Asian Institute of Management

The Leader to Leader Institute collaborated with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) to host a Pre-Conference Seminar on Meeting the Collaboration Challenge at the 4th Annual Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) on September 7, 2005 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The AFCSR highlights innovative programs and best practices in CSR by corporations in Asia. AFCSR is an Asian Institute of Management conference under the auspices of the AIM -- Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Responsibility -- a research and program center. In 2005, the AFCSR theme was: "Exploring CSR Strategies for Business: How the right strategy for CSR can make business more effective." Over 400 delegates from 18 countries attended this conference to advance new thinking and standards on CSR and to promote CSR as a key strategy in addressing public needs and problems.

Many CEOs and managers from various companies and organizations -- such as The Robin Hood Foundation, Shell, Coca-Cola Foundation and the United Nations Development Program -- presented at the plenary sessions. Tex Gunning, Group Vice President for Unilever Asia and Erna Witoelar, UN Special Ambassador for Millennium Development Goals, stressed in their presentations, the need to integrate economic, social and environmental strategies in combating the pressing issues that we are facing in our world today. Tex Gunning stated, "Partnerships are required to solve the largest challenges, and combining financial and social capital is needed." Erna Witoelar emphasized the need for shared responsibility through holistic approaches, synergistic relationships, and a multi-stakeholder approach.

A team consisting of Leader to Leader staff and trainer presented the Meeting the Collaboration Challenge Workshop at the Pre-Conference Seminar and delivered remarks at the Final Plenary Session: CSR Strategy for Effective Business.

At the Meeting the Collaboration Challenge Pre-Conference Seminar, over 42 participants attended from a variety of companies and organizations such as GE India, Kondur Petroleum, PPM Institute of Management, Nike Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Intel Philippines, Unilever Indonesia, Community Business Hong Kong, Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium, etc... The audience was quite diverse with representation from Denmark, Thailand, India, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and China. The workshop incorporated case studies and innovative examples from Unilever Indonesia, Community Business Hong Kong, Marriott Indonesia, and updates on the video case studies from the Collaboration Challenge Video and workbook, in addition to a group breakout discussion on barriers and successful characteristics to effective collaboration.

The Leader to Leader Institute also participated in the Asian Expo, Meeting of the Minds Forum and the Final Plenary Session. Many delegates discussed the challenges of collaboration, differences between East and West approaches and perceptions of CSR, and acknowledged the need for strong leadership in building effective partnerships, effective results and effective change.

The Leader to Leader Institute's participation reinforced our beliefs that a healthy society requires three vital sectors of a public sector of effective governments; a private sector of effective businesses; and a social sector of effective community organizations.