There’s a lot of talk in the sustainability world about “taking action” and “launching initiatives.” But the truth is, none of that will fly if your team isn’t on board. Sure, you have to get the executives engaged first – but if that’s as far as you go, your efforts will be doomed to failure. So ask yourself, is your team on board with your climate goals? If not, here’s how to turn that around.
1) Educate
There is a lot of talk on the news about climate change but most people don’t know very much about it. That means it is very easy for people to either panic or simply dismiss the whole thing. Either way, nothing moves forward. To counteract this, you need to provide people with solid information – but you also need to give them reason to believe they can make a difference. Despair is no more useful than denial – so aim for informed and action-oriented, instead.
2) Involve
If you want your team on board, you have to give them a good reason. You are asking them to change how they are working and change how they think about things, so you better be able to back it up. That means, you need a good why. The why is the motivator – it’s what makes people think it’s worthwhile to recycle or take any other action you ask of them. Your why is likely embedded in your mission. For health systems, your why is patient care. For governments, it’s a healthy community. For all, it’s to support a healthy planet where we can live and thrive.
From there, it’s good to find out what your team is most interested in. What is most meaningful to them? For some, it may be getting off fossil fuels. For others, it may be eliminating single-use plastics. There are a thousand possibilities, from solar energy to pollinator gardens to public transportation. You will have the most success if your initiatives start with something your team is already interested in.
3) Communicate
Communication is essential to all aspects of your sustainability program. People need to know what initiatives are launching and what to expect. If you are embarking on a behavior-change campaign, they will want to know what’s expected of them.
You might occasionally get push-back from some of the folks on your team. When that happens, reach out with curiosity. Is there something they don’t like about the initiative? Is there a reason they don’t want to do it – or cannot do it? Do they feel it’s futile? Whatever their response is will give you insight to your next steps – and your sustainability efforts will be stronger for it.
4) Monitor
Once your sustainability program gets off the ground, let people know how it’s doing. Incremental successes are a big way to generate enthusiasm, so be sure you are collecting the data and sharing the results.
It’s also important to keep your team apprised of setbacks. Not every sustainability effort is going to go smoothly. Instead of hiding that, let everyone know so they can understand the difficulties involved. The more they know, the more they will feel part of the team, and the more they will strive to support the new direction.
5) Reward
Everybody likes recognition, so work some rewards into your program. If your initiative focuses on recycling, try having a “Recycler of the Month.” This can be a great way to showcase individuals or you can create a competition and see which department can recycle the most.
It is also very valuable to have rewards that the entire team wins or loses together. For instance, if you want to reduce your heating oil usage, everyone has to work together. When your fuel bill comes, if the number has achieved your goal, host a party for the team. Or give everyone an extra paid holiday.
Get Your Team on Board with Your Climate Goals
If you want your team on board with your climate goals, these five steps – educate, involve, communicate, monitor, and reward – need to be part of your program. With your team engaged, you will be well on your way to achieving every goal you set.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash