What will B next?

Week thirteen:

This past week involved a lot of research and thinking regarding what is next.  Being certified as a B Corporation is only the beginning.  If you haven’t yet discovered, or are just jumping into this blog, becoming a certified B Corporations is not just a seal of approval.  This certification is meant to not only to benchmark and applaud a company for their actions but also to give a glimpse of where they are now and introduce opportunities for growth and improvement.

And so, I spent the first part of the week looking into B Analytics.  I learned this program, launched by B Lab in Sept. 2013, can either be a first step to measuring an organization’s impact before going through the certification process, or act as a tool to continue tracking their social, environmental and economic impact following B Corp certification.  As it turns out, both B Analytics and the previously mentioned B Impact Assessment are based on the Global Impact Investing Rating System (GIIRS – pronounced “gears”).  (To learn more about that, check out: http://giirs.org/). Either way, these tools are meant to benchmark a company’s achievements and give them the necessary information to set future goals and implement actions leading to their accomplishment.  In light of which, this week Sarah and I worked together and discussed opportunities to track Amavida’s mission related activities from this point forward.  B Corporations must reassess every two years to continue their B Corp status and so, as outreach coordinator, tracking goals, growth and improvement opportunities is going to become a primary role for Sarah.  To help out, midweek, I put together a series of spreadsheets for the initial documentation of Amavida’s environmental impact, community engagement, supplier screening.  Documenting these accomplishments will increase transparency as Amavida will begin to release an annual, public, mission related performance report.

Also, I studied the Balance Score Card, which we used at the beginning of my internship to organize our activities, and are using again now to set future initiatives. “The balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used extensively in business and industry, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals.” (Check it out: https://balancedscorecard.org/Resources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx)

Finally, although we are still in the final stages of step two, we have heard back from B Lab that we are going to be B certified!  In step one we scored well over the required 80/200 points, and so in step two we are just adjusting the final score for further validation, but have proven our best practices all together.  Woot!!

B in the Spotlight

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”
– Phil Collins

Week twelve:

Monday began with a staff meeting, once again reflecting on recent accomplishments and discussing on our next initiatives.  After, I continued preparing for each presentation.  During this time I was able to complete my Visual Aid for Presentation to Amavida Leadership.

Also, the certification process continued this week, as did our communication with B Lab.  Dan provided them additional information, this was requested for verification of the practices described by our answers in the Impact Assessment.

Wednesday I spent the first hours of the day rehearsing for my 15 minute presentation; which in hindsight caused me to be more tense than I might have if I would have just trusted I knew my topic.  Around noon the leadership meeting began.  Before presenting the leaders discussed current business and future goals.  When I did present they were a great audience.  I was a bit shaky, but clearly able to communicate: the vision of B Corporations, what it means to be a certified B Corporation, how they are different from other companies, why the certification is good for a company, its employees, customers, suppliers, community, and environment, as well as, how they can fill their role as shift leaders and local leaders by inviting others to join the B community.  This was most certainly a learning experience.

Then, on Thursday Sophie and I presented to her peers at the Ohana Institute.  I introduced my connection to Amavida through my internship with the University of West Florida, how participating in the B Corp certification was related to furthering my knowledge of organizational communication and leadership, and how B Corporations set a new framework for how companies interact and communicate with their stakeholders.  Then Sophie informed on the required characteristics of B Corporations and best business practices they encourage, as well as, giving examples of companies who are exemplar of these practices in regards to corporate governance, employee engagement, community involvement, and environmental impact.  This presentation was to a larger audience who, like the first, gave a positive response.  I considered both presentations to be successful because, after each, when it came time for questions only additional information to what was introduced was asked for.  Nothing explained in the presentations needed to be reexplained.  Also, both presentations gave me the unique and fulfilling experience of teaching what I have learned and learning from teaching.

B a Part of the B Community.

“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”
– Gwendolyn Brooks

Week 11:

This week Dan was able to submit the remaining documents and we communicated with B Lab, confirming they have received everything.  Currently, they are completing their review.  While we are waiting to hear back; Dan gave me his review of the final draft, I  made the final edits and we called it a finished (but always improving) policy book.

