The process of concept and design has always fascinated me and it is an important, if not the most important part of sustainable development.

It is the next great design challenge: how can products be made in a way that have no negative environmental or social impact, that are attractive and desirable, built to last and can be repurposed at the end of their life?

In the apparel industry, this design challenge should be addressed from the top designers if it is going to take hold in the larger market. Luxury brands and high fashion designers are powerful enough to make industry-wide changes because they are the ones who set the trends. The problem is, sustainable technology for making these fabrics and garments does not currently exist in the depth necessary to see this kind of sustainable innovation, and we must work to change this.

This calls for a Design Thinking Exercise, which we can start by simply asking a question: how can the apparel industry reinvent itself to create a more meaningful experience through clothing? Retrofitting the standard operating procedures in use today may be a good temporary solution, but it would not be a complete solution, because you cannot take away old ways of thinking until you remove the process completely and reinsert all activities in a new and unexpected way. This kind of change is tremendously exciting, and it will take highly creative people in all areas of the supply chain working together to support such a design vision.

The next great design challenge is just this simple: take the principles of good design down to the cellular level and create items that are organically compatible for building beautiful things. Isn’t this exactly what nature does for us?

No, this concept is not just about making things that people will buy. It is about using the laws of nature as a design tool. For years, we have been working against nature in design, and we are starting to see the effects. The effects are getting worse, and they are completely unnecessary. They are unnecessary in terms of organic design and in terms of overconsumption.

The average person in the United States throws away approximately 45-55 pounds of apparel per year. I spoke with the garment reclaiming facility I:CO, and they told me they are reclaiming over 200,000 pieces of clothing and shoes per week. They sort through the items and grade them for secondary markets that have not yet been fully developed. The sheer volume of recycling that I:CO is able to address shows that we have a serious problem with over consumption of clothing, and we must find ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and we must do it in this order.

• Reduce: Raise prices, make clothing build to last, and use sustainable materials
• Reuse: Open new, secondary sales channels for re-selling clothing
• Recycle: Create garment-recycling technology and compostable technology

The ApparelCoalition, comprised of companies responsible for 70% of the worlds apparel sales, is working on an “Eco Index”, which will help consumers understand the environmental impact of their clothing before purchasing. Designers will be able to use web-based software to determine the positive or negative impacts of their styles in the concept phase.

What is also needed is a resource guide of the suppliers who use and support sustainable business practices, even for small establishments. (There is a need to expand and clarify what “sustainable business practices” mean; this is the ability to make a profit without creating negative environmental or social impact.) There is an opportunity to create a resource center that designer, brands and retailers of all sizes can use to identify the best sources of raw material and production. It will be a resource center that focuses on innovation with the specific intent to solve problems that can be developed, rolled out, commercialized and shared.

Finally, we must consider the people impacted by clothing. Is there a way to source local products around the world for domestic consumption in order to maximize apparel jobs in the areas where the products are actually sold? Under a cooperative model, these people will be able to take advantage of things large organizations provide like medical insurance, retirement plans, profit sharing, and more. This type of model gives everyone a stake in their own success and provides strength in numbers. In turn, this creates a secure environment that people can use to create healthy and prosperous communities for the future.

Stacy Flynn will graduate with an MBA in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in 2013. Currently, Stacy is the Global Director of Sustainable Development for Rethink, a Seattle based company specializing in garment production made from recycled plastic bottles. Stacy aspires to reignite the textile and apparel industry by applying the principles of good design to reinvent the supply chain and consumer experience. You can follow Stacy on twitter @stacyeflynn or on her blog at stacy-flynn.blogspot.com.

I was nabbed after a training session at the West Hollywood Women’s Leadership Conference recently by a woman who was dubious about what I’d said about compromise.

“Compromise is not the goal of negotiation,” I said. “Finding your way to agreement is.”

My inquisitor—let’s call her Sara—dug her heels in and I realized our conversation was getting buried in semantics and cultural filters about the word negotiation itself.

And, of course, the term “compromise.”

Like most of us, Sara was taught that compromise is a good thing. And of course it can be. If both kids want to read the same book at the same time, one of them usually has to give it up to the other with a promise they can read it later.

But to Sara, compromise bore no relationship to making concessions and asking for reciprocity. Not because she refused to see the connection, but because she didn’t believe there was one.

To Sara, negotiation was “an argument with the goal of capitulating something to someone.”

“You know that argument you seem to have every six months about something you made an agreement about, but the issue keeps coming back like a good boomerang?” I asked.

She nodded in agreement.

“It goes like this:

I know I agreed to complete the monthly sales statistics, but it was a stupid agreement. It’s beneath my job description, I dread it, and I’m actually terrible at it.

