The value of looking through a social lens

Barbra Carlisle • November 14, 2025

How to create long term value in the areas that you work


Social enterprise has been around for a long time, making an impact as well as it can.  Operating like your traditional businesses but reinvesting profits to benefit society. They tend to balance economic goals, such as creating jobs, with social and environmental aims like fostering community and promoting sustainable practices.There are over 131,000 social enterprises in the UK, contributing £78 billion to the economy and reinvesting £1 billion into social missions. Yet many struggle with access to long-term finance and strategic partnerships.


It isn't and it shouldn't be a fringe concept just pursued by those wacky individuals who believe in a fair society and are willing to put the energy in to create change. It should be on everyone's agenda - ok so not everyone is going to set up a Social Enterprise - but everyone has the power and choice to think like a social enterprise entrepreneur.   


Private businesses do 'social value' instead.  Giving back to the communities in which they are commissioned to work either by the state, a public body or a private corporation.  And yes again it is great that this happens.  We need to focus on making an impact that lasts well beyond the time we put our tools away and say 'job well done'


I see it everyday on Linked In, private companies supporting social good.  So why don't things change at the scale we need change?


I spent time talking to Eric Lybeck academic and social entrepreneur about this on my latest podcast show The Unlikely Executive.  How to transform “left-behind” places.


Eric’s Insight


“Social enterprise isn’t a side hustle—it’s a way to make knowledge useful in left-behind places.”
This challenges engineering firms to rethink how they partner with communities and academia.

 

Think about what opportunities you have to connect with social enterprises

For example...

  • Engineering consultancies often work in regeneration zones—partnering with social enterprises can unlock local trust and innovation.
  • Social enterprises are more likely to be led by women and ethnic minorities, helping firms meet diversity and inclusion goals.
  • They offer flexible, community-rooted solutions that complement technical expertise. They know the lay of the land, and how change is going to be received by those who are in theory going to benefit from the change.


Tips to get you connected with the right social enterprise

  • Map shared values: Identify social enterprises whose mission aligns with your project goals.
  • Co-design solutions: Invite social entrepreneurs into early-stage planning.
  • Invest in relationships: Long-term partnerships yield better outcomes than transactional ones.
  • Use a facilitator: For multi-team collaborations, a facilitator ensures alignment and manages complexity.



Call to Action
If you're a leader looking to embed social value, consider partnering with a social enterprise get in touch to see how I can support you


Ideas and thoughts on how to lead well through complexity and change

The Intergenerational Advantage: Why Construction Firms Who Blend Ages Will Outperform Everyone Else

By Barbra Carlisle • March 27, 2026
If you’re worried about not having enough young people, including women coming into construction, you’re asking the wrong question. The real risk is what happens when you don’t use the people you already have properly. The Crisis No One Is Solving Properly Across the UK, the construction workforce is ageing faster than it’s being replenished. There are 20% more workers aged 55+ than under 25. And it gets worse: 35% of the workforce is now over 50, and only 20% is under 30. Yes this presents an industry risk, but closer to home we see organisational risk. Leaders worry about recruitment, apprenticeships, T levels, Skills Bootcamps all useful, but none of them address the real issue: Experience is walking out of the door every single day, and new capability isn’t being integrated fast enough. This is exactly what my conversation with Colin McEllin MCIOB of Clan Contracting highlighted. When a 21 year old commercial graduate joined Clan Contracting, Colin didn’t roll his eyes or think, “another kid who’s never been on a site.” He leaned into it and welcomes thoughts, ideas and advice from 'young Aaron'. Massive benefits for him, and Aaron, and the wider team. Why Intergenerational Leadership Is Now a Strategic Priority The construction sector is staring at a workforce cliff edge: • 140,000+ vacancies lie unfilled. • By 2036, 750,000 skilled workers will retire, stripping the industry of vital capability. • The UK will need nearly 1 million additional construction workers by 2032. Yet recruitment alone isn’t enough. You cannot hire your way out of this crisis. We must integrate generations on purpose, not by accident. What Younger Workers Bring (That Leaders Ignore at Their Peril) Younger talent offers: • Modern thinking around sustainability and digital tooling • Analytical approaches and better documentation habits • A willingness to question processes that haven't been updated since the 90s • A commercial lens shaped by newer training systems In Colin’s words, their thinking “took him right back to when he was 21” eager, energetic, ideas driven. You want that energy before they lose it. What Older Workers Bring (That You Can’t Replace) Your experienced people have: • 30+ years of instinct • Pattern recognition that no textbook teaches • Quiet influence that stabilises teams • Technical fluency on heritage, concrete, structure, sequencing, conservation, problem solving These people are your institutional memory. Once they go, they’re gone. And currently, UK engineering employers admit they only retain knowledge effectively from 57% of retiring staff. That is a crisis hiding in plain sight. Leadership Actions That Works 1. Create deliberate two way mentoring (not hierarchical mentoring). Younger staff teach digital skills, new processes, sustainability thinking. Older staff teach technical judgment, site sense, risk spotting. Both feel valued. 2. Give young people actual responsibility, not token tasks. The CITB plans 40,000+ industry placements a year. It means nothing if leaders hide young people in the corner. Let them make decisions, with support. 3. Systemise knowledge transfer. You cannot afford to rely on “ask Dave if you need help.” You need processes, templates, technical walkthroughs, shared documentation. 4. Remove the “that’s not how we do it here” reflex. 76% of construction workers say current training doesn’t adequately prepare people for the job. So your way probably isn’t the best way anymore. Your Competitive Advantage Is Sitting Right Under Your Nose When generations work in isolation, capability leaks. When generations work together, capability compounds. The firms who win over the next decade won’t be the ones who grab the talent, it will be the ones who blend talent. Listen to the full episode of the podcast here or watch on You Tube here About me I write about topics that my podcast guests bring to the podcast. They have years of experience with challenges and opportunities along the way, highs and lows and are in the thick of leading with purpose and passion, faults an'all. As a coach and trainer I work with leaders and their times to help them thrive, laugh, enjoy their work, be productive and to build teams of all ages.

The Leadership Bandwidth Crisis: Why Owners Who Can’t Step Out of “Doing” Will Stagnate

By Barbra Carlisle • March 26, 2026
We love what we do so we grow in that role, we end up as leader with people around us but we want to stay doing the thing we love doing. Balancing leadership is hard.