A “Whatever” Attitude Is the Enemy

For some people, the combination of the letters E, S and G conjures images of corporate responsibility and compliance.?For others it may mean global meetings in Edinburgh or at the World Economic Forum.?Or maybe it’s a famous environmentalist (of which there are many) talking at a benefit for ocean health or rain forest preservation.?It’s all a little distant and abstract.

Closer to home,?to others sustainability means being a good steward.?Those actions include ensuring?that the recycling is carefully sorted on trash day and everything is organic.?Any pesticides are avoided and electric vehicles are parked in the garage.?All are welcome behaviors that make a difference.

But what about all those considerations between those two scenarios?

Consider this one.??You are driving along the beautiful country road and there on the side of the road is a old couch and a bunch of garbage next to the sign that screams NO DUMPING.?The reason that sign is in that exact location is probably because it is a favorite spot for people to get rid of old tires and worn out carpeting.?I can visualize the scenario: Someone (probably a guy) goes to the site at night, unloads old cans of paint or a mattress or a bunch of yard waste and says to himself, “Whatever, I paid my taxes, someone will pick it up.”?

As I imagined that scenario I realized it was a “whatever” situation that happens way too often.?So I wrote a book about it to be published in April – Never Say Whatever, How Small Choices Make a Big Difference.?(McGraw Hill) We need to stop saying “whatever”.

I doubt the people who are reading this are the ones dumping junk on the side of the highway. ?However, I do think that we can all fall victim to the “whatever” syndrome.

The “whatever’ word conveys any number of messages that we associate with slackers, complainers, wimps and uncooperative non-team players.?In general, it conveys a negative or indecisive or wishy-washy approach.???When it comes to investing in important initiatives, there is no room for “whatever”.?The act of using the word almost always defers or eliminates a decision or a choice that should be made.??As someone who is a true believer that life is choices, and it’s better to be positive than negative, I set out to kill the word.?As I spoke to leaders and conducted research I found consistent messages regarding decision making and what factors into the “whatever” word.?Here’s how to avoid that “whatever” word.

• Be Intentional – Actions follow intent; if you know your intent, the decisions about actions are clear.
• Be Self-Aware – In your heart-of-hearts, you almost always know what the right thing to do is.?Do that.
• Be Accountable – Even when no one is looking, don’t take that old refrigerator to the side of the road.
• Be Willing to Take Risks – You may not know everything about that new ESG fund but take that risk to do the right thing.
• Be Ready to Act on Choices – Stop hemming and hawing.?Once you make the choice, start implementation.
• Regrets Will Happen, Move On – The biggest regrets are the choices and actions we did not act on.

These universal behaviors are the key to eliminating that sense of being stuck because you avoided decisions, large or small. Because you said “whatever”.?ESG investing will be much more robust when people get rid of “whatever”.?We might also get rid of those roadside dumps.