Also during the week, I worked on presentations both in office and at home.  In addition, I wrote a short (500 word) article to share with Seaside what we have learned about B Corps and invite them to find their role to B involved.

It is exciting to have opportunities like this to invite others to join in an experience that I am very proud to B a part of.  I am enjoying writing, and am anxious to speak, about what it mean to B a part of the B community.  Next week on Wednesday I will present to Amavida employees: what it take to become a B Corp (the certification process), what a B Corp is, how they are different from other companies, how they are good for the company, the community, and the individual, as well as, how we are B Leaders because we choose to B involved.  Then on Thursday, as mentioned in previous posts, Sophie and I will present to students with the Ohana Institute the best business practices B Corporations employ and/or strive to achieve.

B there soon.

“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”
-Hal Borland

Week nine:

Before leaving Dan, now back from Montreal, with the promising, almost finished policy book for a final review, he provided me with the information I needed to complete the details regarding worker compensation and I added them in.  After making this addition he reviewed and approved the forms I composed, while he was away, for: recording the Worker Health and Safety Committee meeting actions and attendees, and reporting/recording Injuries and Accidents.  Also this week, when working with Sophie, we went over the best business practices affecting Workers and continued developing our presentation focus and content.  Over spring break I promised to send the details of the best practices in the Impact Assessment regarding Community and Environment for her, and to review them myself; so to keep the great momentum.

Our last action before taking a break for spring was, the long anticipated, phone call with B Lab.  The call was conversational and the focus was very professional.  The call lasted just over 90 minutes and was a well facilitated interview.  Dan described company practices, gave examples of procedures, and listed resources, not only to validate our responses to questions from the Impact Assessment, but also to give additional insight into the character of the company.  So far the phone call has been the most interpersonal part of the process; verbalizing the story we have been telling through a questionnaire set a new tone for the (what I thought was already personal) process.

There is more than one reason to B involved. What is yours?

This new level of engagement with B Lab had benefits and challenges of its own.  Nevertheless, there was no question Amavida qualified by the standards of the Assessment; and so, when I returned from break we would begin step two.

Week ten:

Since spring break, Dan and I spent a whole day working on step two of three, submitting documents.  This action serves as a follow up to the conference call.  B Lab ask companies to submit documents verifying their responses’ to 8-10 questions, randomly selected from the Impact Assessment (step one).   We completed 88% this Monday.  (If I haven’t already mentioned; a huge part of the B Corp process and practice is third party verification; or accountability.  Unfortunately, the rest of the documents aren’t the kind that are readily accessible and will take Dan some phone calls, or digging, to provide.  I am confident, though, we will B there soon!  Examples of the information the provided documents will describe are: the percentage of growth in full time employees over the past year, how many products have been source reduced in that last fiscal year, % of  total cost of materials (excluding labor) sourced through small-scale suppliers (i.e. suppliers or cooperatives with supplier members that have fewer than 50 employees), how we ensure that fair wages are paid to suppliers in low-income, poor or very poor markets and what % of those materials are certified fair-trade or fair-wage, as well as, what benefits are offered to full-time tenured workers.

Then, Wednesday was spent, entirely, working on the upcoming presentation Sophie and I are giving at the Ohana Institute.  In the morning I contributed to the outline of the presentation.  Over lunch we discussed further our purpose and message, Sophie committed to creating a visual aid, and we made an action plan for accomplishing the remaining objectives to complete the presentation.  We are to present Thursday, April 3rd, 2014.  I am looking forward to presenting together and am very proud of our topic. We are exploring B Corporations and focusing on the best business practices that compose the criteria required to be a B Corp, in addition to celebrating the spirit of excellence that surrounds all involved in the B community.

B Persistent.

This past week Dan was in Montreal for the Coop Coffees’ “green meeting” and so, Sarah and I worked together to polish the policy book Dan and I have been working toward for Amavida.  Thank goodness Sarah showed up when she did to collaborate on the, now over 20 page, policy book that has developed.  We spent the past week looking for gaps in our operation and discussing possible training procedures and communication processes to implement, as well as, future information to record to achieve Amavida’s goals.  From which, I created forms for recording meeting minutes and submitting injury and accidents to the Worker Health and Safety Committee.  In addition to these changes/additions made, we also made necessary edits to find consistency in grammar and content for a finished Policy Book.

