Don't forget the people!

I recently attended the fifth annual FutureSouth conference, in the South of England. This excellent conference brought together thought leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs, all sharing the aim of making the world we live in more sustainable.

I have long been committed to the principles of sustainability. In fact, I wrote a strategic framework for economic, social and environmental sustainability in 2008 - represented online as the EcoIsland strategy. I am fascinated by the clean tech, I marvel at the ingenuity of the engineers who can turn household waste (even of the most unsavoury kinds!) into energy, I want an electric car and would love to see better infrastructure to cut emissions significantly. Yet all this clean energy, clean tech, low-carbon work depends on one common element which feels to me as if it is rather overlooked - people.

Sustainability depends on people to invent, to invest, to inspire, to commission, to buy, to use, to recycle. It also depends on the people working in all those different bits of the supply cycle. The sustainability industry is not built on tech, invention or conviction, it is built on people and those people need to be nurtured, trained, recognised, rewarded and supported, just like any other industry. On the Twitter wall at the conference, I tweeted about this, and received several RTs. Gratifying, but more importantly, it showed I am not alone in my belief that we need to look after the people, to grow this industry.

The "green" industrial sector is famous for its passionate advocates, its inspirational innovators and its tireless entrepreneurs. In any other industry, it seems to me that these passionate people would be feted. However, in "green" business, it seems to me that they are taken for granted - it's what it takes to be part of this industry, and that's all there is to it. It's all about passion, belief, commitment ... In my experience from other sectors, that can end up being about burn out.

Look after Number One ... it is good business sense

So I am writing this piece to highlight to colleagues in the sustainability sector, that looking after your people AND YOURSELVES is not a luxury, some frivolity which only corporate executives use. When I introduced myself to fellow delegates at the conference, time and again I was met with "I don't have any money for you" instead of a simple "Hello" ... all because I had the word "consulting" on my badge! Yet my consultancy is simply this: I help people make the best use of their people in their green business, so that that business can fly. I don't believe that this isn't an attractive proposition. Indeed, in terms of ROI, how could a growing company actively choose NOT to develop their business resilience in challenging times? That has to be a pretty hefty opportunity cost.

Sometimes passion isn't enough. Sometimes people need more - they need to be told they are doing well, or they need to be helped to do things differently. Almost always, people from the top to the shop floor benefit from the opportunity to reflect on their ambitions, where they are right now, and what it would take to get from here to there. Clear business goals, and values, are key tenets of business success the world over. When businesses are small, the handful of enthusiastic staff all share a common purpose and understand the way the company is heading. However, as businesses grow, this can become blurred, with unclear goals, lack of focus and the risk of disengaged employees. This can happen in any sector - even the passionate "green" businesses. It is vital that a business keeps in touch with its staff, listening as well as leading. It is also vital that the people at the top of the business listen to one another too. Misalignment of values can lead to confusion, disaffection ... and even business failure. We are all passionate about making this industry a success ... so let's do that through the people as well as the inventions.

So what would I do about it? Well ... it's what I hope to do about it, actually! Coaching leadership behaviours (but not just for the present directors ... every part of a business needs leadership competencies to thrive). Mentoring young leaders, newly promoted supervisors, older workers employed to transfer their valuable skills to younger colleagues. Training the people who manage people to do it well, with a keen focus on the business goals, and also on how people are behaving within that business. All this, combined together in the consultancy which so many wrongly assume is massively costly (and it really needn't be!), will result in a workforce that feels heard, an entire staff aligned behind a business' goals and values, and a leadership team which is self-aware, focused and equipped with the skills to drive their business forwards. Why should the virtuous passion of the "green" industries mean that they lose out on this, because they are too focused on the funding or the tech? Keep your focus on your people, and your business will be in the best possible shape to make the best of what the market can offer, both opportunity and challenge. There are other benefits too - you will demonstrate you are investing in developing the infrastructure within your business, which helps convince investors that you are serious and have the appropriate capacity to succeed. It will also knock on to your customers - when they deal with a happier and more motivated workforce, they will derive even more satisfaction from that. It will shine out, and your reputation will spread, not just for good tech, but also for great people doing a good job well.

If you recognise some of this in your business and you would like to find out more ... even if you aren't sure whether it is for you or not ... please get in touch for a chat. Just that - a chat. Your business deserves to fly, after all your hard work. Your people deserve it, your customers deserve it ... and so do you. You have so little to lose ... and so very much to gain.

 (c) Melinda Nagy | Dreamstime Stock Photos