This ethically-impelled trend is attracting a lot of investors

This ethically-impelled trend is attracting a lot of investorsThis ethically-impelled trend is attracting a lot of investorsToday, big business is faced with a consumer landscape that makes side-stepping Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives nearly impossible Millennials. Simply defined, CSR is a business model that helps a company be socially accountable on an economic, social, and environmental scope.The Millennial consumer isnt so easily appeased by monetary perks like bargain hunting or label brandishing. Rather, they reward companies that publicly make Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues a top priority.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThis begs the question, what is ESG Investing and why are Millennials so obsessed with it?While most express interest in altruistic business endeavors and policy, only 15% of people actually know what ESG stands for. E SG issues are a set of criteria by an organization that socially conscious investors use to invest in that company.More than ever, Millennials are becoming more discerning about factoring in a companys stance on ESG issues before doing business with them.In a study by Cone, 76% of Millennials said theyd research a company thoroughly before making a buying decision. And, Millennial moral righteousness is not excluded to their buying habits. Seventy-five percent said theyd be willing to take a pay cut if it means working for a company that is environmentally and socially responsible.The shift in consumer demand is a call to action for investors to capitalize on ESG policy.ESG investment has doubled over the last three years and now represents $1 of every $4 invested in the United States.According to a recent survey by Allianz Life, when asked to rank the importance of an issue in making an investment decision, 73% of respondents ranked Environmental and Social issues as areas of great est influence.This investment trend is wide-sweeping, applicable across a wide range of industries. No company, no matter its size or financial prowess, is exempt. In a new survey by Morgan Stanley, 75% of asset managers say their firms have adopted sustainable investing, up from merely 10% in 2016. A whopping 89% said that theyd devote additional resources to sustainable investing in the next 1-2 years.Across the board, companies are wielding sustainability as a marketing asset.Research by Ceres found that among 600 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S., close to two-thirds have publicly disclosed their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) now accounts for $26 trillion, a 2018 study from Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government found, more than a quarter of all assets under professional management worldwide. The study affirms a growing Millennial predilection to make socially impactful investment decisions.When companies dismiss ESG investment opportunities, they miss outDespite the mounting evidence on the importance of ESG in consumer marketing, many companies still fail to see the financial advantages of adopting a sustainable business model. U.S. companies may be keeping an open dialogue with investors on sustainability issues, but the grand majority are doing so in a way that assumes that sustainable initiatives are merely a superfluous nice-to-do rather than a lucrative asset.Those that fail to recognize this potential dont only run the risk of missing out financially, they also forego the mglichkeit to discern themselves from competing industries. In fact, in a recent Allianz Life survey, 84% said companies that focus on being a good corporate citizen have better long term prospects than those who dont.Companies shouldnt dismiss the ESG investment trend if they want to sustain a growing pool of ethically impelled consumers.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

5 Ways to Breathe Life Back into Staff Meetings

5 Ways to Breathe Life Back into Staff Meetings 5 Ways to Breathe Life Back into Staff Meetings Its not that we should throw out meetings,as the study foundthat 92 percent of us value meetings as an opportunity for communication. Rather, its that meetings tend to be missed opportunities. Itdoesnt have to be this way, and I have outlined five tips to breathe life back into your meetings.1. Make Them ShorterThis SalesCrunch study shows that attendee attention levels begin to severely drop off after about 30 minutes, meaning peopleare getting bored. In the first 15 minutes employees are 91 percent attentive, and this drops to 64 percent attentiveness after 45 minutes. Asimple way to reinvigorate your meetings is to keep them to 30 minutes maximum.2. Chaired AgendaPreparing and sticking to an agenda can seem quite constrictive for many a meeting leader, who may feel it cramps their style. Onthe flip side, both this Give Morestudyand the aforementioned Meeting King studyfound that most people find it frustratingwhen there is nochaired agenda.Make properly chaired agendas with action points/takeaways sacrosanct, and this will help boost meeting engagement levels.3. Stand-Up MeetingsThere are obvious health benefits to holdingstand-up meetings instead of slumping in a chair for an hour, but standing upcan also reinvigorate your meetings. Stand-up meetings aretypically shorter generally clocking in at about 15 minutes so they operate within the prime 91 percent attention level. This keeps the meeting focused, and it can help to eradicate distractions. You can holda succession of three or four short, more efficient, high engagement meetings in a week, rather than a single, draining two-hour slog.4. Change the LocationHave you heard of the phenomenon known as Sick Building Syndrome,where people have sick symptoms related to a workplace, but no identifiable cause? These symptoms include aches and pains, fatigue, and poor concentration, none of which will be conducive to your meetings. Once the SBS sufferers leave the building or room, the symptoms disapear. Why not change your meeting location from time to time. Perhaps hold a meetingoutside if its a sunny day, or at the canteen, a local coffee shop, or any place thats a little different fromthe norm to beat SBS and reinvigorate a stale meeting environment.5. Add Some Humor to Your MeetingsOne of the best ways to liven up a dull meeting is to inject some genuine fun, levity, and humor. Try and set a fun, lightheartedtone at the beginning of the meeting, andencourage funny employees. Their jokes can help to reduce tension and add some levity to dire proceedings, making the whole meeting more fun. Those kind of employees can lift environments and meetings with a joke, and they are a gift to your meeting.Id love to hear what suggestions you may have tobreathe life back into your meetings.