Also, this past week I worked with Sophie, a student from the Ohana Institue.  We discussed chapters 4-6 of “Growing a Business” (a book we are reading, and learning from, as entrepreneurs) and reflected on the best business practices, as emphasized by B Lab, for our coming presentation to the school.  This week’s lessons focused on Governance.  This coming week we will consider Workers and the Environment.  After which we will study what I have learned about the best business practices regarding Community.

 

Love Life: ‘B’ part of the change.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

Week seven:

This week began on Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, sitting-in on another (leadership) staff meeting.  I participated by sharing Dan’s and my most recent accomplishments regarding Amavida’s B Corp certification, our progress with the policy book, and what to expect next.  Also, during the meeting I learned Sophie was on holiday from school this week, so we would not be working with her again until the coming Monday (Feb. 24, 2010).  After this Dan and I went back to work, further editing the policy book and making revisions where necessary.

In the afternoon we took our work to the roaster where the multitasking began.  Now, feeling more comfortable with the arrangements of the policy book, we changed our focus to making notes of the training or record-keeping procedures that will need to be implemented to align the new or amended policies.  For example, tracking the amount of community development/volunteer hours contributed by Amavida employees each year as a part of the Volunteer Service Paid Time Off program.  While we pondered these things, Dan was also roasting espresso and explained to me the basics of the process.  (This experience is a highlight of this internship thus far!)  The last task of the day revolved around a light discussion on the possibility of performing a Life Cycle Assessment.  We found, before making any decisions more research needed to be done on the topic; and so, I did some research while Dan finished roasting.

First thing Wednesday I met Sarah, Amavida’s Outreach Coordinator, who joined Dan and I, with a fresh eye, in looking over the developing policy book.  In addition to making more edits, the three of us discussed and I documented the details of Amavida’s Recovery and Recycle Program.  Also, during the course of the day we were contacted by B Lab.  They confirmed the submission of the Impact assessment and scheduled step 2 of the process, a 60-90 minute phone conference/review.  On my own time, I added more content to the policy book, transferring First Aid Instructions and Safety/Security Rules from Amavida’s existing (previous) policy manual.  Finally, I shared with Dan what I have learned about performing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).  It turns out that the research required to complete a thorough LCA would be as, if not more, extensive than what was required for the completion of the B Impact Assessment.  For now Amavida will consider an LCA a possible future objective.

Point B

Week six:

By the end of the day Monday, February 10, 2014, we finally were prepared to and did submit the B Impact Assessment.  Although we have not yet been contacted by the B Lab; We made it to point B! So far, B Lab has made the certification process easy through the provision of useful tools like: the “Improve Your Impact” link, (for the most part) clear definitions of the terms and practices addressed throughout the questionnaire, symbols attached to each question that signal the weight of the question and it’s answer as they are relevant to best business practices, as well as, resources that calculate data for question answering.  Not to suggest there aren’t challenges involved.  This process takes a lot of time and data collection, and possibly, policy implementation and additional employee education/training.  Before getting to the point of submission we spent the day gathering a little more data with a representative from Gulf Power who performed an energy efficiency audit at multiple locations.  Also, earlier in the day, I sat in as Amavida’s Worker Health and Safety Committee, created consequent to the B Corp certification process, had their first formal meeting.  I contributed by formalizing the intent and practices of the committee in the policy book Dan and I have been revitalizing.

When we met again Wednesday, Dan and I took a step back, not making any more additions to the policy handbook as was current, and discussed possible: arrangements, edits and omissions.  It was very helpful to stop at this point, because the growing length of Amavida’s policy book, and walk through its content.  We are currently using Microsoft Word to create the documents and have chosen to use a numbered outline format to arrange the contents.  After discussing and making note of corrections with Dan, I went to work executing our solutions.

