When we scope a strategic planning engagement with a business, one of the first things we want to understand is where the organization stands on social and environmental issues. Not because we’re pushing an agenda — because it shapes the plan.
For some businesses, this is already central to who they are. For others, it’s something they care about but haven’t formalized. And for some, it’s never been part of the strategic conversation. Whatever the starting point, we talk with our clients about how social and environmental impact can be included in their planning process — and where it creates the most value.
Vianova has been a Certified B Corporation since 2008. We’ve spent nearly two decades balancing purpose and profit in our own business. That experience informs how we help clients think about integrating impact into their strategy — not as a separate initiative, but as a thread that runs through the goals they’re already setting.
Where Impact Shows Up in a Strategic Plan
Social and environmental impact doesn’t have to be its own pillar. In most cases, it integrates naturally into goal areas the organization is already working on.
Operations. This is where environmental impact lives. Goals related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, minimizing waste, or building more sustainable supply chains all fit within an operations strategy. For businesses just starting this work, even setting a baseline and committing to reduction targets is a meaningful first step.
People and culture. Employee engagement, employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, professional development — these are social impact goals that directly affect retention, productivity, and organizational health. Businesses that build these into their strategic plan treat people as a strategic priority, not an HR afterthought.
Community engagement. How does the organization show up in the communities it operates in? Volunteer programs, local partnerships, pro bono work, charitable giving — these can be formalized as strategic goals with measurable targets rather than left as informal, ad hoc activities.
Products and services. Some businesses have opportunities to reduce environmental impact or increase social value through what they sell, not just how they operate. This is where innovation meets purpose.
Governance. Transparency, ethical practices, stakeholder accountability — governance goals ensure that the organization’s commitments to impact aren’t just words on a page but are built into how decisions get made.
The specific goals depend on the organization, its industry, and its starting point. The role of the facilitator is to help the leadership team see the opportunities, decide what matters most, and build those commitments into a plan they’ll actually execute.
Start With a Baseline: The B Impact Assessment
One of the most practical tools we recommend to businesses exploring this work is the B Impact Assessment, developed by B Lab — the nonprofit behind the B Corp certification.
The assessment evaluates your organization across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. It’s comprehensive, it’s well-designed, and it gives you a clear baseline of where you stand today.
Two things businesses should know about it. First, it’s free. Second, you do not need to pursue B Corp certification to use it. Any business can take the assessment simply to understand where they are and identify where the biggest opportunities for improvement exist.
We can incorporate the B Impact Assessment into a strategic planning engagement to give the planning team concrete data to work with — not just aspirations, but a scored baseline they can set goals against and measure progress over time.
Why This Matters for Small and Midsize Businesses
Large corporations have dedicated sustainability teams, ESG reporting requirements, and public accountability. Small and midsize businesses often don’t — which means this work either happens intentionally through strategic planning or it doesn’t happen at all.
That’s a missed opportunity. The businesses that integrate impact into their strategy are better positioned to attract and retain employees who want their work to mean something, build loyalty with customers who care about the values behind the brands they support, stay ahead of regulations rather than reacting to them, and differentiate themselves in crowded markets where products and pricing are increasingly commoditized.
This isn’t about checking a box or producing a glossy impact report. It’s about making deliberate choices — during your strategic planning process — about the kind of organization you want to be and building those choices into the goals, strategies, and accountability structures that drive your business forward.
We’ve Been Doing This Since 2008
We don’t advise clients on social and environmental strategy from a textbook. We advise them from experience. Vianova has been a Certified B Corporation since 2008 — among the first wave of businesses to adopt this purpose-driven approach. We measure our own success across revenue, impact on workers, clients, community, and the environment.
That perspective shapes every strategic planning engagement we facilitate. We know what it takes to integrate purpose into strategy because we’ve done it ourselves — for nearly two decades.
If your strategic plan doesn’t include social and environmental goals, or if you want to formalize commitments your organization is already making informally, let’s talk about how to build it in.
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