But we agreed. And we also agreed that until we lift the hiring freeze, we wouldn’t revisit the issue

Yeah, well, I think we should re-open the conversation anyway.

I’m not talking about it.

“And round we go. We fail to listen for the need beneath all the bluster. So, naturally, the real problem never gets solved.”

So here’s what I tried to get across:

If your bargaining partner tells you that you’ll be doing the monthly statistics from here on out, and the power balance indicates you should agree without question, you may (and we women often do) make a concession without seeking any reciprocal benefit. That might make your boss is happy, but you’re going to steam in your cubicle for months.

What if instead of “compromising” —which Sara was reading as folding—you’d asked your boss a few questions? What if you brainstormed the infinite possibilities with the goal of meeting—maybe exceeding—you and your boss’s needs?

Compromise is not the goal. It’s a potential outcome, but setting your sights on compromise from the start will stifle your creativity for mutual problem solving.

So, let’s back up and take a look at the definitions:

Compromise is making a deal in which each party gives up part of their original request or demand for something different than they originally wanted. It’s a two-way transaction.

Concession is yielding a fact, a privilege or a piece of your pie. It’s a one-way transaction.

Reciprocity is responding to a positive action with another positive action.

Compromise includes concessions, but you might be conceding something you want less than you learn you can get by negotiating—by having a conversation that results in a value-creating agreement.

Let’s take a look at the circular argument we started with. Its recurrence probably has more to do with the fact that the two parties have invested no effort in expanding the pie by brainstorming possible solutions. The conversation they’ve had has been positional—I’m right and you’re wrong—and they’ve naturally responded to this defensively.

If we capitulate to a demand without asking for anything in return, or if we cave in and fail to ask questions that reveal our bargaining partner’s real needs, desires, preferences, fears or priorities, argument turns to defeat, and resentment is your constant companion.

Concessions Lead to Happier Outcomes

We know from research done in negotiation studies that people are most happy with negotiated outcomes when their bargaining partner has made concessions. And this is the case even when the research subjects get less than what they originally wanted.

That’s because we’re more satisfied when we believe we’ve been treated fairly than when we get exactly what we want. If someone says yes right away, we’re afraid we’ve left options on the table. And if someone stonewalls us, we believe they’re acting in bad faith and for malicious reasons.

So there we were. Sara on her side of the fence, and me on mine. And she said, “Hrumph. Maybe. I’ll hafta mull that over,” and I said, “While you’re mulling it over, think about what your conversations might be like without a lock down on an opinion. What about curiosity?”

Another hrumph. And a tough sell. But then again, all sells are tough when you’re selling. We both have much to learn.

Learn more about Lisa at www.shenegotiates.com and download BGI-specific materials and resources at www.shenegotiates.com/BGI .

In anticipation of the Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG Campaign, we wanted to show off a few of our favorite supporters. We’ll leave it to them to explain why exactly they donate to Bainbridge Graduate Institute:

The Madrona League Business Plan Competition launched this year with 22 initial applications representing teams from nine business schools around North America. Following two rounds of judging, six teams have advanced to the final round, to be held May 4th in Seattle. Three teams from BGI join two teams from Presidio Graduate School and one team from Northwestern University. More information on the Madrona League Business Plan Competition can be found at MadronaLeague.com.

The University of Washington Business Plan Competition is also well underway. One entrepreneurship team from BGI, Next Global Language, will join 35 other teams in the second round of the competition. NGL helps schools in the US create rich learning environments for English language learners by combining motion-based gaming with online social learning tools. Last year, BGI start-up Stockbox Grocers took second place in the competition.

The Liquidnet “Markets for Good” Challenge, organized by Net Impact, challenges business students to make philanthropic giving more effective through innovative ideas. Two students from Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Casey Dilloway and Jenna Ringelheim, took home second place for their “Social Market Exchange” idea. Their prize package includes a $1,000 donation to BGI, which Casey and Jenna are directing toward a scholarship fund for BGI students working in non-profit organizations.

Congratulations to all the BGI teams Changing Business for Good with innovative, sustainable business models. To all the competitors in the upcoming final rounds, good luck!

• farmer and chef connections
• spirituality and the environment
• social justice and economic equality

Spokane has been experiencing a renaissance of sorts in the last decade; it’s now home to many natural markets and co-ops, proliferating public markets, local sourcing eateries, start-ups, independent media, green buildings and an increasing number of community organizations. In addition to its normal environmental contributions, Earth Day Spokane intends to educate the public about Spokane’s recent local efforts while also highlighting potential economic and environmental threats to the region, such as proposed coal trains from Montana.

“We’re excited to use what we are learning at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute to show that business is integral to creating a better world, especially in mid-sized cities like Spokane,” says Jessica Anundson, BGI MBA candidate and Earth Day Spokane Director.

