I addressed the California Resource Recovery Association Conference five years ago to introduce the sustainability framework, The Natural Step. Although much has changed in the intervening five years, many people complain that we are not moving fast enough toward a sustainable society. But just take a look at what we see unfolding around us:
- Shell Oil recently took out a double page ad in The Economist calling for action on climate change, at the same time that George Bush and Dick Cheney are introducing their energy policy.
- Time Magazine recently ran a lead feature on climate change.
- Fuel cells have emerged, and the hybrid cars are taking to our streets.
- A recent Bill Moyers PBS special, "Earth on the Edge", showed mainstream America that we are in the midst of an ecological decline.
Sustainable development is a common theme in major corporations from Dupont to Home Depot. We can argue about definitions and timelines, but one thing is clear, sustainability is becoming mainstream. I have the good fortune, as a consultant, to peek into many different organizations, and to help them to further sustainability. What I see through this lens is what I want to share with you.
Today, I realize, we no longer need to define the ecological challenge, define sustainability, or explain why it's a good idea. It is clear to most of us that sustainability is about securing a good quality of life within the means of nature for all on Earth. We also now have abundant frameworks such as The Natural Step, Natural Capitalism principles, and environmental management systems.
So how do we accelerate sustainability? I believe that four things are necessary: commmitting to a vision, understanding sustainability, taking responsibility for moving ahead, and enrolling others in your vision.
- Commit to a vision. Sustainability is a break from the past. It differs from environmentalism, which describes what we oppose: waste, pollution, species extinction, etc. Sustainability is about what we support, together. It is critical that each of us has a vision of what sustainability looks like and that we communicate that to our customers and stakeholders. Electrolux, the world's largest consumer appliance company, is one of the most adept communicators. Electrolux demonstrates a thorough grasp of the ecological crisis, and what parts of their operations may contribute to the problem. Then it describes a sustainable society and how its products can help create a sustainable world.
- Understand sustainability. It surprises me how some industries don't take credit for the pivotal role they play in the sustainability equation. I was made aware of this during an engagement we had with a major waste management company. It saw itself as its opponents saw it, and played defense against those who thought it was the evil garbage company. But if you understand sustainability, the need for a cyclical society, where waste becomes food, waste recovery and recycling is a huge part of the picture. If any group can make the principle "waste equals food" a reality, it is the people in this room. I've never understood why more organizations don't tell this story.
- Take responsibility for moving ahead. Given that there is a clear understanding of the need, why isn't sustainability happening faster? Sustainability is hard work. We'll always need visionaries -- Paul Hawken and others -- to give us new ideas and to light a path forward. But now we all need to pitch in, see our work as an integral part of this larger revolution, and make things happen. This is the daily work you do: getting your proposals accepted, getting citizens to participate in programs, getting businesses off the ground.
- Enroll others in your vision. We've been working with sustainability leaders, like you, to help them to forward sustainability and have found that, yes, ideas and education are important, but what is more important now are people. How do you communicate with people who come from different backgrounds and have different priorities?
The barriers to effective communication vary in difficulty and complexity. It's critical that you prepare for resistance, and learn how to overcome it.
In 1994, Rob Sheldon wrote "Hitting the Green Wall", an article that described a common occurrence in corporations: environmental managers were seeing their environmental programs stalled again and again, even when the programs saved money! Somehow the organization refused to move forward. The cause: environmental managers were seeing the world though an environmental lens and weren't speaking to their colleagues in a language they can understand. Environmental managers lacked credibility because they weren't framing their message in alignment with the business culture.
How Do Organizations Change?
I have observed that there are two ways that organizations change; one is the Ray Anderson story: Ray had an epiphany, a spear in the chest, as he calls it. He is the rare CEO who suddenly realizes that he has done wrong and is going to dedicate his life to changing his organization. The other kind of change is based in sound business logic. It makes good business sense to change, it adds to competitive advantage, etc. In reality both are almost always at play. People who are personally committed to sustainability, even Ray Anderson, need to put initiatives into sound business terms.
Surprisingly, proving that an initiative saves money isn't enough.
We were creating a business case for sustainability for a team of senior vice presidents at a major retail chain. Our analysis showed that if our client replaced its light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs, it could save $6 million per year in energy costs. A no-brainer, right?