In addition to these activities, both days this week I had the pleasure of working with Sophie, a student at the Ohana Institute, who will ‘B’ involved in learning along with Dan and I until, and presenting with me at, the end of my program (internship).  Sophie is involved in this learning experience as a part of a program with her school, as well as, from her own ambition.

Dancing to the ‘B’ Beat.

Weeks four and five:

These past two weeks the policy writing has continued, and now we are that much closer to dancing to the B beat.  By formally writing or expanding their policies Amavida can express to employees, consumers, and suppliers alike that they are not only talking the talk but also walking the walk, “officially.”  My latest contributions in documenting Amavida’s business practices include: an explanation of the financial controls they devote to protecting against financial fraud, a policy describing the actions they take to reduce corporate travel, and the procedures, benefits  and protections in place for employees who commute to work. At this point I had a complete first draft outlining the developing policy handbook, reviewed it with Dan and began to make the edits and omissions we discussed.  In addition, we also began documenting the company’s recycle, reclamation, and reuse program, and charitable giving practices.

Also I learned about organizations BALLE and Green America, who we chose to join, as they share similar ambitions of Amavida and B Corps.  To learn more about them visit:
https://bealocalist.org/
http://www.greenamerica.org/

Around all this, I was also able to introduce the concept of becoming a B Corp to a group of marketing students, from FSU Panama City; they are learning and working with a co-op of the company, Chez-Amavida.  After explaining my role, I observed, as owners, Dan and Phil spoke with them about the company, its vision, goals, values, and beliefs, along with the role the students could take in promoting the essence of the company.

Become.

“Through others we become ourselves.”
― Lev S. Vygotsky

Along with beginning the B Impact Assessment, Amavida and I have begun to reach a new level of self-awareness.  This is partly due to a service offered by B Lab I discovered over the weekend (which proved valuable this week helping us complete the assessment) that clearly lays out the areas where we have room for improvement and growth; I found it under the “Improve Your Impact” link.  My understanding of how they get this information is: they weigh your answers on the assessment and balance the unique information you provide against the weight of the answers reflecting best business practices.  After which they apply the information in a spreadsheet.  Nevertheless, I was excited to begin the week by sharing this information with Dan, because, this service provided us with something we initially hoped to get out of this experience, a foundation for growth.

Last week I got a head start in outlining a framework for Amavida’s Policy Handbook using the entirety of the assessment.  Now, with this new discovery, we were able to reference additional material, unique to our needs, for composing a quality set of guidelines.

Furthermore, this past week (Jan. 21st and 23rd, 2014) I continued the drafting of policies.  Through the documentation and inclusion of Amavida’s practices and those aligning them with B Corp standards of excellence, Amavida is becoming an exemplar organization with a written framework built on the best business practices.  This week I composed sample policies of practices like these to include in Amavida’s Policy Handbook; such as, flex-time scheduling options, maternity/paternity leave, and a Supplier Code of Conduct.  In addition, a formally written, Sustainable Purchasing and Hiring Policy was added, including a: local purchasing policy, local hiring policy, fair trade purchasing preference policy, and an equal opportunity employer statement.  Meanwhile, Dan was able to complete the “Governance” and “Worker” sections of the assessment, leaving only “Impact Business Models.”  To obtain the information I needed to create these policies I used resources provided by B Lab, referenced the policies guiding the founding B Corps., and researched other third party organizations with high standards of organizational excellence.

Beginning

“With my career I want to either make something or make an impact. Writers both make something, and make an impact.
”
-Jarod Kintz, This Book Has No Titile

This being said, I welcome you to read along, for the next 13 weeks, as I write a journal documenting my internship experience with Amavida Coffee and Trading Company.  This journal is going to cover our journey through the process of becoming a B Corp certified company and it is my hope that making this journal will have an impact equal to that of the achievement of our goal.  Continue reading to learn about Amavida, B Corp certification, myself and our mission, as well as how the collective will have a positive impact on our local community and beyond.

To begin I would like to introduce Amavida Coffee and Trading Company:

Amavida Coffee and Trading Company is a fair trade coffee supplier in the Panhandle of Florida, who has made it their mission to align the success of their company with the success of the community.  Their mission expresses, “At Amavida Coffee we are committed to building long-lasting caring relationships with our customers, farmers, environment, suppliers, employees, and finally our community.”  Recently, as a result of such ambitions, they decided to explore the possibility of joining a unique community of businesses who are “using the power of business to solve environmental and social issues”; I am describing B certified corporations.

