Module 14
To the exec: Today is your chance to really get critical, to question, to poke and prod until you have shaped exactly what you need (don’t worry, we’ll explore any refinements too). If the workshop was research, intelligence gathering, the collation of contributions, this is the deeper discussion, a chance to tease out every angle, very honestly, and get right to the bottom.
No disruptions!
One of the toughest challenges for execs is getting time to focus uninterrupted, but to succeed in these sessions, uninterrupted time is everything.
Openness
This is your final point of deliberation when it comes to very important decisions. Be open, critical, debate, leave no stone unturned.
Space
A big flipboard or white board helps keep the ideas flowing and unrestrained. Space to think, deliberate, test and jot down every thought is important!
40 minutes
A few years back, Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, started doing something unusual with their P&L, or so the story goes.
They didn’t just ask, ‘What’s profitable?’ They asked, ‘What’s profitable because it’s sustainable?’ They looked across their massive portfolio, over 400 brands, and asked which ones were genuinely aligned to long-term value: not just financially, but socially and environmentally too.
What they found was remarkable.
Brands that had a clear sustainability or human mission; brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, and Ben & Jerry’s, were consistently outperforming others. In fact, Unilever later reported that these brands were growing much faster than the rest of the business and delivering the majority of the company’s overall growth.
That insight did something powerful. It helped shift the way they made investment decisions. It reframed how they resourced teams. And it gave their P&L a new role, not just as a record of where money was going, but as a reflection of what they were building for the future.
They didn’t abandon profit. They just started seeing purpose as part of the profit engine, not in opposition to it.
And that’s exactly what today is about.
Your P&L already tells a story. But is it the right story? Does it show us a business that’s built for quick returns, or one that’s designed to endure?
When we align our financial architecture with our triple bottom line — People, Place, Profit — we unlock more than just a healthier business model. We unlock a lot more clarity, confidence, and a plan we can believe in, not just because it adds up, but because it stands for something.
So let’s use this time to explore what your P&L is really saying and what you might want it to say instead.
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A P&L tells us where the money is going, but it also reveals what the business is built to serve. Too often, we structure the business around short-term profitability at the expense of long-term, purposeful growth.
If we want a business that thrives across People, Place and Profit, the P&L needs to reflect that in how we invest, what we prioritise, and how we resource future value. This is our chance to start shaping the financial view to support our purpose.
Review the current P&L outline (or draft one if not yet created).
Identify:
Which service lines or business areas drive long-term purpose and sustainable profit?
Which ones may drain effort/resources without contributing well to 3P outcomes?
Brainstorm potential adjustments:
Changes in resourcing or investment
Shifts in pricing, service mix or product focus
Opportunities to realign structure towards sustainable growth
Draft a P&L for purpose snapshot with simple notes showing where future growth investment will align with People, Place, Profit aims. Key questions you might try to answer include:
Which service lines generate strong revenue and support our long-term vision?
Which activities or products are profitable now but may be undermining employee wellbeing, customer trust, or community outcomes?
Where are we overinvesting for short-term gains but underinvesting in future capability, sustainability, or differentiation? (this is a big one!)
Are there underperforming areas we keep funding out of habit, legacy, or internal politics, and do they still deserve their place? (another big one!)
Which parts of the business attract the best talent or drive internal engagement, and are we resourcing them to grow?
Where do our most loyal customers spend, and what do those choices say about what they value?
Are we pricing appropriately to reflect both financial value and impact value? Could pricing be refined for better outcomes?
What emerging trends or regulatory shifts will impact the profitability of different service lines?
Do we have products or services that disproportionately use resources (time, carbon, labour) relative to the value they create?
What small shifts in investment could unlock long-term growth in areas aligned with purpose?
If we were building the business from scratch today, which service lines or investments would we still choose — and which would we leave behind?
When doing this activity, take into account the BAU initiatives, obstacles and risks already raised in workshops and pre-work; they give insight into where your leadership team feels spend could be valuable or cut back.
Good reporting shapes your next steps. What gets measured gets attention, and what gets shared with stakeholders influences not just perception, but culture and priorities. If your stakeholders only see traditional financial reports, you’ll stay in a traditional mindset.
But if you start reporting clearly and consistently on your triple bottom line, you’ll shape new expectations, both inside and outside the business. This activity is your first step toward embedding TBL/3P in the way you think, act and communicate both internally and externally.
20 minutes
Every company reports differently due to industry, activities, sensitivities and a number of other factors, so one reporting template won’t fit all. In this activity, you are going to draft up your bespoke reporting template and how you plan to share your progress with key stakeholders.
Discuss as a team:
What will stakeholders (internal and external) want or need to know?
What level of transparency is right for you now?
What KPIs or metrics should you start reporting on? (even if imperfect)
How do you balance qualitative and quantitative reporting?
How frequently will you report — and in what forums?
In the notes section below, draft up what will be in your template.
For 3P to truly drive value, it can’t only sit in a plan or a report. It needs to really shape how decisions are made at the very top.
This exec table is where trade-offs are weighed, priorities set, and investment decisions made. If 3P isn’t actively embedded into that process, into your criteria, conversations, and governance rhythms, it will always risk falling below the line.
20 minutes
This is your opportunity to define: how will 3P show up in the way you lead?
As an exec team, discuss:
Where and how should TBL/3P factors be embedded into exec-level decision-making?
(Eg. capex, major hires, strategy, risk, product/service mix, supplier choices)
How should TBL be reflected in governance rhythms?
(Eg. board papers, quarterly reviews, investment approvals)
How do we make sure that profit, people and place considerations are part of our risk and strategic planning?
Capture 2–3 principles or agreements on how this exec team will lead 3P/TBL from the top. This can form the start of an exec-level 3P charter or operating rhythm.