Our client contact said he was not interested. It's not that saving money and energy wasn't important to him, but we had not framed the argument in terms of his major needs. This company was growing quickly. What was most important to him was gaining customers and retaining employees. Improving the company's performance on these two scores would mean a lot more than $6 million per year. Without addressing these needs, the light bulbs would be just one more worry on top of his already-crammed list of priorities.
So we put together a business case, an argument, for pursuing a sustainability initiative that achieved much more that cost and energy savings. It was a comprehensive approach to its suppliers, its customers, its employees all grounded in a larger vision, and, oh yeah, the light bulbs were an added benefit.
Seek To Understand, Not To Be Understood
I see so many pollution prevention people and other environmental advocates continually running into a frustrating situation. They prove that something saves money and are confused when it's not accepted. They say, "But I did put it in business terms!" We need to do a lot more listening and a bit less convincing. As time management guru Stephen Covey says, "It is more important to understand than to be understood."
Getting to No/Know
We have been studying the work of Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of a philosophy of relating to people called "Nonviolent Communication." Rosenberg says that often, when someone doesn't agree with our ideas, we fail to respond constructively.
Say you are trying to get your boss to implement an environmental management system at your company. You know that this system would be wonderful for the company because all environmental activities would be systematically managed, the company would set goals and measure progress toward those goals, communicate progress to stakeholders, and continually improve each year. But your boss doesn't get it and does not act on the idea.
Some of us would feel rejected: "What a jerk I was, I guess my idea was stupid." Others would criticize the other: "Those idiots, isn't it obvious that this system makes sense?" Rosenberg says there is a third way. It's not that your idea was stupid. And it's not that your boss is an idiot. In fact, everyone is doing the best they can to get their needs met. Your idea was not framed in a way that met your boss's needs. Often we assume we know what people's needs are; but assuming is not good enough. Environmental people don't know how much they don't know about their audience. It is important to listen.
For this reason, getting a rejection is a good thing. It's the only way you can find out what is important to the other person. We call it "Getting to No." It is important to get to no as soon as possible and to not be afraid of the no. Getting rejected is not a rejection of you. It is a way to get to know the person with whom you are working.
In order to get to a no, fast, you need to make a specific request. Often, when we present an idea, we give a long introduction, describe the background, reasons why it's a good idea, and at the end we say, here's what we want.
But say you have a small amount of time with a very influential person. You can get to no right away by making your request right up front. Immediately the person's needs will rise to the top and you can spend the rest of the time addressing these needs. Otherwise, you may get a polite, "I'll get back to you." You all know how often this is a no disguised as a yes!
Marshall Rosenberg tells a story that illustrates this. He was approached by a former San Francisco gang member who wanted to start an after school program for at risk youth. The gang member wanted Rosenburg to set up a meeting with the head of a foundation who could potentially fund this program. Rosenburg spent a lot of time setting up this meeting and briefing the former gang member on the foundation, etc. When the big day finally came for the meeting, the gang member walked into the office, sat down, looked the foundation representative in the eye, and said, "Where's the money?"
Rosenburg was horrified at his friend's manners and wondered if he'd lost credibility with his foundation friend. But after the gang leader asked, "Where's the money," the man from the foundation said, "What money?" Then the gang leader said, "the $20,000 I need to start an after school program for at risk youth." Then the foundation representative asked another question, "Will this program really make a difference? Can you prove this?" And the gang leader replied, "Oh yes, we have found that the program reduces crime by 65%," and so on. The foundation representative was able to get his needs and concerns on the table immediately and to decide in a short amount of time whether he was willing to fund the program, which he did.
So, next time you have a proposal to present to someone, don't be afraid to make a specific request and then to ask, "What do you need to know from me in order to make a decision?" You are not demanding a commitment; you are simply allowing a person's concerns and needs to come to the forefront.
Again, how do we accelerate sustainability? First, we need a clear vision of what sustainability is. How do we secure six billion people's quality of life within the means of this one planet? Second, we need to know how our industry fits, and third, that our individual role is part of a larger movement. And fourth, and most importantly, we need to understand other people's needs, make clear requests, and welcome their feedback especially if their answer is no. This is where we learn the most and can effect the most good.
--------------------------------------
Susan Burns is principal of Natural Strategies Inc., a management consulting firm helping companies apply sustainability principles. She can be reached at 415-485-4995 or www.naturalstrategies.com. This essay is adapted from Susan Burns's presentation to the California Resource Recovery Association Conference, Pasadena, Calif., July 9, 2001, and is copyright 2001 Natural Strategies Inc.