Sustainability Initiatives on My Radar - December 2022

TRBusiness Magazine published its sustainability newsletter for December 2022. In this edition, spotlight is on recent sustainability initiatives. Below you may find the top 3 initiatives on my radar.

Ferrero - Supercharge Sustainability in 2023

• A top ambition (and challenge) for the company currently is increasing the circularity of its packaging without neglecting other relevant environmental impacts, such as reducing emissions from its own operations by 50% by 2030.
  
• To contribute to packaging circularity, they are designing all their packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
• The company’s goal is to reduce its use of virgin plastic by 10% and boost the uptake of recycled content in its plastic packaging to 12% by 2025.

The full story: https://www.trbusiness.com/regional-news/international/ferrero-to-diversify-product-portfolio-and-supercharge-sustainability-in-2023/227914

Mondelez World Travel Retail - Support Cocoa Communities

• A dedicated mobility project is helping children and small businesses access tricycles as part of a collaboration between the Mondelez World Travel Retail team, the Cocoa Life programme and Child Rights International.
• The tricycles offer children a means of transport to and from school, improve their punctuality, reduce educational contact hours and helps students to enrol or even re-enrol.
• The activation includes a life-size tricycle that travellers can ride to better understand the project, pickup chocolate from Toblerone and even purchase activation-exclusive shopper bags. Proceeds from the sale of the shopper bags are being donated to the tricycle project.
• The company aims to help cocoa communities thrive and support community members with access to transportation and education – to help create a more sustainable future.

The full story: https://www.trbusiness.com/regional-news/international/mondelez-wtr-initiative-empowers-cocoa-communities-in-ghana/227321

Imperial Brands’ ‘spin and win’ game spotlights sustainable agenda

• Within the exhibition area at 2022 MEADFA Conference, the company showcased a sustainably produced booth that served to underline ‘the company’s commitment to a better climate’.
• During the event, delegates were being encouraged to spin a wheel to win one of a number of sustainable prizes, including an insulated cup, wireless charger, earphones or notebook and pen. At the same time, they had the chance to enter a prize draw for a holiday to Athens. The lucky holiday winner, announced at the end of the conference, was Nestlé ITR Key Account Manager Hanno Hellwig.
  

The full story: https://www.trbusiness.com/regional-news/middle-east/imperial-brands-spin-and-win-game-at-meadfa-spotlights-sustainable-agenda/227269

Looking forward to a healthy new year that allows us transforming for good, and driving positive change forward in a sustainable world!

The Stone Is Heavy in Its Place

I wrote the title ("The Stone Is Heavy in Its Place") without much hesitation, while Norah Jones was playing in the background on Sunday morning, December 4, 2022. When we stay in our environment for a long time, we establish not only physical but also emotional bonds with that environment. This being the case, we continue our lives in our comfort zone.

My brain has encoded the concept of "comfort zone" in such a way that it is as if it is an addictive harmful substance as dangerous as a "drug". Is that so? I had many moments where I forced myself, questioned myself, tried alternatives so that I would not stay in my comfort zone. I recently experienced one of these.

And I said it was not worth it, I tried to run away by slipping the experience I had into my pocket as an earning. I kept my professionalism by taking a deep breath and swallowing in an environment where many people would slam the door because of my politeness. I just silenced my ego, and saw the earning of the day: got to know new people and environments, realized the value of what I had in my hand.

A person cannot differ the value of his/her belongings after holding the value of what he/she has for a long time. This is the case for health, as well as for all other material and spiritual assets... That's why I said "stone is heavy in its place" while sipping my tea this Sunday morning. If you can show your presence in your environment, be you, live together with those around you (I don't want "live" to be confused with breathing), then you have a presence in that environment. Let there be minuses, wonders, maybes, and "I hope"s. They are things that are always in life, in every environment. Mankind always questions, dreams, wants better and somehow ignores the value of what he has or does not realize that value at all. When he hits a wall, or just about to hit it, he turns around and looks at what he has in his hand, and he becomes grateful once again.

