Companies can learn a lot from associations with social purposes, activists and non-profit organizations. And vice versa. And they can do it in areas that go beyond values, purpose and positive impact, such as leadership, management or strategic planning.

This was evident during the celebration of the third edition of Public Affairs Forumthe meeting of Public Affairs executives in Spain. The event was organized by NITID Corporate Affairs (formerly MAS Consulting) in collaboration with Apple Tree and Dircom, on November 14.

The edition was carried out under the concept “Social activism on the public agenda: lessons and opportunities for the corporate world”, and in its first debate table, moderated by Luis Aguado, Managing Partner of More in Common, it brought together individuals and activist organizations.

Thus, attendees were able to learn better about the work of Adopt a grandparent, through its CEO, Alberto Cabanes. As explained, the organization offers an intergenerational companionship program for people at risk of loneliness and through its platform it connects lonely older people with volunteers who accompany them on a recurring basis.

For its part, Majo GimenoCEO and Founder of Moms in Actionapproached the activity of this association that takes care of hospitalized boys and girls who do not have parents or whom they cannot take care of. Thus, it provides support during hospitalizations, regardless of the type of illness they suffer from.

AND Olivia Mandleenvironmental activist, shared her work. The young woman is a popularizer and defender of animal rights. For more than four years he has been promoting the social campaign “It is not a country for dolphins,” with which he raises awareness and pressures to achieve the closure of dolphinariums in our country.

They all shared their social entrepreneurship experiences, their motivations for doing so and the nature of their activity. They also reflected on the perception of the third sector or the complex relationship with the administration, both in terms of financing or independence and collaboration or bureaucracy.

From reason.Why In this article we collect some of the key points of the conversationbecause we understand that they can be useful and inspiring in your day-to-day decision making, the strategic development of your company or your vision of leadership, as well as your individual emotional management.

The importance of self-care

This was, precisely, one of the points that reflected the convergence between social organizations and companies, since the speakers shared what demotivates them and what helps them move forward with their projects. They all draw energy from the positive impact they generate on people and the environment, but they recognize that activism and the fight or defense of a cause can impact well-being.

Alberto Cabanes (Adopt a Grandparent) highlighted the importance of self-knowledge and self-care. “When you start, there is a moment when there is no distinction between person and project.”, he commented. “I try to practice disaffection with the cause, that is, taking care of myself so as not to endanger my job or the organization.”.

For his part, Majo Gimeno, (Moms in Action) pointed out that it is essential to deactivate the “savior syndrome.” “Until recently, the thought that more can always be done sapped my energy, and so did the expectations of the rest of the world. The long-distance race to make everyone love you is exhausting. But I have understood that one can only try to give the best of oneself and do what is in one’s power.”.

Lessons for companies

The speakers also shared with the audience some lessonss that consider that large companies can learn from their work and activity, from achieving objectives with much more limited resources, to processes or managing the relationship with stakeholders or society.

Cabanes, for example, highlighted the relevance of have a purpose and to have a mission beyond mere economic results. “Companies must learn to have a purpose and that the consequence of this is economic activity. Business models can be built based on purpose, because otherwise they are soulless companies that make wrong decisions against people and the planet just to achieve an objective set by the market.”.

For her part, Olivia Mandle invited to evaluate the execution power of activists. “Activists are people who take action, who look for solutions to problems and execute them.“, he explained. “Many times the efforts of companies simply remain on paper and are not carried out. Companies can involve activists, join forces and make decisions to change things”.

For her part, the CEO of Moms in Action encouraged companies to promote their power of influence and generation of positive impact, as associations do, and also to look beyond economic value. However, he also put on the table what social organizations can learn from companies, such as the professionalization of the activity, resource management, long-term strategic planning or financing.

The relationship between companies and activism

The relationship between companies and activists, which can sometimes be a source of tension due to the pressure that the latter exert on the former, was also one of the points of conversation during the Public Affairs Forum. The speakers pointed out that although collaboration is often necessary to achieve real and tangible changes, In others there are situations of opportunism.

The alliance authenticity is key, according to Olivia Mandle. “I only work with companies to which I can contribute something and who can contribute to the cause I defend; with which you have aligned values“, he noted during his speech. “Greenwashing is a serious problem and no longer has a reason to exist. Companies have to be honest with what they convey to the public and what they ask of people”.

The CEO of Adopt a Grandparent reflected on this same idea, emphasizing that the key must be value contribution, in both directions. “For us, for example, it was very difficult for us to start working with the residences, for them to open their doors to us. But they began to open them to us when they saw that we were coming to help and add value, not to report that something is not right, which is something that we obviously also do when necessary.”said Cabanes.

Communication in activism

Throughout the discussion table there was also a moment to focus on the communication and the role it plays in the work carried out by activists and social organizations. The speakers agreed on the importance of internal or personal management of their channels as a way to convey their messages in the best way.

In the case of Adopt a Grandparent, the CEO of the organization explained that they have an internal team of four professionals who are in charge of video production and editing, and communications on social networks, among other things. Although for very specific pieces they have an external production company. He also highlighted his involvement, as project leader, in communication.

For his part, Majo Gimeno shared his experience with outsourcing and partner support. “We’ve told them what we do, but we felt like something wasn’t quite aligned. Now we have a person who manages communication and it is evident that he lives what we do, that he knows the message, and it is appreciated in the transmission of the discourse and values.”.