STOP PRESS – after 14 months work with the MACS Team – in November 2024 certified with 84.5 points and are now a B Corp! Such brilliant news!
Here’s how we supported adventure tour operator MACS Adventure, on their B Corp certification journey.
MACS are a significant player in the active-travel tourism sector. They create and self-guided walking and cycling holidays from their UK, USA and German offices. The brand is a respected choice for independent, active people who don’t want to be part of the crowd.
My role is to guide, facilitate and empower the team to achieve the skills of credible and sustainable business practices. One of my key outcomes is the teams positive mindset and ‘can-do’ attitude.
This approach will allow them to scale the business sustainability and resilience as the company grows and adapts to future challenges
The challenges facing MACS
1.Overwhelm – too busy
The SLT had had started the B Corp project but it felt unwieldy, too much complicated language, and too overwhelming to know where to really start. They needed help to gain momentum.
2. There’s a lot going on
MACS is a global business. They have 3 wholly owned subsidiaries, 3 offices and over 180 staff. They have over 1000 suppliers and the business is expanding.
3. Trips have plenty of moving parts
MACS already had much good work to show. But, like many companies, they were not ready to prove it, the team weren’t as engaged as needed, many suppliers weren’t involved in the process. They were not “evidence-ready.”
The Coaching Approach
Gaining confidence
Initially we worked together to break down the project into user-friendly chunks. Where people had got stuck or overwhelmed, I took time to explain the broader meanings, translating the certification process for their learning style, job and role.
We held weekly meetings with team members to ensure everyone was supporting, collaborating and confident.
Critical friend, consultant, advisor…
The certification brings up many issues that companies have to have a position on. Part of my work is to provide research, bring in new thinking from the industry, help shape choices and provide best, and innovation, practices.
Frequently extra support is given to help ease stress and hassle; including providing resources, policies, procedures, performance indicators, surveys, and ‘how-to’ guides, impact reporting frameworks and more.
Results
A confident and resilient team
The MACS team effectively navigated cultural shifts, fostering engaged and confident leadership.
This approach also mitigates corporate risk, prepares them for regulatory and ESG compliance and helped develop a loyal, reliable team.
Sustainable Development Goals
Aligning their purpose and positive impact goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, gives the team a longterm positive, a ‘North Star’ to focus on, across all of their work.
Trust and transparency
Consumers and stakeholders increasingly want credible information they can trust.
The partnership with ecollective on trip carbon-labelling, enables greater carbon transparency; trackable and transparent over time.
What Next?
To see MACS Adventure’s latest Impact Report, read here.
Watch their website for Carbon Trip Labelling – coming soon.
