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Here are some ideas on how you can set about starting a Responsible Business Group within your company.

• Find other like-minded people to help build the Responsible Business Group – it will be difficult and lonely on your own. Unless you have approval from your company, initially, do all work on the idea in your own time. Assess the level of interest for your idea amongst your colleagues.
• Be open as you feel possible with your manager about your thoughts and plans. You may be lucky – she may agree with you!
• Do not endanger your job. Be upfront with others as much as you can. Make the point that this initiative is in the interest of the company.
• Develop a moral and business case for responsible business for presentation to senior management. Fortunately, there are considerable benefits to the company.
• Armed with the moral and business case, if you can, obtain official status for your Responsible Business Group. The idea is not dissimilar to Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or Company Affinity Groups which generally do have company support.
• Work with management to develop the idea and obtain funding and support. Secure a senior executive to sponsor your activities. Executive buy-in to the concept is vital, the more senior the better.
• Start small and build up an active committee.
• As a Responsible Business Activist always behave responsibility. Understand that management may well have different views to yourself and will most likely be incentivised towards a more profit focus.
• Build the network across all departments of the business. Encourage other like-minded employees to join the Group using word-of-mouth, newsletters and the company’s intranet.
• But only accept membership from people who understand the mission: triple responsibility for people, planet and profit.
• Ensure they sign the Group’s Code of Conduct.
• Understand, this group will be advisory and influential but not decision-making. This remains the role of the Executive.

How would the Responsible Business Group be run?

We understand that every company is different so every Responsible Business Group will be different. We hope these thoughts on how the Group could be run are useful.

• The RBG would be open to any employee of the company, who is in agreement with the principles of responsible business. We suggest these principles are formally captured and referenced frequently to ensure everyone remains focused. Our Responsible Business 2030 Pledge makes a great starting point – please feel free to use it and edit it to meet the unique values of your group. 
• We suggest you reserve the right to remove any member from the group who is not advocating in line with these principles.
• Initially, the committee would be run by a team of passionate volunteers. When established, it would be run by a Committee elected by a democratic vote of the Members. 
• For the RBG to be effective, it would need to be approved and supported financially by the company with agreed time allowances for the RBC Committee to meet during Company time.
• The Committee would agree the subjects to be discussed in the Open Forum.
• The Group would be respected and influential but with no decision-making powers.
• The Open Forum would be held under the Chatham House Rule. See Side Bar. It is vital that the Members feel psychologically safe and free to express their opinions.
• The meetings need to be well-structured and disciplined.
• Finding solutions would be an important objective of the meetings.

Chatham House Rule

When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.

The Rule explained

Any group of individuals in any sector can use the Rule as a pre-agreed guide for running an event, particularly when issues of a sensitive nature are to be discussed.

In a polarized world, used effectively, the Chatham House Rule helps to bring people together, break down barriers, generate ideas and agree solutions.

Meetings, events and discussions held at Chatham House are normally conducted ‘on the record’ with the Rule occasionally invoked in relevant cases. In cases where the Rule is not considered sufficiently strict, an event may be held ‘off the record’.

House-keeping issues for the acting committee

These are some of the basic actions you need to take at the initial stages. You need to agree:

• The Group Leadership Team and Committee – maybe, initially make it a provisional committee. In due course, select this Committee via a democratic vote of the Membership.
• The Terms of Reference of the Group.
• Agree the official title of the Group. It could be the Responsible Business Circle or Forum or whatever the Committee decide. 
• The Mission Statement, the Purpose of the Group and its clear objectives. 
• The Code of Conduct for membership of the Group.
• Regular Committee meeting times. This would need to be in your own time if there is no official approval of the Group.
• A communication strategy promoting the Group to employees and other stakeholders including investors.
• That all meetings should abide by Chatham House Rule https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/chatham-house-rule
• The Committee will need to agree the criteria for deciding on what are the critical and above all material issues.
• Hold regular Open Forums with the Company’s view-point represented. Invite specialist speakers from both inside and outside the business.  

Next: Areas of ethical concern