For more information on Earth Day Spokane and to get involved with the events, check out facebook.com/earthdayspokane.

This Tuesday, I spent most of the day at a conference I didn’t even know was being held until Friday the week prior. The Women On A Mission conference, hosted bySeattle Good Business Network and See Green Ventures took place on March 20, 2012 at Urban Enoteca in the South of Downtown Industrial District in Seattle, WA. They had an amazing roster of speakers including Carol Sanford, Amee Quiriconi, Melissa Feveyear, Kim Armstrong, Dani Cone, Julie O’Brien, Tonya Mosley, Stephanie Ryan, Sharon Hall, Michele Rupp, Betsy Power, Marta Kapple, Laura Culberg, Dune Ives, Jessica Neu, Lara Feltin, Tammy Dunakin, and Lara Hamilton. See the full program for speaker bios.

I’m very glad I went. After going to several conferences this one was one of the most powerful ones I’ve ever attended. It was refreshing to hear the voices of so many who are often silenced or ignored. The ideas (and plans/tools for implementation) of true collaboration, identifying your essence, using business to find fulfillment, looking at the triple bottom line, and solving complex business and societal problems was a testament to the importance of diversity in all of its forms. By engaging in diverse conversations we are able to identify, analyze, and solve problems in socially, economic, and environmentally responsible ways not otherwise possible. What some call “sustainable” I call, “the only way to go about business.”

As one of four men who attended this conference, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to gain insight into the professional world of women. As a student of sociology, I have researched the Barbie Doll Complex, The Glass Ceiling Effect, and other social norms and hegemonic institutions that have not only oppressed women, but everyone. I, for one, feel that if any ONE person is oppressed, then we are ALL oppressed—denied the opportunity to live our lives in a truly authentic way because of the fear of social and/or physical repercussions. Throughout this experience, I was completely welcomed into the community, and not once did I feel alien. For me, this conference is important not because it is about women in business, but because it is about people in business. At the end of the day, I was surrounded by 150 other people who want to use business as a tool to promote positive change in the world and live in a way that serves themselves and others.

Michael B. Maine is an MBA Candidate at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. For more of his work visit his blog or follow him on Twitter @michaelbmaine.

Jeff Wiggin, Vice President for IT Development at T-Mobile

Jeff worked for Andersen Consulting and Deloitte Consulting, specializing in business transformation programs in the retail, consumer products, technology, and energy industries. His clients included Nestle, REI, Starbucks, Microsoft, Boeing, The Seattle Times, Philips Medical Systems, Puget Sound Energy, Hewlett Packard, Pacific Bell, PacifiCorp, and Southern California Edison.

In 2001, Jeff transitioned from management consulting to IT management and held senior positions at JDSU, The Home Depot, and Chico’s FAS prior to his position with T-Mobile.

Jeff holds the rare combination of strategic planning and a deep understanding of stakeholder engagement that allows for innovation to move forward. Jeff received his MBA in Sustainable Business from BGI in 2010 and has a deep understanding of BGI from both inside and outside perspectives.

Joyce LaValle, Retired Senior Vice President of Marketing and Senior Vice President of Customer & Associate Engagement at Interface, Inc.

Joyce is a veteran in the commercial-interiors industry and long time influential advocate for environmental sustainability, Joyce retired recently from Interface, Inc., as both Senior Vice President of Marketing and Senior Vice President of Customer & Associate Engagement.  In her time with Interface Joyce was able to steer the company in a positive direction by positioning sustainability as a core strategic advantage. Joyce is passionate about sustainability education and maximizing people’s talents.  Joyce’s passion led her to create a series of events and seminars for design professionals that use personal development as a means for leadership development.  Joyce is seen as an expert on stakeholder engagement, sustainability, design, and people development.

When asked about her role on the board, LaValle states, “I am honored to serve on the BGI Board as it provides the opportunity for me to further the vision of Ray Anderson: Mission Zero by 2020 for Interface.  In supporting BGI I contribute to a culture of leaders who will follow in Ray’s footsteps of “Changing Business for Good.”

JoAnne Ellis, Former President of Bainbridge Island Rotary Club

JoAnne Ellis, a graduate of the University of Oregon, has a lifetime of experience in arts administration, civic organizations, nonprofits, schools, and community outreach, most recently as the longtime managing director of Bainbridge Performing Arts, whose mission is to educate, entertain, and encourage youth and adults in the performing arts of theatre, music, and dance. Through decades of work in arts administration, in both the United States and Canada, JoAnne is very skilled at navigating the delicate balance between the disparate entities of the business elements of an arts organization and its artistic personalities to facilitate creative problem solving. JoAnne brings an important understanding of civic and community engagement to our board.

