Every ten years or so, something happens that changes our whole perspective, essentially changing the way we live our lives. The downturn in the economy this past year is reshaping many of our lives. The effects will be long lasting for many of us. I would like to make the case that one of the outcomes of this downturn will be a renewed respect for the people and corporations that are upfront and honest with us; those that incorporate transparency into the way they do business.
For the last few days I have been listening to the heated debates on public health reform. We all know that something needs to be done to improve our health system so why are we so angry. The answer is that we do not trust our elected officials. There is no transparency. The proposal for reform is so complicated that none of us can read it. We are not sure if the government has our best interests at heart. So we get angry. Anger is what happens when one feels helpless.
There are countless examples of this lack of transparency in government and industry today. The organic movement started because we were not sure of what was in our food and we wanted better choices. If you still have doubts read "Swindled by Bee Nelson". Bad food has a history and it is a fascinating story. It seems to me that one of the reasons for this lack of transparency is that we are scared. We know that we have not always done the right thing. We are human and we make mistakes. Circumstances, mis-information, a lack of understanding of the issues all can contribute to a bad decision.
It is almost always better to tell the truth and correct the situation. As quick as we are to get angry when we feel that we are being put in a corner, we are just as quick to forgive when we feel that somebody is being honest and forthright.. In business we know that the most loyal customers are those who feel that their concerns have been addressed. Transparency is just a buzz word for many people but it is an important indicator of the way in which the world is moving. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are putting everything out in the open. We need to do the same.
On our website we hope to bring you more information about all aspects of our business. We have a new ethical sourcing section where you can meet the suppliers of our ingredients. We are working hard to expand the list. On other parts of the site you will find information on our packaging and other green initiatives. We hope you will browse our site and we look forward to getting your feedback.