How to fall back in love with your career

How to fall back in love with your careerHow to fall back in love with your careerAs we inch closer to Valentines Day, theres so much pressure to be publicly in love. If you stop to think about it, one of the most important relationships in your life is with your career. So, how can you fall back in love with the job you spend nearly every day of your life working at or thinking about?Some industry leaders who fell back in love with their own careers weighed inThe lingerie designer who mixed things upIf youre reading this, youve probably worn underwear Ive designed, says Rachael McCrary, who created designs for Target, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom among others before a stint at Maidenform. These days she designs intimates for Dear Drew by Drew Barrymore.McCrary lost her passion for a while, though Once, I felt like I just couldnt look at another pair of underwear. Anything gets old after 15 years. I felt like I had seen every undie in existence from Hong Kong to Paris to Bangkok to Mi ami.She took a year off and mixed it up entirely. I did five yoga teacher trainings, lived on an ashram and studied Hindu chants in Sanskrit.After a while, I started to miss lingerie. After spending almost no time on the computer, I found a renewed love for drawing in Adobe Creative Suite and all things lingerie, McCrary says. One day browsing the lingerie shops of Paris, I realized its all always being reinvented by lingerie lovers who never get enough like me Theres always a new chapter.The floral industry disruptor who came full circleIt took me nearly one year to realize I was falling out of love with my career, says Juan Palacio, CEO of BloomsyBox.com.After I sold my online flower business back in 2009, I started working with a travel-related domain portfolio.Even though he switched industries, Palacio was still doing what he was passionate about - online absatzwirtschaft, but he felt drained, unmotivated and unengaged. More than that, I was losing interest in the general vis ion of the company, and questioning my personal beliefs of not living up to my full potential. After feeling as though he was on autopilot, Palacio knew it was time for a big change.For Palacio, finding new perspective changed everything I started falling back in love with my career in late 2013. I went to a convention and learned about the online subscription business and became instantly intrigued. I spent hours researching subscription companies and ideas.He realized it was the challenge he missed most. I started working on a business plan for a subscription-based business, which later became the wireframe for BloomsyBox, Palacio said. I thought I was discovering a new passion, but it was just another facet of online marketing with a new perspective. I felt refreshed, revitalized and ready for the challenge.Palacio keeps that positive vibe going by keeping an open mind to different angles of my career. If I get bored or unsatisfied with things that Im doing, I start researching n ew ideas and perspectives to never remain complacent. Complacency can sneak up on you and Ive learned to challenge myself by never letting it win.The corporate alum who finds inspiration everywhereWorkplace trainer and Proctor Gamble alum Scott Mautz is the author of Find the Fire Ignite Your Inspiration and Make Work Exciting Again. Mautz says that to find some of that lovin feeling youve lost, you should concentrate on understanding what evokes inspiration, and be proactive about it.You need to take ownership of understanding how you can evoke inspiration instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you, Mautz suggests. He offered 3 conditions with the most potential for inspiration If its something disruptive (forces you to think about things differently), if its relevant (to core human motives), and if its attainable (feels like it can be accomplished).And keep that good vibe going. You can elevate the mood of your environment by being positive, enthusiastic, and optimistic , which will greatly increase the likelihood that youll receive the same in return. If that doesnt seem to be working, add to the mix by trying a variety of new experiences that might strike a spark of inspiration.Study the routine and the remarkable to see if theres overlap. Inspiration can be uncovered in things we take for granted, like people, places, things, and Pop Tarts, Mautz mused. Practicing focused appreciation, or stopping to consider whats special about a person, place, or thing in our life, and find your inspiration there.