Senge breaks down sustainability into something tangible: Energy, food, and water; waste and toxicity; gap between rich and poor. He relates that the narrow mindset, or mental model, of business people and wealthy nations, has begun to break down and this is creating entirely new conversations about what it means to be a person on this planet and essentially the very future of how commerce is conducted.
There are some great examples of big companies like Coke and Nestle who are realizing that they’re not in the beverage business, they’re in the water business because without better stewardship of our global water supply there will be insufficient water supplies. Another example is that auto and electronic manufacturers in Europe are required to take back products at the end of their life. This has forced them to think about creating low impact products that truly can be recycled, and they’re making a good profit doing it.
Many businesses use sustainability as a buzz word for recruiting, and frankly I get really disappointed when you actually read what they’re doing (ok, organic cafeteria food is a nice start but come on….). There are big opportunities for organizations to save/make lots of money rethinking their entire product/service delivery stream in a way that minimizes the impact on the world. In the process, I believe we’ll see the next wave of prosperity form and it’ll be led by the nations and organizations who truly “get it”. My advice to organizations and leaders is to create a really compelling possibility about how things can change, and then invite people to help and/or follow you through the change process. Talk about the wins, failures, and problems you simply can’t figure out. Use the power of our connected world to solicit ideas from outsiders and I guarantee you’ll be positively surprised by the response. In the process, your employer brand will improve because you’ll be credibly doing something truly exciting and that will entice people to stay and/or want to join your team. Exciting times!
—
Adaptive Talent is a talent consultancy designed to help organizations achieve amazing results and ongoing adaptability. Founded in 2008 and based in Vancouver, Canada we offer retained search, assessments, total rewards consulting, training, leadership coaching and development programs, and culture & organizational development consulting.