictionary…
Benefit is a result of a relationship that is:
1 : an act of kindness
2 : something that promotes well-being
3: a useful aid
By having a business relationship with sustainable manufacturers, non-profit partners, and customers, eConscious Market, as it turns out, is using commerce to create all three results at the same time. To support businesses which minimize impact and sustain, conserve, or in some cases even revive, habitats and communities, is the only way this planet’s inhabitants may get to stay in business for the long run.
It seems the “values” that have defined business for so many years are long overdue for a thorough reevaluation.
Posted on April 22, 2008 |
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3 Responses to “The Tao of Jones: Redefining Values”
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Mathew, Great post! And I love the title. I’ll be using it as a metaphor for a long time.
I couldn’t agree more that business - and I like small owner-operated businesses - is the best path to salvation, nee, survival for our species.
But to do this, business values are going to have to change. Now. And it’s exciting to see it happening all over the world.
I’m looking forward to a prosperous future for eConscious Market, your shareholder, employees, customers, suppliers, partners and all the people each one of them touch.
Thanks for your leadership!
[...] are some other great folks blogging there, including co-founders Mathew Gerson (whose piece on the Tao of Jones is a great read) and Pippa Sorley, as well as Anita Burke, a brilliant mind that focuses on [...]
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Tags: the, tao, jones, redefining, values to In today’s market we are familiar with two types of organizations, for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations. In very general terms, business operates for the benefit of share-holders, i.e. profits,…