The creation of Zero Wasted Potential
Zero Wasted Potential started off in life as a belief in a future state of work that could change the world for individuals, business, and society, through focusing on what businesses can do for and with their existing people, as well as looking at ways they can (and need to) tap into the potential of people from vulnerable, excluded, and marginalized groups. “Zero Wasted Potential, for individuals, business, and society” became the purpose and catch cry of Siobhan Savage and her band of fellow ZWPers at workforce intelligence startup Reejig, including her co-founders Mike Reed, and Dr Shujia Zhang.
From the beginning, Zero Wasted Potential was the purpose — and what Siobhan, Shujia, and Mike built supported that goal.
As Yvonne Chouinard intimated in the Patagonia manifesto, Let My People Go Surfing, without the commercial success of Patagonia no one would have listened in the same way to what Yvonne had to say about how to create a win-win for business and the environment. Similarly, in order to Zero Wasted Potential to win at scale we unapologetically acknowledge the importance of Reejig’s commercial success. Equally though, we are intensely serious about the necessity to make a genuine and significant, purposeful impact when it comes to unlocking potential in people.
Zero Wasted Potential is about identifying pathways that enable businesses to fulfil ESG responsibilities around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and bringing two-way visibility at scale between people with skills and jobs that need doing, irrespective of their background. This creates value for the business, both in the shorter term through financial and cultural value, and in the longer term, through bringing online talent from diverse backgrounds that simply has not been unlocked before.
This work and the evolution of Reejig’s technology platform powered by the world's first independently audited Ethical Talent AI and endorsed by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer continues globally, at a rapid pace..
The role Zero Wasted Potential plays in your ESG strategy
When thinking about ESG issues and what it really means to equip companies and organizations to act responsibly, we learnt more about Zero Wasted Potential from people and business leaders around the globe. First, we learnt that Zero Wasted Potential is a super resonant form of encapsulating the call to action to commit to unlocking potential in people! And we learnt that there is so much bottled-up wisdom amongst people and business leaders that is just waiting to be unlocked and shared, so that we might learn from each other.
There was a sense that the ‘wisdom of the crowd’ coming from leaders — from what was working for them as well as what wasn’t — as well as the thought leadership coming from consultancies like McKinsey and Deloitte, and global organizations including the World Economic Forum and United Nations, in conjunction with the academic evidence base - could help move the collective mindset on what is possible today. After all, we can only intentionally change something if we recognise it as something that, at the very least, may benefit from being changed.
Zero Wasted Potential is inspired by the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our aim is to tangibly contribute towards the remainder of the UN’s “decade of ambitious action to deliver the Goals by 2030”. We believe that it can contribute in the world of work towards the “unstoppable movement pushing for the required transformations” necessary to meet the UN’s goals. We must all do our bit, and Zero Wasted Potential can be your bit, too. Why?
Zero Wasted Potential; a co-created movement
Zero Wasted Potential as a movement in the world is being co-created by business and thought leaders, so that we can learn from one another about tools, initiatives, and strategies that help to unlock wasted potential in people, including people from marginalised, vulnerable, and excluded communities.
The co-creation at this early juncture is in the form of interview-driven and evidence-based blog articles, as well as with conversations with business and thought leaders and disseminated via the Zero Wasted Potential podcast.
Co-creation calls for radical courage, trust, vulnerability, and effortful collaboration.
It calls on partnerships to drive meaningful measurement that can inform “how to get to Zero Wasted Potential”. It calls for our recognition that, as Paul Kelly sang, “from little things, big things grow”. We can make a difference, and whilst we may achieve less than we aim to in a day - in a year or a decade what is achievable may surprise us in its multitude. Most of all, co-creation of Zero Wasted Potential calls on you to think about how you might contribute.
What you can do to play a role in creating Zero Wasted Potential
Right now, my question to you is; what is one pearl of wisdom you can contribute to Zero Wasted Potential that might constructively inform what, why, or how leaders help unlock potential in themselves and others?
Reach out and share your wisdom, please. Our focus is on ‘fitting our own oxygen mask first’. Helping equip leaders with the wherewithal (skills, insights, and confidence) to unlock wasted potential in themselves and those around them. We have heard from countless leaders already that one of the greatest barriers for them when it comes to unlocking wasted potential is confidence.
Behind the scenes, we are underway with further developments that not only serve to articulate the depths of Reejig’s commitment to a world of Zero Wasted Potential, but also offer you the opportunity to outline your own commitment. For now, though, please do get in touch!
Remember:
Think to yourself ~ What is one way I can help the next person I talk with feel seen, heard, and valued?
You don’t need to agree with a person to validate their feelings and their perspective. Even in a small way, it all counts; unlock some potential today!
