Business’ needs to stop beating up business, argues prosperity champion
“Prosperity isn’t just about the income statement for me anymore,” claims Mark Roberts, Group GM of Alsco NZ. Appearing
recently as part of a series of Leaders Review online and TV commentaries, Roberts used the opportunity to push a more ‘hard business’ line to business
sustainability. On the topic of prosperity, one of three sustainability ‘pillars’ (the other two being people and the
planet) he made an additonal plea to consider supplier relationships.
“Its really important that businesses don’t beat up businesses,” he says. “We have got to break the cycle - that we
allow our suppliers to be successful.”
“Sure they have to be accountable but do I think though that we’ve come through ten, to fifteen years now with a lot of
talk about ‘you need to drive efficiencies in your business’... ‘going to market, to test the market’.
“...My view is sometimes you have got to show a little faith in your relationships...understand the value that suppliers can bring to your own busness.”
Critically, he claims that it’s no accident that we have had an economy of low wage inflation. He now sees a need for
industries to move one and develop more sophisticated procurment strategies.
“If businesses aren’t successful not only are they not sustainable, they’re not going to spend money on training...on
research and development. They probably are going to have minimilist views towards health and safety.”
“They’re are going to do what they need to do – but successful conmpanies are going to do what they should be doing,” he affirms.
“Despite change and the disruptors in all indusrtires, relationships that centre around a lot of trust are
important...If you flip-flop around suppliers all the time you don’t tend to get good outcomes.”
What: Leaders Review Focus Points (2018). Short-form video series of public service messages for business by invited New Zealand business leaders (televised and
online).
Where/When: Leaders Review’s series of week-long, signature TVC spots, as they appear throughout the year just before
the 7AM National News bulletins on TV3’s AM Show. Also short-form ‘breakout’ videos on demand by leaders at LeadersReview.co.nz
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