Ann Brudno, Co-Founder and Director of Design for ecoFAB LLC, Seattle, Washington and Principal of Routh & Company, Austin, Texas

Ann Brudno has 30 years experience running a hands-on green design/building company, many years of teaching environmental design in architecture and construction at the university level. She is Director of Design for ecoFAB LLC, Seattle, Washington and Principal of Routh & Company Sustainable Architecture & Interior Design in Austin, Texas. Both companies are progressive, enthusiastic teams of professionals in architecture, engineering, and science with a passion for sustainable development. Their guiding principles are respect for community, sharing of knowledge, collective change, and advancing social and environmental justice.

Ann is a pioneer in incorporating sustainability into her education.  She not only attended BGI when the school was in it’s infancy, trusting that the school’s mission would penetrate the market, but she also developed her own program in green design as a student of architecture at the University of Texas.

A highlight of the short time I’ve been at BGI has been conducting the final interviews of prospective students in our application process.  Their backgrounds, interests, and future visions have awakened my own view of a B-school, of BGI, and pursuit of an MBA.

I have always been a student of science, earning my degrees in agriculture.  Pursuing an MBA only crossed my mind briefly after earning my business degree the hard way—through a decade of starting businesses, large and small, in the Dakotas.   Moving back to Missouri in late 1999, I felt comfortable at Washington University’s Olin School while attending meetings and also when completing the agri-business track at the Harvard Business School.

Still, as a university administrator, I never quite understood the inner workings of a B-school, what motivated the faculty, how their performance was appraised, or what they contributed to the overall mission of the institution.  They always seemed to stand a bit apart from the community, and I always sensed they relished in that.

BGI attracted me not because it was a B-school, but because of what, how, and why it is a B-school.  I sense the same when I interview these prospective new students, and get to know our current and past students.  Purpose, that in ‘changing business for good’ and seeking the kind of shared values HBS’s Michael Porter writes of, is a common denominator.  The BGI founders struck a nerve and found a groove before their time.

Lessons learned, shifting priorities, and changing demographics are influencing business education.  For one, since the financial crisis, interest in the full-time MBA has decreased. (This is not as apparent in part-time or specialized executive programs —see the figure of data collected by the AACSB and in the Washington Post). This could be attributed to both affordability and people needing part-time jobs.  But, the financial crisis has also revealed the dynamics of the ‘brain drain’ of our brightest graduates into the financial sector, and an increasing desire for purpose and meaning among potential business school students (A NYT’s piece written in 2009 and the comments therein are telling).

Detailed data on business school applicants over time are tracking these trends, and continue to reveal that a B-school’s reputation for education and career placement remain the key to attendance.  Lowering enrollments nation-wide are forcing schools to differentiate themselves, and hone their brands.  What are their values?  What do they stand for?  For what kind of future are they preparing their students?

BGI, and I, welcome these questions, and this shift.  Bundling business education with ethics, environmental science, social justice, and conscience makes sense.  I see the future of that kind of MBA healthy indeed.

John Gardner is the dean of Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

When you launch their app on your smart phone, tablet, or web browser, you’re offered the question, “What are you done with?” The new company says their new app will provide “hyperlocal” search results.

Scott James, CEO of Cora and Marketing Instructor at BGI, explained, “Our curated database saves citizens the typical 20 minutes of searching they are currently performing to find options for what to do with an item other than simply throwing it their local landfill. The results are provided by our proprietary database in a wide variety of categories via a quick-to-use format. Options include everything from upcycling the item you want to dispose of to passing it on via established methods like Craigslist.”

Teri Bellamy, an original BGI board member and current Cora CFO commented that current competitive solutions are not offering the national leadership in the Zero Waste space. “We aim to move quickly into that leadership position and bring this much-needed app to life for consumers and local businesses,” Bellamy stated.

Affecting citizen behavior through a mobile app is a lofty goal, but it does better connect us to our local environments. This is not about far-away polar ice caps melting. The Cora app has the possibility to address the tangible trash we see daily on the sides of our roads and in our local waterways.

Through micropayments from conscious citizens, monthly subscriptions from power users, and quarterly sponsorship from eco-focused corporations, the Cora app brings a positive solution to market addressing these macro trends.

To bring the app to market, the company is in the middle of a Kickstarter fundraising campaign which ends in early April. Wayne Maceyka, another BGI graduate, works as Cora’s marketing manager of online communities, encouraged readers to stop by the Cora Kickstarter page to donate a few bucks (or a few thousand), “The current options out there typically lead to overwhelming text link websites or incomplete category-based websites which force difficult choices on the users. We can fix that, and divert a significant amount of trash from landfills and our waterways.”