Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Biomimicry: Gain Competitive Business Advantage with Mother Nature- The Guru of Green



Imagine a system that has been conducting research and design not for tens, hundreds or even thousands, but billions of years. What if you took these time-tested principles, and applied them to other systems? From a systems perspective, mother nature is a design expert, and has been the greatest model for innovation.

Mother nature is the guru of green design. Take a closer look at the way in which the natural world makes and does things, and you will find the equation for sustainability. (You will also find an equation for un-sustainability). Businesses can find the "green-prints" by looking more deeply at nature's systems, "products" and services.

You will find the same design principles replicated in all of nature's systems and creations- from a single blade of grass to an entire ecosystem. Nature does not waste any resources, it uses benign materials and manufacturing (that are biodegradable), waste from one organism is food for another (cradle to cradle design), nature runs on free energy such as sunlight, uses elegant chemistry to build and grow, utilizes cyclical rather than linear cycles, and relies on feedback loops to ensure continuous efficiency and improvement.

Perhaps the most important principle is that nature creates systems conducive to life. 

This underlying framework keeps everything working together, in balance, in sync and in harmony, at an optimal level.

Man tends to create systems that are not conducive to life, and we are feeling the effects of this careless thinking today with global climate change. We are also experiencing how intricately connected we are to every other aspect of this system.

By appreciating, learning from and utilizing nature's life-enhancing principles, man can create self-sustaining, healthy, lean, energy, time and resource efficient systems. If we combine these principles with human innovation, and capitalize on our intellectual capital, we can create resilient, self-sustaining systems that are just as efficient, earth and human-friendly as those we see in the natural world. This sustainable systems design process, inspired by nature is called biomimicry.

These systems principles can especially be replicated in any business- small to multi-national, and in any industry. By unlocking the secrets to nature's success, we can not only improve our business systems, but watch them adapt, grow and evolve like a living ecosystem or organism.

One example of a universal "law" that can be applied to multiple types of systems is that of creating a niche. Imagine your competitors not only wanted to take your customers and assets, but also wanted to eat you! How’s that for competition? You would probably develop some way to avoid or beat your predators and the competition within your species. That’s exactly what nature has done.

Nature is the consummate innovator because it has to be.

Every species on the planet that we see today has developed some type of mechanism for survival that was better than its predecessor. Survival is a great motivator, if not the best for aggressive innovation. What we see outside today exists because it is what lasts, and has outlasted the competition. Innovation in nature has lead to each species creating a niche.

Some of the most successful businesses have also created a nice niche for themselves, where the competition is little or none. Why spend money on advertising why you are better than the competition, when you can simply create a niche market that no other company fills? Nature has learned that a key element to survival is innovation for competitive advantage, or even better, filling a niche so you eliminate any competition whatsoever.

Business leaders can strengthen and improve their businesses by incorporating these sustainable, innovative, competitive systems principles into their corporate DNA, while at the same time safeguarding the environment.

Another example of applying natural law to a business system is the law of diversity. If you look at a top-tier ecosystem such as a rainforest, you will find abundant diversity in all plant and animals species. If one type of organism gets sick, there are many more to keep the system running smoothly. Let's say you are putting a team together to work on a special project. Would you ask three people with similar backgrounds and knowledge, or three people with diverse sets of expertise and insight?

The law of diversity can also be seen in an investment portfolio, where "diversifying investments" is constantly emphasized. That's one reason why mutual funds are so appealing; nature never puts all her eggs in one basket (unless of course, you are a bird). A diverse system, (whether it be a rainforest or a business) is a strong system that is risk averse.

Conversely, a system such as a lawn is susceptible to a multitude of risks, including over-watering, under-watering, insect infestation, the family pet, too much sun and too little sun. A lawn is a "tier one" ecosystem with one species of grass that requires large amounts of time, resources and management. Can you imagine a rainforest being managed? Rainforests, (which are "tier 3" ecosystems), need no "management" because they are diverse, strong and therefore self-sustaining (amongst other reasons). Therefore, one possible indicator of a weak, un-sustainable system is that it requires lots of management.

Speaking of management; business leaders hire employees that are self-sufficient and bring value to the company. They do not hire people who need to be constantly directed and advised. A common characteristic of a strong company is one in which the employees are highly capable, and require as little management as possible.

If you are an entrepreneur trying to grow your business, you probably want to manage your employees as little as possible so you can invest your energy and time in more important things. You want to put strong people and systems in place, and watch your company adapt to change in the market, grow, and even evolve on its own, similar to a self-sustaining rainforest.

Environmental excellence cannot be achieved through the pursuit of perfection, because it does not exist.

Nature is continuously innovating and evolving, 
it is never perfect. 

It learns, then adapts, grows and evolves. The "goal" is to survive, and as a result, nature focuses on excellence, not perfection; and optimization of resources and functions, not maximization.

These are only a handful of examples of how businesses can learn from and apply nature's infinite reservoir of design knowledge to improve their business systems. Challenges we face today have already been solved after billions of years of research and design.

The answers can be seen in the intricate and complex relationships, niches, survival mechanisms and systems designs nature has created. The answers to our most pressing questions and business challenges are just outside your door.


See http://www.biomimicry.net/ for examples on how to combine human innovation with nature's genius.
Re-Think and Re-Imagine Everything!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/profiles/view/id/21440

Friday, January 11, 2008

Why Going Green is $Green$

Lessons I learned from Sustainability expert Bob Willard:



Awakened consumers and concerned institutional investors are pressuring companies to be more responsible about their environmental and social impacts. Consumers and investors have added their voices to the previously lonely solos of NGOs and concerned scientists to form a chorus of demanding stakeholders.

A grassroots groundswell of consumers, stockholders, institutional investors and economists such as Nicholas Stern of the World Bank are prompting businesses to adopt sustainability principles. As a result, corporations have to respond to these market forces and the smart ones will clean up. This momentum is the main driving factor for business professionals to integrate sustainable practices as a competitive business strategy.

Whether you call it sustainable design, sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) or the triple bottom line, it all focuses on one thing: asset management. Sustainable business leaders value their financial, manufactured, natural, human and social capital alike. They recognize the value of each, rather than measuring growth based upon economic success alone.

CSR is morphing from optional, marginalized philanthropy to mainstream strategic corporate practice; from a feel-good factor into a fundamental risk-management factor; from charity to enlightened self-interest; and from being fashionable to being a strategic business imperative. “Sustainability” is becoming synonymous with “high performance.

http://www.bestgreenblogs.com/greenblogs/add/


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