How can you get feedback on your sustainability work from people outside your organization?

The first step in establishing a durable Sustainability strategy is to identify your key stakeholder and the issues they care about. This can be done via a Materiality Assessment process. While there can be many Sustainability issues, we will need to identify and prioritize the 3-5 financially material issues to work with our stakeholders on The ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standard Board) are great frameworks to use during this process

Stakeholders include communities we serve. Stakeholders also includes activists who may be halfway around the world. In affect in todays circumstances when one maps stakeholders it is imperative to chart entire supply chain in a holistic way.

Stakeholders are people and entities that influence our company and are influenced by our company, which constitutes a wide group. Managing relationships, expectations and risks associated with stakeholders is one of the key areas of sustainability management in a company. Get all the departments of your company involved in mapping your stakeholders and group them based on their needs and expectations. Check what the market does and learn from the best practices. GRI Standards (2021) explicitly require the presentation of a map of stakeholders, their categories and how they were identified. Check the report and methodology to get inspired.

The value derived from the work must be bucketed according to the type of stakeholders. Each set of stakeholders will have a different set of values that are most crucial for them to stay involved in the process. The identification of stakeholders should be coupled with the value generation as well so that there is a visibility at any point of time about the stakeholder that will be most conducive to your requests.

Capture external feedback on sustainability by leveraging stakeholder surveys, transparency reports, and engagement events. Utilize social media, collaborative partnerships, and customer feedback channels for real-time input. Join industry collaborations, respond to media inquiries, and consider third-party audits. Establish community advisory boards and conduct customer focus groups to gather diverse perspectives. These methods enable a holistic understanding and improvement of sustainability practices, fostering transparency and accountability.

When working on Sustainability, especially in social projects, some stakeholders may have difficulty in answering surveys. That is why accessible feedback methodologies that are adequate for every stakeholder must be considered. Focus groups or even an informal chat during fieldwork are important in this case.

Joining sustainability networks and forums to connect with other sustainability professionals will help you to easily gain feedback on your work and measure your impact accurately.

Engaging the external community in the process of evaluating sustainable practices not only strengthens our credibility, but also provides valuable insights to drive continuous improvements, benefiting not only us, but also others. One of the most effective ways to promote sustainable practices and build a committed community feedback is through LinkedIn. In addition to establishing an engaged community and sharing successful practices. Transparency plays a key role in this process, as only through it can we get valuable feedback to drive meaningful change towards a more sustainable future and the preservation of our planet.

Online tools not only help you manage a digital trail of the entire process but also imbibe a sustainable habit of maintaining reference points for fair comparison. The bigger picture is that it goes beyond the traditional method of capturing it in hard form (paper, registers, etc.) and is much easier to reproduce, share and upgrade. It also enables the you to conduct analysis and trends analysis on the system.

One way I found useful to get feedback from stakeholders in social projects is to build trust and a strong relationship by meeting (in person or remotely) periodically. In these moments, the stakeholders will feel comfortable in providing useful insights and feedback on the projects.

I believe that involving stakeholders in the feedback loop requires a customized and inclusive strategy. I advocate for organizing a regular dialogue sessions, workshops, or town hall meetings by inviting stakeholders to share their experiences, concerns, and innovative ideas. Establishing transparent reporting mechanisms, like progress updates, not only informs stakeholders but also encourages their engagement and feedback. Ultimately, fostering a culture of active listening and responsiveness builds trust and strengthens the relationship between all involved parties.

Participating in industry events is another way to get feedback on your sustainability work. These events provide an opportunity to network with other professionals in your field and learn about best practices. Joining sustainability networks is a great way to connect with other professionals who are working on similar issues. These networks can provide opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Partnering with academic institutions is another way to get feedback on your sustainability work. You can work with professors and students to conduct research and gather feedback on your work.

Sustainability is a destination and not a “tick the box” concept. This means that it is fine to be in the process and on the way to changing and developing. It is not a shame to admit that you don’t have something in place, but you are willing to work on it in your organization. Be honest with your stakeholders. If you get feedback that something should be changed, plan it wisely. Do not overpromise or underdeliver. Your reputation is crucial and you build it through open and honest conversations. Check how sustainability can become a new way of doing business and be open to change.

Ponto pacífico, a jornada da sustentabilidade é um processo. N?o existe alguém que seja 100% sustentável aqui porque o nosso padr?o como sociedade ainda n?o nos permite, mas é fato que a nossa consciência ecológica está mudando. Ao recalcular a rota, precisamos entender que a no??o de coletividade está posta. As responsabilidades s?o comuns, porém diferenciadas. Grandes empresas tem uma responsabilidade diferente do indivíduo, mas é uma via de m?o de dupla. Os indivíduos têm que atuar ao mesmo tempo que o coletivo tem que atuar. Estamos no olho do furac?o de uma nova era. E temos a OPORTUNIDADE de construir pontes para uma sociedade regenerativa, adaptativa e resiliente.

Can you picture a sustainability program where every stakeholder isn't just an observer or an entity to be informed but actively roots for its success? In my experience overseeing sustainability, engaging stakeholders through feedback transforms them into vital contributors integral to program triumph. Start with a clear purpose in seeking external input, defining objectives, pinpointing focus areas, assessing performance, and uncovering priorities. Tailor questions covering sustainability aspects, ensure a comprehensive understanding. Share the potential impact, making tangible results visible. With purposeful questions and transparent feedback, ignite a collaborative drive towards achieving your sustainability goals.

Get NGOs and Universities to write white papers / Research paper on your products / processes. Or contribute to such papers. This is an excellent way to get attention from activists, governments and NGOs to look at your sustainability policies and work.

Learn from the best. There are a number of reporting standards on the market, such as GRI, Integrated Reporting, SASB and soon ESRS. Companies are required to publish their reports, which often include a description of how stakeholders were mapped, how they are engaged, and the means and frequency of communication. Check some reports to see what could work for your organization. Get inspired.

Encourage thoughtful and in-depth feedback by avoiding yes/no questions. Use open-ended questions that prompt elaboration and critical analysis. Focus on seeking constructive feedback for improvement rather than seeking validation. Create a safe space where stakeholders feel comfortable expressing their opinions. Actively listen to feedback without interrupting or defensiveness. Ask clarifying questions to gain deeper understanding of their perspectives. Organise and categorise feedback by stakeholder group and theme. Identify recurring themes and areas where feedback converges.

I consider feedback on sustainability vital for progress and transparency. My preferred approaches include surveys for diverse stakeholders, public meetings for direct interaction, social media engagement for trendiness, collaborations for diverse perspectives, transparency reports for formality, customer feedback platforms for insights, and direct outreach for personalized perspectives. Each method ensures a holistic understanding and improvement in sustainability efforts