Workplace activism: a balancing act in the workplace (3 of 4)
Veronique Swinkels
InnerPact/ UndercoverActivist / Lab Toekomstige Generaties / Go for Good / The Present/ VOLT/ Inspired by Yoga
This is Part 3. form a series of 4 on workplace activism. In this part how to excel in workplace activism.
In Part 2. you can read “Most examples of activist-projects we found are around challenging the status-quo and the way business is ‘always done here’. An activists’ awareness, if invited in, of the important energy and materials transitions, emerging supply chain-issues, social justice and new narratives around business models helps the company to organize around opportunities that align with the needs of society." ?If successful, the impact of an activist on company strategy can be huge.
If successful, the impact of an activist on company strategy can be huge.
Balancing advocacy and passion with organizational goals
The success of activist efforts within a company often depends on effective strategies that balance advocacy and passion for the greater good with organizational goals. Over the past 2 year, during the courses and workshops organized by The Undercover Activist, we learned first hand from employee activists. A diverse and international group of dedicated professionals working in small businesses, social enterprises, and corporates. They give us the gift of real and lived experiences.
Here is a quote of one of the activists working for a engineering company that really made a mark.
“With a group of peers, we started the discussion how we could introduce sustainability into the core of the business. During that time, we talked to so many people. And you know what’s interesting? You never know how your influence grows. I discovered that it grows underground, where you can’t see it. In the back of people’s minds. Seed after seed. Each presentation was a new seed. Each discussion was a new seed. Each example of success elsewhere was a seed. And we planted the seeds in so many people’s minds. In the end, I realized that you only need one seed to become a tree and grow.”
12 insights
Here are some great key insights and strategies our positive-workplace-activist used to bring change to their organizations without loosing themselves.
From a systemic perspective
>>Make sure you understand the field you are entering. Where is your company and your workplace on the path to sustainability and business for good? How is activism perceived? Past experiences, a vision on how change works, the companies industry and the impact of society are all different aspects influencing how activist' actions are perceived and how much resistance you will encounter. Be prepared.
From a personal perspective
>>Where are you on the path of activism? Develop a moral compass: Act from a place of awareness with clear reasons and values. A personal moral compass will guide your actions and help you deal with conflicts and power dynamics.
>>Practice self-care and resilience: Be mindful of burnout and setbacks. You need to take care of yourself to sustain activism over the long term. Learn from organizations like Extinction Rebellion on integrating resilience practices. Read about burn-out in the latests blogs of The Undercover Activist.
>>Stories matter: Engage in education, listening, and communication to ensure colleagues and leadership understand the change you want to bring and the potential benefits to the company. Practice the art of story-telling.
?From a collective perspective:
>> Go beyond the book. There is no change without conflict and tension. How willing is your team to embrace change. Think in terms of creating safe and brave spaces. Spaces that are safe zones where speaking-up is a virtue and not a sign of disloyalty. Start a conversation around this theme.
>>Build coalitions and define roles: start organizing first with colleagues close to you, look for like minded teams and departments. Go for coffee with a stranger. Build a coalition of support for your ambitions. Work together to formulate a clear ask and make it known. Make these coalitions as official as possible. Give them a name, a certain degree of structure and embrace the experience other movements have gained before you,
>>Educate your peers. Organize learning sessions around planetary boundaries, EU regulations or bio-diversity to facilitate understanding. Start a Q&A resource-group because we know there are a lot of questions around what and what not to do.
>> Re-energize, Celeberate, Restart: Each movement will, after living through a period of success, have setbacks and will need resilience, re-grouping, and a re-start. This is almost designed by nature. Celebrate milestones and successes, acknowledging the positive impact of activist efforts. Recognition reinforces the value of social responsibility within the company and encourages continued engagement.
From an organizational perspective:
>>Start Small, scale and formalize: Start with smaller pilot programs or initiatives to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of socially responsible practices. Use successful pilot programs as evidence to support scaling up efforts across the organization. Formalize and institutionalize to make sure the change is not lost too easily.
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>>Utilize hard data: Add hard data to arguments to support socially and ecologically responsible practices. Demonstrate the business case for supporting specific causes, linking them to improved financial performance, employee satisfaction, and customer loyalty. Use data and evidence to track and measure the impact of initiatives.
>>Network outside your scope: Become aware of networks beyond your own team, business unit, or company, and explore what professional connections with like-minded groups will add to your cause. At least you will feel understood and at home. There are several organisations that support employee activists.
>>Engage Leadership: Support from company leadership and executives helps to advance the climate ambitions. Organizing young co-workers around sustainability and demanding to add a young-board and the voice of nature and future generations to the governance-structure helps to put relevant topics on the agenda.
There is no one-size fits all
In employee activism there is no one-size fits all. Activism is a process that can take a long time and its intensity can take the activists by surprise. By looking for best-practices, mentoring and coaching, and employing a combination of above mentioned building blocks, activists within a company can be successful. Here are some of my favorite projects that were started by internal activists. These projects can become game-changers in the industrie. I hope they will be copied and multiplied;
An important driver of the impact an activist can have in an organisation is the commitment of management to take the employee voice serious. What counts is when management consciously decide not to turn a blind eye to internal concerns around f.e. CO2-emissions, sustainability, supply-chain ethics and inclusions. These concerns are real and, as argued in part 1 of this series, if not addressed, directly connected to quite quitting and lack of company-pride.
If you want to dive deeper in the 'WHY" and "HOW" of workplace activism check-out the Undercover Activist website, there are new courses coming up.
Or engage with one of the following organisations. They are all at the forefront of climate action at work and a great source of inspiration.
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