Harini is a strategic HR Leader with proven expertise in organisational restructuring for M&A and Change Management. A design thinking practitioner, behavioral analyst, transactional analyst, and innovator, she is a strong advocate of the concept of Happy Workplaces. Harini has been leading the HR function in MNCs and is a guest faculty at prominent B schools and universities.
Ever wondered what would it look like if the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, was nothing but love lore between profit and purpose? Intrigued? Our columnist, Ms. Harini Sreenivasan, tries to give you a sneak peek into this ‘once in a lifetime’ love story through her latest writeup.
Once upon a time, a little baby was born in the concrete jungles of Corporate Inc..Although he was rather tiny, his parents Mr. CEO and Mrs. CFO were overjoyed at the very first sight of his bright face. They decided to call this young chap ‘Profit’. Since he was their precious newborn, he was very well taken care of and was nurtured in the best possible manner.
While the young lad was growing up, somewhere in the shanties was born a beautiful baby girl. She had a pretty face and lovely eyes. Let’s call her Ms. Purpose since her eyes appeared to speak volumes of all that she wanted to do in life. On the contrary, life was not very good for her. She was brought up in an orphanage and had to struggle for survival. But a brave fighter that our little Ms. Purpose was, she never gave up.
Our young hero, Mr. Profit started to grow steadily under the strict vigil of his parents and a team of experts all of whom mysteriously had the same name, “CA”. During his growing up years, he encountered teething troubles and other illnesses too. The initial few years were difficult especially when an epidemic called ‘recession’ hit his clan. However, Mr. Profit miraculously survived all odds and kept growing. Soon he transformed into a strong and sturdy young man with looks that could kill and health that shone bright like the Sun. Mr. Profit miraculously survived all odds and kept growing. Soon he transformed into a strong and sturdy young man with looks that could kill and health that shone like the bright Sun. Mr. Profit had a confidante in his aunt, Ms. CHRO and would often be seen sitting in the study and listening to her stories. He had spent all his youth in a secure environment and often wanted to see the outside world. He was extremely curious to peep outside the metal walls of his vault and through the glass façade of his home.
One day, curiosity got the better of Mr. Profit and he decided to go for a stroll with his aunt Ms. CHRO. They sneaked out of the large secure gates of Corporate Inc and ran into the streets. Ms. CHRO took him to meet a few friends and make new acquaintances. She wanted him to be exposed to the realities of the world. They walked down the paved roads and onto the muddy paths in the shanties. All along the way, Mr. Profit kept looking and observing as much as he could. Suddenly he saw an unforgettable sight and froze. There was a bright young girl sitting on the sidewalk, teaching a bunch of street kids. She seemed to be the most beautiful girl on this planet and he could not take his eyes off her. The girl was none other than Ms. Purpose. It was love at first sight! Ms. Purpose knew that she had met the love of her life and Mr. Profit was sure that she was the one. Well, all this and more did not miss the attention of his aunt, Ms. CHRO!
The next morning Ms. CHRO called an important family meeting to break the news that it was time for Mr. Profit to get a life partner. The parents exchanged quick apprehensive glances. But Ms. CHRO was very firm. This being a serious matter, it was immediately referred to the elders in the family and discussed further. The family high priests pronounced that Mr. Profit will soon take the vows with Ms. Purpose. This union was designed for creating a positive impact in the areas of education, poverty, gender equality, and hunger.
Ms. CHRO then introduced to Mr. CEO and Mrs. CFO a certain Ms. Philanthropy, a distant cousin of Ms. Purpose. This meeting was extremely fruitful.
Ms. Philanthropy had been playing a key role in collecting funds from the rich and distributing to the poor. But unfortunately, these efforts were not making the change she wanted to see in society. She knew that she was able to provide for food, clothing, education, etc. but she was unable to bring about a transformation. Now she knew, the only way she could see her dream come true was the union of Ms. Purpose and Mr. Profit, the scion of Corporate Inc.
Needless to say, after this commitment to CSR, Mr. CEO, Mrs. CFO, Ms. CHRO and all the people of Corporate Inc and the society lived happily ever after.
Disclaimer: This article is a work of fiction. Reference to any gender or role is purely coincidental and used to give a dramatic effect to the story.
Loved the simple straightforward style of not just you writing but also for way you wove complex business models into a nice little family story.
Reading through I was imagining visually as if it was a screenplay of the script which make a nice family story much like Ms. Purpose, asking Mr. Profit “Ham Aapke Hai Kaun,” that bring Mr. Profit to say, “Dil Diya Dard Liya” and that “Dastaan,” continues even today.
Coming to the fact though there’s a lot mote seriousness one has to attach to this aspect of CSR and cut out bureaucratic hang-ups for budgets, etc., after getting the data and the proect report. They can deliberate it at length but when the proposal gets accepted the whole thing should flow with uninterrupted commutment from everone concerned at all levels, all places. That’s a “happy marriage.”