1. An agent of change?
S Cooper, P Corrie, SKM

2. SKM
1965 1975 1985 1995 2007

3. The business case
• Its the right thing to do
• Attracting and retaining staff
– 60%+ of staff indicate it is important to their decision to be with SKM (2008)
• Remaining relevant and effective for our valued clients
– 90% of Clients believe it is an important to very important issue (2009)
• Enhancing organisational strength
– Sustainable organisations exhibit enhanced performance and resilience
• It’s a natural fit
– Convergence of mega-trends that are driving fundamental change.

4. Challenges
• Confusion about what sustainability means –
as a term and in practice
• Generic, intangible concept – making it real
and relevant to a group of problem-solvers
and across all disciplines
• No burning platform for change
(legislation, penalties) That’s the international symbol for
‘don’t rock the boat’.
• Hierarchy, inertia and resistance to change
• “Just give me the spreadsheet”

5. Recognise and work with the reality
The elephants in the room:
• “It’s a greenie issue”
• “It costs more”
• “Our clients don’t want it”
• “Its just a fad – won’t be around in 5 years
Organisational challenges
• What is the right balance between technical content and general information?
• What program design will really engage people and change thinking, behaviours?
• When is a targeted approach best – instead of going broad and fully inclusive?

6. The 4 year journey (2009-2011)
From what and why.............................to how
From awareness........................to application

7. Scale, regional diversity and roll-out
10 countries, 4 languages, 3,400 staff in 9 months
Trained 56 of our own
senior staff to facilitate
sessions (1.5 day training
program)

8. Simple, practical ‘ready reference’
Demystifies, simplifies
•7 steps
•6 key questions to ask
for every project

9. (sustainability)
4 steps to apply Conversations with Adding value, not
into projects clients cost
‘soft’ as well as hard tools
•How to make a conversation meaningful
•How to structure a conversation
•Using questions effectively

10. From awareness to application - Sustainability
by design toolkit (any project, any scale)
Target the senior Enlist champions with clout
influencers
Apply to real Makes it real
projects, prospec Engages their expertise, experience
ts Serves up a challenge – engages with problem solving

11. ‘Hardwiring’ into the business DNA
• KPI’s for senior managers
• Specifics into procedures,
processes, business systems
• Rewards
• Training
• Roles

12. Final reflections
• Link into organisation and behaviour change principles and insights
• ‘Soft’ skills are vital - influencing, communicating, facilitating, convincing. Personal style and skills
important – the ‘zealot’ creates problems
• Make it real (with the power of stories): a meaningful and relevant translation for the organisation
• Go to the heart of core business and activities (don’t get bogged down in tea-bag wrappers!)
• Think of it as a program – not a ‘one off’
• Targeted and focused (where to invest time and effort??)
• Need to transition from the what and why.......to the how
• Work with the willing and the influential agents of change