B Corp. stands for Benefit Corporation.  “B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”

How do I fit into all of this?  Currently I am a senior pursuing a B.A. in Communication Arts with a minor in International Relations through the University of West Florida.  After meeting Dan Bailey, President, with Amavida Coffee and Trading Company, I was introduced to a unique opportunity; work as an intern for 15 weeks, with: Dan as a mentor, the aim of achieving B Corp certification, and the intention of giving two presentations upon completion to reflect on the value of the experience and the impact the change will have within the company and community.  Before graduating in May 2014 it will be my pleasure to complete this internship for a final credit.

In order to achieve our goal we first have to complete the B Impact Assessment.  Fortunately, full of enthusiasm, we began the project a week early (Dec. 30, 2013).  Had we waited until the official start, on Jan. 6, 2014, we would have missed the valuable time it took us to recognize the depth of the assessment and to wrap our heads around a course of action for completing our objectives.

Week one:
On Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, I began the day by participating in a weekly staff meeting.  During this meeting I was reacquainted with my new colleagues, listened to each discuss intentions for the week and express questions or concerns as they were relevant to the topics touched on, plus, I was given the opportunity to further introduce my mission and involvement with the company.  After which Dan and I committed to one of the six sections composing the B Impact Assessment, Community, and spent the remainder of the day following this course.

We also spent Thursday (Jan. 9, 2014) working in the Community section, successfully completing it before the end of the day. Several of the questions required the use of Excel to organize large amounts of data for answers, or, researching information regarding suppliers and employees; for example, to check against a census revealing if they were located in low income areas.  One question specifically asked for the percentage of Amavida’s significant suppliers who were located in low income communities.  For me this meant entering each supplier, from a long list, by address into a database which then directed me to the information needed to determine the income level of their local community; all to answer one question.  However, after answering a few deep inquiries like this, not only had I begun to learn a lot about the operations of Amavida, but also I was beginning to grasp the importance of taking the time to ask and answer such questions.

In addition to the insights coming from my experiences, listening to Dan express his interest in becoming a B Corp and explaining the potential from such a change the intensity of where our actions will lead became a bit more clear.  Although, the more clear the outcome possibilities become the more I realize how big the picture I am looking at really is, and that though I am seeing more clearly I am not yet seeing the picture completely.

Nevertheless, thanks to a head start, by the end of week one I had already contributed 40 hours of effort becoming familiar with Amavida, the expectations of the B Impact Assesment, and my role regarding the project.

Week two:
This week began, Monday Jan. 13, with an espresso at Amavida’s Seaside location, where I ended up working digitally for most of the day, followed by a 10:30a.m. meeting with Pam Avera, Seaside’s Vice President and General Manager, Clark Wolf, Food Consultant, and others who were excited to hear more about the B Corp breakthrough in our community.  What a pleasure this was!  It was they day before when they saw Dan who described to them our goal of achieving B certification that they asked for a bit of my time so I could explain my role.  Turns out they are not only familiar with the mission of B Corp but also excited to support Amavida and I in our effort to inform the surrounding community of ways to ‘B’ involved.

Working digitally this week gave me a great opportunity to conduct research using the B Impact Assessment, Amavida’s Employee Handbook, and various other sources regarding writing and organizing company policy.  I completed an outline following the structure of the assessment and including policies already in place, as well as, those which may be added.  In fact, a draft of a whistleblower policy, which may be added, was among my other accomplishments this week.  We have found that several of the best practices highlighted in the assessment are already being performed by Amavida but are not formally written.  Additional areas of growth or improvement have also been discovered and recognized as likely be written into the organization’s maturing framework.

If you have read to this point then you are caught up on a bit of what I have learned and all I have achieved thus far.  Thank you for being involved! And, because you are, it is worth mentioning this is a starting point for us all.  For more learning, and to stay caught up, explore these links:
http://www.bcorporation.net/
http://amavida.com/