a waste of everyone’s valuable time, because the chairmen and CEOs just could not seem to find a way to turn the definitions of these values into a practical implementation plan.
That’s when Efrat and Jason came up with a brilliant solution, one we still use today, which is a series of forums that each focus on certain values in order to move them forward. They decided to start with the four values that everyone could most easily agree with and understand: Giving, Volunteering, Sustainability, and Financial Freedom. These were the four values that were already becoming entrenched within Arison Group businesses and organizations.
For example, some of our companies were already strong corporate supporters of the communities we operated in. Many employees were already volunteering. Sustainability was a value that was already living and breathing within Shikun & Binui, our infrastructure and real estate company, which takes on large-scale building projects around the world. Financial Freedom had become the vision at Bank Hapoalim.
As the chairman of our philanthropic organizations, it felt like a natural fit for Jason to lead the forum that focused on Giving and Volunteering. Likewise, since Efrat was chairman and CEO of Arison Investments, she was the perfect person to lead the forum that dealt with Financial Freedom and Sustainability.
Employees for Change
The forums were announced and employees from within each entity were asked to step forward if they felt they wanted to be involved. Because this concept of the forums was brand new, no one really knew what would happen, but a few passionate employees stepped forward and took on the challenge.
The two initial forums started with about seven employees each. There was one representative from each of the main businesses and organizations within the Arison Group. This was the first time that all the businesses and philanthropic organizations came together. In each of the two forums, the small groups sat together, and many people got to know one another for the first time. They talked about what the values meant to them and how they thought they could implement the values in practical terms across the board within the Arison Group.
I did not take part in the forums; however, I was and continue to be updated regularly. I was very adamant that although I agreed on starting with four of the values, it was important to me that the entire model of thirteen values be implemented and that we must find the way. It was understood that it was imperative to make each value practical, understandable, simple, and tangible.
From my past experience, I knew very well that “theory” doesn’t transform anything. You have to translate vision and values into practical terms. The only way to create real change is to engage people and get them moving so that they can truly integrate new ideas.
Because the representatives in the forums already had the backing of the various chairmen and CEOs, it then became the role of each of those employees to go back to their respective companies or organizations and implement what was agreed upon within the forums. Implementation was accomplished by planning various activities and projects that supported the essence of the value, which would cause the value to come alive within the business or organization. For example, it was agreed that all employees across the board would go through Sustainability training and Financial Freedom workshops. It was also agreed that all companies and organizations would join in on Good Deeds Day. And of course, many more ideas are constantly being implemented.
It was so incredible when all this began to happen. Within the forums, employees were able to express their voice, make a difference, be creative, and become a part of the bigger picture. The forums also brought the separate companies together as a whole with a common purpose. They each moved from being separate entities to becoming a collective “we,” something I had desired for a very long time.
As each member within the forums shared their ideas, challenges, and successes, everyone else was able to learn and share as well. Within a few meetings, the group members were coming up with creative solutions, and before long, they were celebrating and sharing the successes they were experiencing. We even had a couple of Doing Good Conferences so everyone could share what was happening. Even I was amazed!
With so much going on, it wasn’t long before more and more people started hearing about the forums, and the numbers of attendees kept increasing. The forums are still operating, meeting quarterly, but when the number of employees grew to more than sixty or seventy people in each forum, it was decided to split the forums, going from two to four forums, in order to keep them effective. We have also begun introducing new forums that are now advancing other values within the broader Doing Good Model.
Meeting of the Minds—Business and Academia
Since our goal is to have all thirteen values living and breathing within all areas of the companies and organizations, and we didn’t find a practical way to implement them all at once, we needed help. That was when we decided to turn to the academic world. My team at the Arison Group found the right mix of academic partners who could help us translate our model into an integrated workshop that would introduce all of the values.
We found a passionate and professional group of doctors and professors from top American universities including Harvard, Thunderbird, George Mason, and Babson College. They began researching and putting together curriculum through constant collaboration with my team at the Arison Group.
The academic team then visited our operations in Israel in order to see for themselves what was being done, and we were amazed by everyone’s enthusiasm and comments. The academic team had never seen anything like this before. They did know of many other companies around the world that were sustainable, for instance, or worked with some of the values. However, they had not seen such a diverse operation of companies in such different fields, including philanthropic organizations, implementing such a wide range of values.
I must say that the academic team is amazing. Through their process of research and their skills as educators, they developed an incredible pilot workshop that was held first for our forum members. The employees from the forums gave their comments as to what worked and what did not work, and what they felt could be implemented in their respective companies and organizations.
The academic team took the feedback from those participants and reworked the workshop, redefined it, and presented it again, this time to the chairmen and CEOs. I took part in that workshop and was deeply touched to see that for the first time, even the skeptics were convinced. The next step was to take the new workshop and engage the next level, including the different boards of directors and management teams.
The Doing Good Model workshop, as we call it, gives participants a unique experience of how values impact them individually and within their business and philanthropic lives. I’ve seen people come out changed. The professors use academic-style business case studies, interactive activities, short videos, and team break-out sessions to keep everyone’s attention and really help participants integrate and understand the transformative value that the values have. As a logical next step, we have launched together with our academic partners a train-the-trainers course in order to bring the workshop experience to more and more levels of our organizations.
The Doing Good Endowed Professorship
I invested in an Endowed Professorship at George Mason University in Virginia, USA. in order to advance research into values-based leadership. The research being done has taken on a wide focus. It began by looking into the history of corporate values and how these manifest within the individual businessperson, the organization, and society in general. The research mandate also includes determining the best ways for values to be taught so that the right questions or case studies can be posed to get business students thinking.
The Endowed Professor is also developing practical inclass exercises so that students can understand how various values apply to
