As climate change causes worldwide concern and prompts calls for governmental action, consumers are putting the onus on businesses to step up their sustainability standards and practices. A Nielsen survey, for example, showed that 81 percent of global consumers feel companies should help improve the environment. And with governments across the globe struggling to reach an international consensus on climate change, close observers of business and the environment, along with a high number of CEOs, agree: Private industry should take the lead in driving sustainability.

With corporate CFOs expressing worries that 2020 could bring a recession, businesses small and large know they need to hope for the best, and brace for the worst. But, as important as business savvy and financial expertise can be in riding out difficult times, other traits also come into play and may be just as essential, says Marsha Friedman, a successful entrepreneur who still leads a business she launched three decades ago.

Why do some people feel SOP is a bad word? Why would anyone resist a standard operating procedure (SOP)? Committing a procedure to paper seems to make sense, but then there are complaints like, “We need to stay nimble,” “I already know how to do it,” or “It's too complicated to put into words.”

In many businesses a wide gulf exists between ownership and the workforce, a disconnect that can leave employees feeling undervalued and wanting to leave. The high cost of replacing them means it’s important to find ways to retain the best performers, and studies show that transparency and education from the top can be a solution, boosting employee engagement and motivation.