Sustainability Change Management: We've Had the Green Audit...Now What?

SUSTAINABILITY CHANGE
MANAGEMENT:

We’ve Had the Green Audit … Now What?

SSC White Paper

Sustainability Change
Management
Once an organization has had a green
audit depicting the current
sustainability status, leading the
change initiative can be overwhelming.

Change requires a lot of
time, planning, and management.
Because the people are the key to
successful organizational
change, business leaders must take
appropriate steps to involve and
engage employees in the sustainability
vision and implementation process.

www.sustainabilityconsulting.com

Copyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.

Management
This presentation provides a summary of the white paper
Sustainability Change Management, which offers the framework for
business leaders to successfully lead their organizations through a
sustainable change to an eco-conscious culture.



Management
The white paper provides you with the resources needed to make sustainability
an integral part of your business plan by providing information on:


Identifying the change curve cycle



Stating a properly framed message to employees



Applying key factors to create a shared vision



Showing how to develop a communication plan



Engaging employees in the change



Creating meaningful metrics to measure change



Providing effective rewards and recognition



Applying methods for continuous improvement

Download this complimentary white paper to learn more!


Reviewing the Green Audit Results

Reviewing the Green Audit
Results
An SSC green audit contains a comprehensive look at an
organization through identifying key environmental
impacts, challenges, and opportunities, as well as
determining the overall carbon footprint.



Results

Reporting results consist of an
environmental SWOT analysis
(strengths, weaknesses, opportuniti
es, threats), carbon footprint data
including benchmarks against
competitors, employee assessment
results, and recommendations for
improvement.
Learn more about SWOT by
downloading Sustainability Change

Management



Results
The employee aspect of the audit
is one of the most important areas
to consider before enacting
change. This will tell you the
extent of your employees green
knowledge and how they feel
about sustainable initiatives.
The carbon footprint analysis is
also a vital consideration as it
determines the specific route of
change you can make. It will also
determine the scope of change.


Preparing for the Change Curve






Change in any organization
can be challenging due to a
normal resistant response.
People become
comfortable, safe, and
accustomed to business as
usual and like to maintain
such a lifestyle.
Anything affecting this
routine can and will be seen
as a threat, causing much
undo stress and anxiety.



The goal of change management is
not to eliminate resistance in
employees, but to minimize the
impact of this resistance.
The path towards gradually accepting
change resembles the stages of grief.
Although in this case the five stages
do not have to happen in their
assigned order, nor is there a set
amount of time per stage.

Learn more about helping others
break from the past here.

Leadership support is crucial in determining
how long employees remain in each phase.



Leading the Change



Establish a Sense of
Urgency:






Leaders need to determine what
is changing, when this change
will incur, and any losses or
gains
For the change to be
effective, 75% of employees
must feel this sense of urgency
to be compelled to change
The green audit can direct the
focus of this sense



Frame the Message:









Determine a specific objective
Examine audience perspectives:
What is in it for them?
Account for audience core
values
Incorporate these factors into a
simple and evaluative statement
For full messaging examples
download Sustainability Change

Management



Leading the Change



Create a Shared Vision:








Business leaders must inspire
change through creating a
shared vision of the future for
the entire organization
Vision based on factors of the
sense of urgency
Craft a story of goal success to
walk the employees through
Engage employees in this vision
by soliciting their green vision
for the organization and
incorporating their vision into
the final decision statement


Leading the Change



Create a Coalition











Involve others in the change
Consists of eco-conscious agents
from all levels of the organization
Formal leaders consist of executive
management, or those who behave
sustainably
Informal leaders can be either
powerful allies of change or strong
sources of resistance. They are the
employee’s trusted leaders
Partnering with a consultant as a
leader can save significant time and
money
Implement a green team


Leading the Change



Communicate a Plan






The agenda for change must be
communicated to all levels of
the organization
Review questions such as
who, where, what, when, why, a
nd how
What has already been
accomplished? When will each
department be notified of
change? Why is the change
important?



Create a Learning
Environment








Increased awareness levels and
desire to change will be useless
without knowledge of how to
accomplish organizational goals
The foundation of green
knowledge management is
transparency, access to
information, and understanding
Pertinent education teaching the
employees what green means
should be provided
Learn more about sustainability
training here!



Leading the Change



Model the Behavior






Organizational leaders must
model the expected behavior
Green language should be used
daily to reinforce green
concepts and keep them in
employee’s minds

Find out about Time Magazine’s
Greenest CEO and his
sustainable behavioral
leadership by downloading

Management.



Leading the Change



Empower Others to Act






Leaders should eliminate
obstacles to change by altering
factors that undermine the
grand vision
Encourage all members of the
organization to recognize
obstacles and overcome them
as a team
Consider establishing a leader
for your employees in each
department



Rewards and Recognition

Because most need compelling
evidence that their efforts are being
noticed, rewarding behavior propels
the change momentum.
Recognize those in the organization
who model sustainable behavior
through the following:


Praise and recognition



Customer feedback



Paid time off



Personal development



Respect as an integral team member


Measuring Success Along the Way

Measuring Success Along the Way







Measuring change is vital to
ensure the change is an
enduring one
Metrics should be used as a
learning tool, not a
punishment
Measure what truly matters
 Brand recognition
 Waste reduction
 Benchmark results against
competitors

Resources for Metrics:
Global Reporting Initiative

World Business Council on
Sustainable Development
The Corporate Register
An SSC Consultant can be
very helpful as well!



Looking Towards a Sustainable Future


Keep in mind the vital aspects of leadership such as raising
awareness, involving everyone, creating a vision, measuring success, and
other factors along those lines, when you embark on the journey of change.
Although at times change may seem like a monster, remember to put it into
perspective. Break it down into a feasible process and change can be
integrated into attainable goals.




Creating a sustainability culture should incorporate risk, innovation, and
empowerment to encourage employees to continuously seek new and
innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint and the organization’s
impact. SSC consultants can help your green team devise action plans and
methods to ensure improvement is continuous. Change requires extensive
time planning and management. But by following the steps laid out in
Sustainability Change Management the “big change” can be a fluid process.



Download the complimentary white paper in it’s
entirety by visiting the SSC website today:

Sustainability Change Management: We’ve Had the
Green Audit… Now What?

What are your thoughts? Join the
conversation on twitter @jenniferwoofter!

Sustainability Change Management: We've Had the Green Audit...Now What?

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