The H Trust

Triple Line Success

Many of you are familiar with the notion of Triple Bottom Line success, where benefits to Community, Ecology, and Economy are experienced. In business language, the phrase "Doing well by doing good" often appears in the Corporate Responsibility pages. An organization, be it a For Profit or Not-For-Profit, may contribute resources intended to improve one or more of these areas. Ideally, challenges identified with respect to these three areas are seen as integrally related and solutions are therefore intended and designed to be holistic, strategic, and mutually-sustainable for all stakeholders (All Win scenario).   An essential idea is to develop a set of Guiding Principles, a Cultural Covenant, if you will. This establishes a process by which (1) vital requirements and goals are agreed upon, (2) stakeholders make additional choices for themselves (perhaps with related approvals), (3) mutual benefit is easy in that it is the path of least resistance, and (4) interdependent decision-makers are likely to choose in favor of the common good without experiencing undue burden.
Triple Top Line Secures Triple Bottom Line	Key Points
Community   Consider "community" as "common unity," or those ideas that identify, activate, and express the common good. The opportunity to be a successful organizational citizen and community member is based on many things. Among them are (1) developing an understanding of the social, environmental, and economic climate of the "place;" (2) cultivating meaningful relationships with stakeholders and non-stakeholders alike; (3) comprehending existing inter-dependencies and needs; (4) insisting on mutually-rewarding agreements; (5) nurturing a true sense of belonging; (6) aligning personal values with organizational and community values; (7) modeling a compassionate presence that conveys all of the above and more; and (8) evolving together.	Community Understand Climate Cultivate Relationships Add Meaningful Value Improve Quality of Life Create Work/Employ Talent Co-Evolution and Growth
Ecology   Ecology refers to the interrelationships organisms experience with each other and their environment(s). Expanding the notion of organism, consider interrelationships among humans, earth (land, trees, etc.), and animals, as well as the living micro-organisms within (e.g., bacteria). Regardless of scale, everything is linked.   Ecological systems occur in dynamic equilibrium, or balance-in-motion. Keep in mind that this dynamic cycle may seem instantaneous or occur over minutes, days, seasons, decades, even millennia. Sometimes the cycle is determined by the extent to which sub-systems become imbalanced, the triggers and thresholds in place, and the energy (type and quantity) required to restore balance.   Another ecological notion is that of waste = food. In other words, the outputs of one process are the inputs to another. There is no waste as everything has value. We humans hold the concept of away. Products are thrown away. People don't lose their jobs, they go away. Our unsightly stuff should be put away. In fact people who offend us are also put away. It has become a problem that the away place seems to be requiring more and more space, resources, and cost. At the same time it contributes to the triple threat of dysfunctional communities, toxic environments, and non-productive members of society.   Building on this foundation, so to speak, consider human-centric places since we spend most of our lives indoors. People often distinguish between natural and built environments. Natural environments tend to convey a sense of meaningfulness, immortality, healthfulness, beauty, vitality, nourishment, peacefulness, and inherent connectedness - or biophilia. Our built environments - particularly those that enclose our work and institutional services - tend to elicit much different perceptions and experiences. Rather than acting as rigid molds that shapes our behavior, buildings need to serve as extensions of who we are at our best.   Recognizing the benefits of ecological, or Green design, there are many improvements to be realized. Among the increased triple line value are enhancements in health, performance, and satisfaction; reductions in energy and resource consumption; connections with nature inside and out; and habitats for people, plants, and critters that renew our vitality. For many of us, our homes afford us more opportunities to express ourselves, support healthful lifestyles, raise families, empty nests, age-in-place, and connect Heart with Home.	Ecology Employ Holistic View Understand Scale-Linking Mimic Natural Systems Waste = Food Avoid "Throw Away" Mindset Ecological / Green Design Behavior-based Design Connect Heart with Home
Economy   One might say that economy is the expression of daily living in that it comprises systems of value, organizational entities, resource management, product manufacturing and distribution processes, administrative and service activities, human (and other) relationships, consumption, renewal, fulfillment, etc. In holistic terms, an organization's economic success is linked to the success of its stakeholders: employees, strategic partners, customers, communities, institutions, and relevant governing bodies to name several apparent ones. Economic success loops design, create, and adjust healthful sustainability.   In some ways, the most altruistic organizations may wish to succeed so well as to work themselves out of work. For example, a health research enterprise achieving its mission by eliminating a particular disease may wish to re-mission and apply their expertise to another venture.    Speaking practically, organizations must sustain themselves in order to continue their high-value missions. Sometimes altruism overtakes capacity resulting in a venture eliminating its ability to nourish and sustain itself. In other words they put themselves out of business before completing their missions. An holistic business model that is aligned and integrated with the mission model provides mutually-sustainable solutions.	Economy Design Success Loops Consider Venture's Life Cycle Realize Mutual Value