How can you incorporate sustainability into your professional growth?

In my opinion, understanding our impact goes beyond measuring; it's about a deep connection with the world around us, and by embracing technological advancements like AI in impact assessments, we can uncover insights that allow us to innovate sustainably. This creates a feedback loop, fostering continuous growth.

Stop building! Repurpose old buildings. “Look I put grass on the roof of my building!” Ridiculous. Everything else discussed as a sustainability strategy is just a drop in the bucket.

Assessing your impact is a foundational step in sustainable professional growth. It's about understanding the broader effects of actions on the environment, society, and economy. In leading Kenovy, I've seen how this assessment can reveal areas for innovation and responsible decision-making. It's not just a task, but a mindset that encourages responsible stewardship and fosters positive change.

How does one support and maintain a process over time? The process of growing you? How do you prevent the depletion of your natural resources, your energy, your passion, the depletion of you? That is the question? Is the answer 42? I struggle with this every day. Perhaps the answer is balance. Sitting in the sun, swimming in the sea, hiking a mountain, playing tennis, doing an EMBA, developing a new busines, caring for my children, loving my family, painting Fynbos, impacting someones life every day…dreaming of the next thing. To be sustainable you need something to do, something to hope for, something to love.

Incorporating sustainability into our professional growth is possible by seeking education and networking opportunities in the field, and advocating for sustainable practices in our workplace. This not only benefits the planet but also enhances our career prospects. It's an everyday choice!

I'm Italian, and sustainable design is a living philosophy, constantly evolving. By considering cultural sensitivities and embracing local materials and traditions, we preserve our heritage and create products that resonate deeply with users. It's a harmonious blend of the old and new.

Applying sustainable design principles is essential for creating long-lasting positive impacts. It's about mindful creation that considers the entire lifecycle of products or services. At Kenovy, we've seen how focusing on durability, adaptability, and resource efficiency can lead to innovative solutions that not only serve immediate needs but also contribute to broader sustainability goals. It's an approach that goes beyond aesthetics, building a legacy of responsible and thoughtful design.

I resonate with inspiring actions, no matter how small or how insignificant in the face of fancy metrics. This is because actions allow us to experiment ideas in reality and to continuously (fail and) learn . Sustainability is a long and never-ending journey to find balance in an evolving ecosystem.

Four years ago when I became curious about the practice of digital sustainability, knowledge was scattered and contained in niche communities. Now, there's so many incredible sources to find up to update principles for how to make low-impact products! Here's my favourites: ? Branch Magazine ? sustainablewebdesign.org ? Low←Tech Magazine (the pioneer)

Your approach to Personal Health and Well-being must be incorporated into all aspects of Sustainable Design mentioned here. We are the foundation resource for all other aspects of sustainability. We must make health and well-being part of our career plan if we want our career and work to be effective, efficient and sustainable.

In simple terms, "There is nothing new under the sun". Continuous learning or allowing for learning is the only way to practice and transfer information to the younger generations.

Learning from best practices is a pathway to enhancing sustainability in one's professional journey. By studying successful implementations, insights can be gained that foster innovation in one's own work. In my experience at Kenovy, embracing this approach has allowed us to adapt proven strategies, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. It's a connection to a broader community of innovators that fuels both growth and sustainability.

The interest in designing and scaling sustainable software solutions has exploded the last couple of years. How do I know? The quantity and activity of tight-knit, interest-based communities - both online and local - that exchange knowledge, best practices, host events and much more on the topic of low-impact software. I can highly recommend you join one (or more!) of the following: ClimateAction.tech, Green Software Foundation and the group Sustainability Professionals, right here on Linkedin!

From my experience, innovation in sustainability isn't linear; it's a complex, adaptive system. We can tap into global intelligence by embracing open-source collaboration and crowd-sourced problem-solving. This democratization of innovation fosters an environment where everyone can contribute.

Experimentation and innovation are at the core of driving sustainability forward. These processes allow for the exploration of new ideas and models that can enhance performance and generate lasting impact. In steering Kenovy, I've recognized that embracing a culture of curiosity and collaboration unlocks unprecedented opportunities. It's a dynamic journey that turns challenges into innovative solutions, making sustainability not a fixed goal but a continuous, evolving pursuit.

You have to keep reaching to find better and more sustainable ways of doing what you normally do. To seek, question, research, dig a little deeper, explore all options. Everyone has to do their part. We're in this experiment together.

To me, the most important behaviour of an aspiring sustainability professional is daring to experiment. The opportunity space when it comes to designing more power-efficient applications, incorporating playful design to inspire regenerative behaviour and We are far from having the best tools and answers yet. Experimentation, and courage to do so in a professional context, is crucial to achieving them in time.

We all have the power to innovate for sustainability. It’s about being creative, curious, and courageous in finding better ways to live in harmony with the planet. It’s about collaborating with others, learning from different perspectives, and co-creating solutions that benefit people and nature. It’s about imagining a future where every challenge is an opportunity and every idea has a positive impact. Innovation for sustainability is not a fixed goal, but a dynamic journey. We need to keep learning, adapting, and experimenting with new models that balance human needs and environmental stewardship. We need to celebrate our successes and learn from our failures. We need to challenge ourselves and inspire others to make a difference.

Communicating and advocating for sustainability is about more than just voicing ideals; it's about inspiring action. In the technology-driven era, effective communication can turn principles into practice. As CEO of Kenovy, I see how sharing and endorsing sustainable practices across digital platforms can catalyze positive change. It bridges intentions and actions, making sustainability a tangible and shared goal.

I've found that the single most important component of great communication about sustainability efforts and ambitions is... tangibility! It is easy to proclaim what you want to do. It is easy to explain why it is important and impactful. But its hard to - in simple language - explain how you are going to achieve those goals, because by doing so you're publicly committing to not only the goal, but the organisational change that is required to get you there. This is something that we at Manyone are making a dedicated effort to practice.

I think reflection is an art of self-awareness and continuous improvement. By integrating mindfulness and well-being into our professional lives, we create a nurturing environment for growth. Sustainability isn't just external; it starts within us, and that inner alignment can radiate outwardly.

I think that this is aspect makes this an iterative process to be done over and over. I think you need feed back form the stake holders to make significant improvements.

Listen. Listen to people. Listen to the people that you serve. It does not suffice to assume the hard hand of an advocate. We must also have empathy for the socio/economic/cultural reality of people’s lives. Only then will big, transformative ideas gain traction.

From the bottom of my heart, sustainability in professional growth isn't merely a practice but a way of life guided by ethics and nourished by well-being. It demands our flexibility to adapt and integrity to walk the path less trodden. By honoring ourselves, respecting our well-being, and being adaptable, we weave sustainability not just into our work but also into our very essence.

Seek professional development... Options include volunteering for an organization (i.e. USGBC), taking a limited-run course, or even finding a Green service mentor to hear their first-hand accounts of participating in sustainability. My local USGBC Chapter (Missouri Gateway Green Building Council) introduced a Green Schools initiative for people to mentor young students on how green living benefits their lives (horticulture, recycling, solar power). Sustainability is no longer a "buzz" word, its now a necessary way of life.

Designers and strategists: we don't need to reinvent the wheel every time. We know, by and large, which climate / regenerative solutions work in energy, materials, agriculture, ecosystems and society. Make sure you know what those solutions are and use them strategically in your projects.