We want to become a more sustainable business, but where do we start?

As the focus on sustainability increases, our experience is that is becoming more confusing, and even daunting for many businesses, leaving them with the feeling of not knowing where to start.

I frequently have conversations with company leaders who want their businesses to become more responsible and ethical. They want to "do the right thing" in the way they conduct business, both directly and indirectly with suppliers and customers. But they find they are getting stuck.

?The kind of questions I’m often asked are:

Where should we start? What should we tackle first? What do we need to focus on? What are the steps involved? Who should be involved? What is this going to cost?

?Added to the mix and often causing more confusion is the major clarion call to “achieve Net Zero”.?The UK government and trade bodies are strenuously pushing Net Zero as part of a global commitment for all countries to play their part to help abate the climate crisis. This is good in that we should all be doing our bit to reduce our carbon impact, but it isn’t the whole story.

?Where do we start?

?Let me begin by saying that most companies are already doing a lot that is responsible and ethical, and they are already on the way to becoming a more “sustainable” business. However, most decision makers I speak to have not undertaken a strategic review of their current position through a sustainability lens, so they are not sure where they are, where they need to be, and what their priorities are going forward.?

?Good Governance

?It should also be borne in mind that much of what comes under your governance criteria is also covered as part of the ESG (Environment, Social Governance) requirements. If you have good governance, you will have processes and procedures in place that will stand you in good stead.

?Most companies also want to be a good employer and the business case is a strong one. In an increasingly competitive world chasing for talent and skills, good employers will already have established working practices for staff to ensure a safe and healthy workplace, recognise that their employees are a valuable asset to the business, and be treated and remunerated accordingly.

?The positive effect of your people strategy ripples out much wider, from your brand reputation and into the communities where your employees live. As part of the Social aspect of ESG you are hopefully ticking at least some of these boxes.

?There are plenty of exceptions to this which frankly never cease to amaze me. Companies like P&O Ferries and Boohoo spring to mind. Iconic brands practically destroyed because their actions demonstrate that they value profit over the wellbeing and respect for their people.

So, to briefly answer the common question ‘where do we start’?

?Step 1 – Take stock. Review and evaluate where you are now in order to benchmark where you want to be.?Identify the gaps, and establish an effective action plan. We can help you with this using our Sustainability Staircase model.

?Step 2 – Widen your scope. As a leader you already know your business inside/out, and you’re probably already carrying our regular strategic reviews. The next step is to do this using a sustainability lens. Take your scope beyond racing to achieve Net Zero and look at concepts such as Triple Bottom Line, ESG, etc.

?Step 3 – Get others involved.?And not just the management team – everyone. There are many ways to do this obviously. One idea is to establish Sustainability Champions within your business. Drawn from across your business you will bring a diversity of thinking and fresh ideas into the mix. They can also have a role in holding management to account for their promises. Radical maybe, but very powerful too.

?Step 4 – Cultivate a Regenerative Culture. Sustainability doesn’t have to be dry and boring. Yes, you have processes and procedures and data to account for, but when done well through a Staff Engagement Strategy you can turn this into an initiative where enthusiasm and creative ideas flourish, and your business will grow as a result.

?Step 5 – Invest in Education and Training. It’s important that everyone in your company understands your vision and plan as a sustainable business, and why they are being tasked to contribute your business on its sustainability journey. So as a senior management team you need to be clear on your Why – your Values and Purpose.

?Step 6 – Communicate right from the start. Communication is one of the key steps in our four-step programme. Communication is something that should be woven through every part of your sustainability journey. Right from the outset, establish clear communication channels with your key stakeholders. This is a great opportunity to start setting out your intentions and opening up discussions. Carry out staff surveys, customer surveys and talk to your suppliers. By having a dialogue with your key stakeholders, you will uncover information that you perhaps might not have thought about. A key supplier, for example, might be able to support your journey because they’re already on the journey themselves. Wylde can help you develop and craft your internal and external communications strategy.

?Step 7 - Sign up to our new Wylde Wednesday Workshops series. The first one launches online on 18th May 2022 at 10-am to 11am. We are keeping these interactive workshops and masterclasses to just one hour, but they are packed full of advice and guidance. The first one is about How to get Stakeholder Buy-In and is delivered by myself and one of our trusted partners Anne Wilkinson who is an executive leadership coach. It’s FREE to join. Click here to book.

?Wylde supports businesses large and small with their sustainability journey. You can access our free workshops and resources, and if you need more help book a free Discovery Call with me personally and find out how we can help.?