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Conquering the Green Team Plateau for Sustainability Leadership

<p>The green team model is an efficient way to tackle sustainability goals and engage employees that are hungry for more opportunities to boost their company's sustainability efforts.</p>

When companies make their first foray into sustainability, they typically try to fit the program into their existing corporate structure and hierarchy. That can mean appointing a sustainability manager, or even more commonly, forming a cross-functional green team that aligns with the company's organizational chart.

The green team model is an efficient way to implement new operational programs and build momentum by tackling low-hanging fruit and achieving quick wins. And until recently, the small-scale success stories of such teams have been sufficient to deflect internal or external inquiries about the steps a business is taking to reduce its environmental footprint.

Now, however, stakeholders are beginning to demand more progress, results and transparency. In particular, many employees are hungry for more opportunities to contribute to an employer's sustainability success -- not just read about it in a quarterly Intranet newsletter or annual CSR report.

Transcending the Green Team

Going beyond the green team model can be difficult for a business that has become accustomed to the steady rewards of incremental improvement and the flexibility of a nimble leadership team.

The transition also usually also means a philosophical shift away from using sustainability to achieve cost savings and operational efficiency, to using it as a catalyst for new business, growth and market differentiation.

A growth-oriented approach to sustainability demands that employees in all levels and departments are sustainability innovators and ambassadors. But the process of engaging every employee is no easy task. It requires highly complex and multifaceted discipline, and most employees "don't know what they don't know" when it comes to sustainability.

Beyond Sustainability Fundamentals

Companywide rollouts can only be successful if employees understand (at a minimum) sustainability fundamentals and the environmental metrics that define success. That proficiency must be grounded at both a macro and micro level, with an understanding of both the systemic issues that are facing the planet, and the specific environmental impacts generated by a business or individual employee. The information must feel timely, relevant and actionable.

Some other important keys to success in sustainability education include:

• Limit clutter and confusion by delivering quality information and tools. There is no shortage of sustainability information available online and elsewhere. The sheer volume can be overwhelming, and it can be incredibly confusing to determine which resources are credible.

• Provide case studies and context. Quality education doesn't exist in a vacuum. Highlight examples of other companies or organizations that have found success. Communicate how your company's program aligns with broader industry trends and advancements.

• Make educational resources available online on demand. While brown bags and workshops are great opportunities to provide in-depth information in a concentrated period of time, it's nearly impossible to get every employee in the same room at the same time. Employees also need resources to refer back to as they pursue new programs. Increase productivity and the likelihood of success by offering education on-demand through online channels.

Education is the first step toward expanding sustainability awareness past the green team -- but it's also not enough to take companies to the next level of sustainability leadership.

After employees are educated about those fundamental sustainability concepts, they need to feel empowered to make a difference. They need to understand their own role and responsibilities as part of the broader sustainability initiative, and to feel accountable for the program's success.

Social Networking Breeds Collaboration and Rich Rewards

Perhaps even more importantly, employees crave opportunities to exercise their creativity, and need quick, easy ways to share ideas and collaborate with their peers. The richest sustainability solutions and innovations usually emerge from cross-functional collaboration.

As sustainability consultants, we've achieved the best results when we've partnered with experts in the organizational effectiveness and social media fields. The emergence of social media as a platform for employee engagement affords significant opportunities for expanding sustainability communications and collaboration in a powerful way.

Social networking is often the most affordable, efficient and attention-grabbing way to inspire meaningful dialogue and action among employees. From idea boards, to blogs, to internal microblog feeds, integrated social media campaigns offer a multitude of channels for employees to connect and commit to new habits.

Aggregating the right interactive tools on a password-protected, enterprise-facing site encourages employees to initiate bold conversations, build stronger community ties and collaborate on new sustainability challenges – across titles, functions and locations.

A companywide approach to sustainability will fuel employees' personal passions, professional development, and pride in their employer. And with a combination of the right educational tools and the license to break down boundaries and departmental silos, businesses can unearth new growth opportunities and sources of competitive advantage -- that can then be promoted through multiple channels to all stakeholders.

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