Tag Archives: tips

Tips for those new to sustainability

21 Dec

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. It’s true of a lot of things, from learning to snowboard (as I painfully learned in 1999), learning a musical instrument, or learning pretty much any new skill. Once you’ve got some momentum built up, you can use it to power through the inevitable challenges that come with trying to achieve mastery.

When I’m talking to organizations that want to do more with sustainability, that see it as a tool for innovation, engagement and creativity, one of the hardest things for people to get their head around is this.

Don’t ask where to start, ask where you want to end

Yup, in a somewhat zen nod to Stephen Covey, what’s true for personal and organizational development is also true for sustainability. Begin with the end in mind.

A great way to get started is to start by asking, “what does sustainability mean at my company?” You need to ask this question because sustainability is not one size fits all. Although the larger principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility will remain the same across sectors and industries, the accepted definitions of sustainability are too broad to be of much use if you want to actually achieve something. You cannot buy an off-the shelf sustainability or corporate responsibility strategy. You cannot copy another strategy from a similar organization. You must pull together your senior team and decide what risks and opportunities sustainability can mean for your organization.

Here are the questions you need to ask yourself, organizationally speaking, order to figure out the end results:

• How does our core mission intersect with sustainability principles?

• What risks are posed to our success by sustainability legislative, supply chain, weather impacts, costs, etc)?

• What opportunities are available to us from a sustainable approach (e.g. cost savings, new customers,new programs, internal communication opportunities, etc)?

• What result do we wish to achieve from this initiative? (enhance reputation, engage employees, cut costs, create new products and services, enter new markets, reduce regulatory risk, etc.).

Once you have identified what sustainability means for your organization, you can begin to develop an achievable goal, and a plan to get you there.

Going virtually green, just in time for winter

19 Dec

With harsh weather on our doorstep, this month I’ll explore some opportunities to work from home and avoid the mess on the roads. In the last few years there has been a surge the popularity of employees working from home. With continuous advances in internet and mobile technology, alongside the shifting lifestyle requirements of the modern workforce, it has become increasingly easy for organizations to adopt this flexible approach to their operations.

While there is little doubt that this move towards ‘virtual’ organizations is primarily cost driven, there is an added benefit for the environment. Consider the fuel saved if an employee does not travel in to a central office each day. Consider the benefits of not having to run, heat and power a large office to accommodate every employee. Consider the positive impact this can have on the environment.

For some types of businesses, however, a physical presence is not a luxury, it is a necessity, a fact that cannot be avoided. But just because it is not feasible to become a completely ‘virtual’ organization, this does not mean that it is impossible to transfer at least some of these philosophies into your business.

Ask yourself if there are any departments that can benefit from home working, even if this is for just a couple of days each week rather than on a permanent basis. Often  finance, marketing and other administrative roles are capable of working remotely in an effective way. These departments can communicate via email and telephone to achieve what can be achieved in work, but with the added environmental benefits, as well as cost savings.

Many organizations, especially in the public sector, are taking this a step further and are starting to adopt a ‘hot-desking’ principle. Do remote workers need a desk each? Can they come in to the office on alternate days and therefore use the desk space?

It is, unfortunately, not as straightforward as simply telling employees not to come in to the office. Employees will need to be re-trained to work from home. New management and supervisory practices will need to be put in place to make sure efficiency and accuracy is maintained when they are not in the office. In addition, equipment, such as laptops, mobile phones and internet access, will likely be required and this of course does mean costs.

Despite this, there are savings to be made. Cars can remain unused and lights, heaters and computers can be turned off for the day. The environmental impact of this is immediate, and the cost savings will balance out in time.

While virtual working is not possible for all job roles, and may not be relevant to all organizations, there are genuine cost and environmental savings to be made. The increasing number of companies in all sectors that are beginning to adopt this progressive and flexible business model are testament to this.

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