What's your strategy for inspiring and motivating your team to support sustainability?

FIRST TIME RIGHT While many struggle to make their own system or industry more sustainable and need to create many tactical program to course-correct products and processes, we set clear goals for new innovation, for what will be in the market in the longer term, making sure all the new products will be already climate and environmental friendly. What happens in this case is that we follow the logic of “creators of the future” and set the teams aligned with the vision, making them the direct “makers” of that vision. We challenge the teams to create a brighter future and add that “addtional hurdle” which estimulates them to beat themselves, be more creative, and win the challenge to make it FIRST TIME RIGHT!

I wouldn't use sustainability to describe the relationship with my partner, a friend, or something I cared about. We need something more than responsibility, and minimisation. We need more care and a deeper interest to achieve our sustainability goals. Future growth will/should be more about quality than quantity. Regenerative practices and natural systems are linked to sustainability, and go further than balancing the status quo; net positive, new growth areas. In the context of motivating a team, this focus can encourage much more active participation that contributes positively to the environment, fostering a sense of empowerment, and collective impact. Balancing both concepts can cultivate a team's commitment to lasting benefits.

As a matter of fact, most companies are already in one or another way contributing. Identifying and communicate on the changes and progress already made towards a more sustainable business will be an excellent first step to get everybody interested. Focus on actual and potential impact, big or small, any progress should be acknowledged and valorised.

Having a clear goal for sustainability on a global-company-wide level is the most important. That is a real example of wanting to inspire, motivate and work towards a sustainable future.

It is important to recognise that for many teams, understanding and progress between members are often different at the start. Too large a gap between those advanced in the journey and those starting out will often create an inertia to start, given the late adopters have everything stacked against them. Through provision of internal facilitation tool kits, sustainability experts, and focus early efforts on activity rather than outcomes, create a “no-pressure” environment for late-adopters to quickly establish their own initiatives. Get the early adopters to share their journeys and learnings will often help position and motivate the early adopters that their efforts are recognise.

In my experience , brain storming and co creating solutions foster the culture of knowing each others skill sets better, leverage each others strengths , be more creative and learn new ways of working . It enforces your values for inclusion and diversity , promotes critical thinking and innovation . We all work hard, it is way more fun to bounce ideas and work together to achieve a common goal of developing a “Simplified and Optimized Solution” .

While in the phase of aligning with the vision and values, there is a need to assess the existing company's sustainability performance. This will help to identify areas where there is room for improvement. There are a number of tools and frameworks that can be used to assess sustainability performance, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards or the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards.

in my experience rewarding employees for their support towards sustainability as an initiative is a powerful tool to promote it. `for example rewarding employee with a small table plant or recycled tote bag will help promote the behaviour to other employees as well.

In my experience, keeping actions and practices as pragmatic, easy and approachable works better than just telling people the ‘best ways’. Let them create and adapt what works for them so actions become consistent and sustained

Understanding the organization's vision and values is among the initial and most important steps to be taken. Before aligning sustainability with the vision and values, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of what they are, therefore taking time to review the organization's mission statement, vision statement, and core values is of utmost importance. These will be the initial steps that need to be reviewed if they need to have a change, and if yes, what kind of change.