"Sustainability", one of the most popular concepts of our age, appears here again. Maintaining our presence in the environment we are in, going forward and expanding is a choice, just like leaving that environment and entering another struggle for existence in a new environment. Then we come across "harmony". Whether you call it, it is an adaptation process and there is no guarantee whether this process will be successful or not. It's a risk, it's getting out of your comfort zone, it's a struggle for a new existence. Sometimes you look forward to this struggle, you take that risk, you either win or learn and move on. Sometimes, you realize that you should not enter that struggle from the beginning, and you realize that you need to maintain your presence by protecting your position. This is not to leave the comfort zone, but to be protected from unnecessary experiences. Because the stone is heavy in place...

Taş Yerinde Ağırdır

4 Aralık 2022 Pazar sabahı arka fonda Norah Jones çalarken böyle bir başlığı ("Taş Yerinde Ağırdır") çok tereddüt etmeden yazdım. Bulunduğumuz ortamda uzun süre kaldığımızda o ortam ile sadece fiziksel değil gönül bağı da kuruyoruz biz duygusal insanlar. Hal böyle olunca, "ayrılık da sevdaya dahil" diyemiyoruz ve konfor alanımızda hayatı sürdürüyoruz.

"Konfor alanı" kavramını beynim öyle bir kodladı ki sanki bir "uyuşturucu" kadar tehlikeli, bağımlılık yapan bir zararlı madde. Acaba öyle mi? Aman konfor alanımda kalmayayım diye kendimi zorladığım, sorguladığım, alternatifleri denediğim pek çok anım oldu. Bunlardan bir tanesini de yakın zamanda deneyimledim.

Deneyimledim de ne mi oldu? Değmezmiş dedim, adeta deneyimlediğim tecrübeyi bir kazanç olarak cebime atıp kaçarak uzaklaşmaya çalıştım. Kibarlığımdan pek çok insanın kapıyı çarparak kaçacağı ortamda derin bir nefes alıp yutkunarak profesyonelliğimi korudum. Gurur yapmadım, egomu susturdum, insanları ve ortamları tanıdım, elimdekinin değerini fark ettim.

Fark etmiyor insan elindekinin değerini uzun bir süre elinde tuttuktan sonra. Sağlık için de bu böyle, tüm diğer maddi ve manevi varlıklar için de... İşte bu yüzden bu Pazar sabahı çayımı yudumlayıp demlenirken "taş yerinde ağırdır" dedim. Ortamınızda varlığınızı gösterebiliyorsanız, siz olabiliyorsanız, çevrenizdekilerle bir arada yaşayabiliyorsanız (nefes almakla karışmasını istemem) işte siz o ortamda bir ağırlığa sahipsiniz demektir. Varsın eksileri, acabaları, belkileri, inşallahları olsun. Onlar hayatın hep içinde, her ortamda olan şeyler. İnsanoğlu hep sorgular, hayal eder, daha iyisini ister ve elindekinin değerini bir şekilde göz ardı eder ya da o değerin hiç farkına varmaz. Ne zaman ki bi duvara toslar ya da toslamasına ramak kalır işte o zaman şöyle bir dönüp bakar elindekine, avcundakine, çevresindekine ve şükreder. 

Çağımızın en popüler kavramlarından biri "sürdürülebilirlik" burada yine karşımıza çıkar. Bulunduğumuz ortamda ağırlığımızı koruyup sürdürmek, ileri gitmek, genişlemek bir tercihtir tıpkı o ortamdan ayrılıp yeni bir ortamda varlık mücadelesine girmek gibi. O zaman karşımıza "uyum" çıkar. Adına "ten uyumu" da deseniz "kültür uyumu" da deseniz bir adaptasyon sürecidir ve bu sürecin başarılı olup olamayacağının bir garantisi yoktur. Risktir, konfor alanından çıkmaktır, yeni bir varlık mücadelesidir. Bazen bu mücadeleyi gözünüz kestirir, o riski alırsınız, ya kazanır ya da öğrenir yolunuza devam edersiniz. Bazen de o mücadeleyi girmemeniz gerektiğini tecrübelediklerinizle en başından kestirir, mevcudiyetinizi, bulunduğunuz konumu koruyarak sürdürmeniz gerektiğini anlarsınız. İşte bu konfor alanından çıkmamak değil gereksiz deneyimlerden korunmaktır. Çünkü taş yerinde ağırdır...   

