Plan A is for real

Sometimes hubris comes cheap. We 'big up' our big ideas and no one hangs around long enough to see them fall drastically short. Plan A is Marks & Spencers strategy to be the most sustainable retailer in the world (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a) . Hubris? 

The photo above shows Emerging Leaders (www.emerging-leaders.net) this week with the boss of Sowathe Tea in northern Rwanda. He is holding up a box of M&S tea. People pick that tea and process that tea and ship that tea - the supply chain. We are here this week giving testimony to the fact that the workers of this part of the M&S supply chain are getting world class leadership training to lead them and their families out of poverty and they are each charged with the task of sharing everything they are learning with at least 20 young people in the next month (60% of Rwanda is under 24 years old). 175 trainees x 20 each = 3,500 in the community. And that is just the start. We then return and train local trainers to reach the youth and workers in the rest of the area.

So its for real. When you see that embossed slogan on the wall of your local M&S shop as you go up the escalator - 

"Fair Partner - we'll help to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in our supply chain"

...........be assured...........its not hubris.