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Thanks to everyone who joined us for our Strategic Sustainability Employee Initiatives: Research-Backed Insights webinar last week. A very special thank you to Jane Day for sharing her research and insights with us and to Tracy Harden for organizing this incredibly well attended event!
Three key takeaways from the event include:
1. Approach the framework for internal change with vision then tasks. If you begin with tasks alone, research indicates you may not be as successful. Think of the head, heart, mind combination.
2. Help your employees tie your initiatives into their personal purpose and help connect the initiative’s impact to their purpose. Allow them to participate in the strategy and in planning and executing projects.
3. Celebrate the “Return on Good” that your actions have generated. This ripple effect will attract more good.
If you weren’t able to attend, you can read the complete debrief below or you can watch the recording by clicking here.
Full Event Debrief
Recap of USBC’s webinar with Jane Day: Strategic Sustainability Employee Initiatives: Research-Backed Insights
USBC hosted a very informative webinar on August 31, with Jane Day, a management consultant and PhD candidate who is examining the impact of sustainability initiatives when organization view their business through a sustainability lens and the consequential impact on positive employee outcomes, such as well-being and giving their all for their organizations. As sustainability leaders, we appreciate that our profession, and incorporating sustainability as a business strategy, is still in its nascent stages. Jane’s goal is to help us be successful in our roles. With research, personal insights and her own passion for a cleaner environment and social impact, Jane took us on a journey through her findings to show us the positive impact we can make when an organization’s head, heart and hands are involved in creating a more sustainable-minded future.
Here’s a summary of what we learned.
Guidelines for engaging employees in sustainability strategy and initiatives:
1. Approach the framework for internal change with vision then tasks. If you begin with tasks alone, research indicates you may not be as successful. Think of the head, heart, mind combination.
2. Help your employees tie your initiatives into their personal purpose and help connect the initiative’s impact to their purpose. Allow them to participate in the strategy and in planning and executing projects.
3. Celebrate the “Return on Good” that your actions have generated. This ripple effect will attract more good.
Research findings
1. When employees participate in a relational (participation) vs. monetary (donating to a cause) manner, relational participation has a greater impact on their well-being. Hearing stories from clients or community members on the initiative’s impact is considered “relational”. As an example, communicating the impact your initiatives have had on clients, communities or individuals allows employees to internalize the stories. A strong internal communications plan is shown to improve employee well-being and can inspire your employees to contribute more to your organization.
2. This research indicates that employees’ well-being and organizational citizenship behavior will be positively impacted by their organizations’ environmental causes if employees are participating in the decision making of these environmental initiatives. Awareness alone did not have an effect on these outcomes.
Case Study
Jane shared a case study on Clarke, a global distributor of mosquito abatement chemicals and services. Clarke’s CEO, J. Lyell Clarke, wanted to view the company’s mission through a sustainability lens and consider the environmental impact of their chemicals on natural environments. He did this by gathering his leadership team at an off-site meeting and asking them to jump into the deep end (metaphorically —and physically at the hotel pool) to revamp their products and brand. Through this “Appreciative Inquiry Summit” the stakeholders co-created an action plan and later involved the entire company.
Because of the top-down leadership and company-wide involvement, Clarke has incorporated sustainability as a mindset. It’s something they do and it’s part of who they are. It’s become an essential part of their brand. The impact has been significant. Now, 48% of its products sold are from its “Next Gen” product and service. Clarke has a 89% employee retention rate and 90% coworker engagement in volunteer activities.
This inspiring case study illustrates how a company can create positive social and environmental impact and improve employee well-being when its leadership recognizes the entire organization as stakeholders and invites them to co-design its mission to be more sustainable.
Wrap Up
A sincere thanks to Jane for her presentation and willingness to engage further with USBC members. She can be reached directly at janeannday@gmail.com.
A recording of the webinar can be viewed here
For additional resources on the Clarke Case Study:
1. Podcast Interview with Clarke’s VP of Sustainability, Julie Reiter, on Clarke’s sustainability journey and multi-stakeholder summit
2. Clarke’s Sustainability 2021 Report
3. Clarke’s White Paper, Making Appreciative Inquiry Stick
4. Appreciative Inquiry Approach & Examples:” a Podcast Interview with AI Pioneer, David Cooperrider https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspiring-impacts/id1676146231?i=1000626193768