Use the 'Milk Carton Rule' to Solve Problems

When you are faced with problems where another person's actions impact you negatively, you ask the question: “How do I make them change?” Our natural response is to demand that the other person change their behavior. But the reality is that most people won't change, at least, not when we want them to. Continuing to focus on the other person only causes us continued frustration.

How do you solve this problem? How do you make things better when others refuse to change?

I recently read Justin Bariso’s article about Milk Carton Rule which is a key rule for emotional intelligence development.

Solve problems by focusing on what you can control

The milk carton rule is the story of two people, let's call them Nilgün and Volkan. (Ooops, Nilgün is my wife's name - am I so brave to use her name here?)

Every morning, Nilgün gets up early for work, makes coffee, and runs off to the office. Many mornings, though, Nilgün forgets to put the milk for her coffee back in the fridge. When her husband Volkan wakes up a few hours later, he finds a carton of warm milk on the counter.

Over and over, Volkan gets frustrated and confronts Nilgün about it when she returns home. Nilgün always apologizes, but she continues to make the same mistake. Volkan brings up the problem one day to his therapist, to show the type of behavior he has to deal with. 

Therapist: "How often does she do this?"

Volkan: "I've lost count."

Therapist: "For how many years?"

Volkan: "At least 10 years, ever since she took this job."

Therapist: "So, do you base your prediction of what will happen every morning based on what she does or what you want her to do?"

Volkan: "I base it on what's right. And what she'd do if she truly loved me."

Therapist: "So, let me get this straight: She's done this hundreds, possibly thousands of times."

Volkan: "Yup. See how inconsiderate she is!"

Therapist: "But after hundreds or thousands of times, you're still shocked at her behavior. Shouldn't you expect her to leave out the milk? Are you basing your expectation on what you want or what she's done?"

Volkan: "I guess on what I want."

Therapist: "Now, how would you feel differently if you based your expectation on what she actually did, instead of what you wanted her to do?"

Volkan: "I guess I wouldn't be so angry. I'd just get two containers of milk."

As this problem illustrates, we cause ourselves unnecessary frustration when we continue to demand that reality be different from what we want.

In other words, by recognizing that reality isn't always the way we want it, we can focus on solving the problem, instead of repeating a cycle of frustration and anger.

And that brings us to the milk carton rule, which simply states: "Instead of dwelling on what you can't change, focus on what you can." For instance, you can buy two cartons of milk, instead of getting upset and having the same argument over and over.

In almost every case where you find yourself frustrated by others, you have a choice. You can bask in negative emotions and feel sorry for yourself or you can use your feelings as a catalyst to take a different approach to solving the problem.

And if you simply can't fix the problem, you may just have to accept this as reality. That doesn't mean you approve of what the other person is doing, just that you recognize that you don't have the power to change the situation. Doing so can help you focus on other problems that you can solve, which leads to better work, and a better life.

So, the next time you face a problem caused by others, don't get mad. Instead, follow the milk carton rule and use principles of psychology to close the gap between your expectations and reality.

Vitesi Boşa Al Kendini Yokuştan Sal (Arasıra)

Bazen, ama gerçekten çok nadiren şöyle boş boş vakit geçirmek biraz kafayı boşaltmak harika bir his. Paha biçilmez ve kesinlikle bireyin ihtiyacı. İşte bu Kasım ayının ilk cumartesi sabahı benim için öyle geçiyor. Buraya da not düşmek istedim, arasıra bir ara verin ve kendinizi rölantide çalıştırın, sonra vitesi yükselttiğinizde "iyi ki" diyeceksiniz.