Alexandre Marvão, 2023.
Team Leader Mobility & House Management Deco Proteste
AASO Vice President
James P. Carse theorized that there are two types of games. “One can call himself finite; and the other infinity. A finite game is played with the purpose of winning, the infinite game is played with the purpose of continuing to play.” This theory fully applies to the issue of sustainability and business management.
We can manage the business with a view only to achieving and winning a certain “prize”. That award will simply be a title and will always have a temporal and ephemeral end. On the contrary, we can value the purpose of guaranteeing the continuity of the game, without a temporal end, as recognition of the quality of the services provided and the financial return that allows to keep the game indefinitely, always in continuous victory.
With regard to business management, the application of sustainability principles, encompassing environmental, social and economic issues, considered today as fundamental axes for the “salubrity” of the business, is the only way to make the game eternal.
Of course, it is always possible to bet on finite game management, looking for immediate gain regardless of one, two or all three sustainability axes. But this path of “scorched earth” produces nothing more than immediate gains, with no future and no hope of returning to play.
The triangle, Environment, Social and Government, in a vision integrated into the acronym ESG, now composes the indicators for assessing the viability and ethics of companies, through which consumers, investors and regulators will value or penalize at various levels the areas of business and companies.
These three axes were supported by the United Nations with the development of the 17 SDGs – United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which propose a commitment by all to Sustainability. The 17 Goals with 169 targets are the steps identified to guarantee a fairer, more dignified, more inclusive and sustainable World and must be achieved by 2030.
Management with ESG principles, sustainable and with clear objectives and goals framed in the SDGs, is the only way for the business areas and companies to be eternal, guaranteeing investment, obtaining a greater financial return and recognition and deference by customers. But only for those with the vision and ambition to embrace them.
