In this edition, we caught up with Sophie Austin, HR Partner at Monahans, who believes in championing a culture where colleagues are empowered to play an active part in creating a more sustainable world.
We should all be conscious of the impact we, and our businesses, are having on the environment. Amidst growing numbers of organisations being exposed for greenwashing, a new trend has emerged of firms implementing well-meaning environmental measures badly – catchily termed ‘green-botching’. So, how can organisations toe the line between ‘pretending’ to be green, and being green in a way that genuinely – and positively – impacts people and planet? And more specifically, in business, in a way that impacts culture and performance?
Firstly, and most importantly, ask yourself ‘why?’
The organisations that are being accused of greenwashing are getting caught out because they think they should be seen doing something, rather than exploring what it is they should be doing and why they should be doing it. If the objectives are PR or profit, rip up your proposal and start again, because policies should sit more intrinsically with a business’s values and vision. For Monahans this is ‘To be recognised in the marketplace for delivering great service to our clients and creating an environment for our people to flourish and grow.’ The key is that we can’t achieve this without a programme of continuous colleague development. This improves their personal and professional outcomes and advances their careers, in turn driving employee engagement, which motivates colleagues to do the best for their clients. Playing an active part in creating a more sustainable world, and making a positive social and environmental impact is not just the right thing to do, it’s good business. The irony is that by not focusing on profit, the profit will come.
Identify a clear framework against which you can benchmark
Businesses that have thought long and hard about their ‘why’ can then focus on their ‘how’. There are various metrics – such as the B Corp framework – that allow businesses to paint a detailed picture of their ESG credentials. With such a framework as the basis for change and setting deadlines for rigidity, it’s possible to make more concrete plans and assess progress against these. This might – nay, should – also involve researching what others are doing in your market. After all, a little ‘friendly’ competition in this area is no bad thing.
Be honest about where you’re falling short
Don’t shout about how much you recycle if the business isn’t contributing to employee or socio-economic development. You just have to look at Brewdog – which recently copped flak for boasting about being carbon-negative, while accusations were flying around the company of staff bullying and a toxic culture – as an example of this. (The brewer lost its B Corp certification as a result.) No business is perfect, so it need not be a cause for concern if you’re underperforming in certain areas; rather, an opportunity to identify how you can be better and where improvements can be made.
Adopt the 5/25 – or even the 3/25
It was Warren Buffett who famously advised his pilot to write a list of the 25 things he wanted most in life, circle the top five and forget about the other 20. Because spending time on the 20 detracts from the five, and you simply won’t get around to the most important items on your list.
