What are the Blueprint Principles?
Drawing on the core thinking and behaviours set out in the Framework, Blueprint’s Principles offer a picture of what a purpose-led organisation might look like. They set out the attributes of a purpose-led business along with illustrative actions that flow from those attributes.
Understanding business as a series of relationships
Our starting point is that a business is first and foremost a series of relationships, and business, society, people and planet all benefit if these relationships are based on respect. We often, therefore, refer to the Principles as a ‘relationship map’. Each section focuses on a key relationship and sets out where an organisation seeks to get to rather than where it is. The points in each section are not intended to be exhaustive but are designed to help businesses challenge themselves.
Business is part of society
The Principles position business as an integral part of society, the outcome of which is long-term sustainable performance. At the centre is the commitment to being led by a purpose that benefits society and respects people, and thereby generates profits as an outcome.
Being purpose-led is about more than having a purpose.
The emphasis on people and relationships is as important as the stated purpose.
The four outside quadrants on the Principles diagram represent the relationships which are constitutive of the business’ success, rather than instrumental to maximising profit or pursuing purpose in an exploitative way. To be purpose-led it is not enough to focus on having a purpose that envisages a positive impact if the organisation doesn’t create the conditions worthy of people’s commitment. For example, a company could have a purpose that focuses on having a positive impact on the environment yet not treat its people well, it could seek to have a positive social impact, and yet create environmental damage. The purpose needs to feel authentic both internally and in the way the organisation interacts with – customers, suppliers, employees, communities, future generations – these are all people and a purpose-led business will seek so far as possible to have a positive impact on their lives.
Enabling and welcoming public scrutiny
Alongside the commitment to purpose (shown in the centre of the Principles diagram) is a commitment to enable and welcome dialogue. This reflects the fact that a purpose-led business seeks not only to hold itself accountable but also to be with and alongside people rather than doing things to and for them.
The core idea here is that a business creates shared goods through the quality of the relationships it creates and sustains. Like a friendship between people, these relationships only exist as shared goods and depend on the quality of commitment the parties make. The Principles, therefore, highlight the importance of intangible assets expressed in these relationships necessary to long term success.
How do businesses use the Blueprint Principles?
At first sight, the Principles can look like a compliance tool or tick-box. They are not. They are intended to provoke a business to consider its impact on all of its relationships – to create a purpose-led culture – adopting a long-term approach that delivers sustainable performance that benefits both business and society and attracts support from responsible investors.
The bullet points in the quadrants are not intended to be exhaustive of everything a purpose-led business needs to do. They are a constant reminder and provocation of the range of relationships any business needs to think about, recognising of course that some are more material to business success than others, but that none can simply be ignored or undermined.
For a detailed exploration of each of the Principles see: Understanding the Blueprint Principles