by Bill Conley, CFM, SFP, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow — Sustainability. The term has been used so much over the past few years that sometimes the eyes of even the most avid believers glaze over when they hear the word. The issue has permeated society so much that it has threatened to overwhelm the audience. People are getting tired of hearing about problems to which few solutions are offered. If the term sustainability is in jeopardy of becoming a cliché, then a change in terminology may be useful, especially if they point to some sort-of resolution.
In the business world, money talks and every action that needs to be taken to create a more sustainable operation actually will make economic sense. Thus, references to energy efficiency, streamlined operations, cost savings and increased productivity serve the same purpose without turning people off by utilizing terms with which they may be jaded.
The constant push to make endless business and behavioral changes for the sake of the environment can be frustrating; especially when the message is in an amorphous shape that lacks context. Also, the situation is one of unprecedented risk; it’s hard for people to respond in an area that is unexplored territory. The challenge then arises as to how to engage, continue to engage and influence others so that they are doing the “right thing.”
There is no doubt that sustainability has been determined to consist of doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons. It is up to those who have the experience, knowledge or information to be able to customize efforts and solutions so they deliver an argument that makes sense. What you say isn’t always as important as to whom you say it. Presenting the right message to the wrong audience only provides practice, not success.
Sustainable actions are a quantifiable indicator of superior management practices. As leaders in the business world, it is incumbent upon facility managers to market and promote better, more efficient ways to operate organizations. This can be done by:
Talking the talk—Facility managers should hold a holistic view of an organization. In order to serve all components of any company, facility managers first must know their needs. This knowledge can be transferred in a way that applies to specific groups within their own circumstances and convince them of sustainability’s viability.
Walking the walk—facility managers should lead by example and continually show the benefits and quantitative results from departmental and corporate sustainable efforts.
Audiences
In an overarching, generalist perspective, there are three distinctly different attitudes when it comes to sustainability. Thus, prior to business specifics and benefits being discussed, even before the aspects of business unit and roles in the organization are weighed, it’s smart to evaluate personal convictions.
There are those who agree with sustainability’s concepts. These people cannot be ignored—they still need continuous attention and reinforcement. Their concerns could be prompted strictly by idealism, or the more concrete factors of increasing competitive advantages and not throwing money away on wasteful practices. It is important to note that “preaching to the choir” loses its luster after awhile; it helps to keep the message refreshed and exciting, especially when monetary factors can be enhanced. These are the ones that can be gathered to the cause. Their commitment and passion can support initiatives and assist in generating sustainable actions.
There are those who do not agree with the concept of sustainability and are entrenched in the status quo. This group usually will be part of the “informal authority” figures that can prove to be a major impediment to positive actions. They either have tried to implement activities that didn’t work (probably lacking the right guidance), have no desire to change or are in strict denial that sustainability is an issue. To convince them, empirical data and quantitative evidence must be presented of how sustainable operations can be critical to their success.
Finally, there are those who still are undecided, whether it is due to a lack of understanding of the issue or they haven’t heard a compelling argument that would trigger motivation. They need to both be able to grasp the problem and be shown solutions that work. The focus for this group should be values conversation that involves education, appeals to common sense and expounds on triple bottom line benefits. The opportunity to gain allies from this segment of the population is one that easily can be exploited.
Business case
Sustainability and environmental concerns are driven by consumers; the employees and customers to whom all business ultimately must answer. Anyone with familiarity with IFMA credentials, whether it be the SFPTM (Sustainability Facility ProfessionalTM), FMP® (Facility Management Professional) or CFM® (Certified Facility Manager®), will recognize two salient points regarding a successful company: satisfying company stakeholders is key and the main tool to achieve that end is a strategic plan.
That plan must integrate components regarding sustainable actions to be fully comprehensive. The facility manager can play an invaluable role in ensuring that initiative will be achieved. The facility strategic plan is a major segment of the corporate strategic plan and needs to reflect and influence the organization’s efforts. It is necessary to be in tune with both corporate strategy and business unit plans in order to show how sustainable actions fit in with each specific agenda.
Thus, aligning the facility plan must be made with all other business units to support corporate strategy. This means the facility manager has to be thoroughly familiar with other departments’ plans while being intimately in synch with the pulse of the organization. Intimate knowledge of the needs and desires of all parties will supply hints on how to create a sense of empathy. This affinity then can lead to insightful dialogue and discussion about how sustainable applications can apply to each manager and business group, what those applications can be and how the approach can further the needs of these departments. Letting managers know how sustainability can help them satisfy their stakeholders enables them to make the right decisions.
It is important, too, to identify and recognize the different stakeholders of the organization and how each department, and the business as a whole, is working to meet their needs. Stakeholders can include clients, customers, management, investors, employees, regulators, business units and the community. Many of these groups are looking for sustainable actions. All of these entities have a vested interest in not only how a company does, but how it does it.
Strategy defines the ends a company wants to achieve; tactics define the means. Once a strategy is in place, a tactical plan has to be designed to incorporate sustainable operations and practices throughout the organization. When the discovery process determining departmental drivers has been completed, the basis of any argument should be easy to find. It will entail knowing what actions will improve the production or outputs of any business unit and being able to speak to them in the framework of sustainable actions. Using the knowledge gained in defining the overall goals of the company, combining the practices and processes throughout the different business units, will provide data to help establish a case for discussion and a program to implement. To this end, a facility manager must also understand what drives each department or senior manager. It must be taken into account that each manager will be at different stages in behavior change. In order to effect attitude change management, the emphasis needs to be on what is in it for them.
When addressing challenges or expected outputs on a departmental level, the discussion should be couched in terms that relate to those efforts, much like using financial language when talking to a chief financial officer. It is important to know what people want and be able to leverage their desires when customizing the message; determining the position of those affected and relating how they can benefit through sustainable actions. Demonstrate what they can add to the process and contribute to a more successful operation. Sometimes, playing on their pride and strengths will afford the opportunity to utilize empowerment as an enlisting agent.
Alignment and support in both directions can lead to successful integration of sustainable actions in an organization. For instance, if initiatives are not coordinated or integrated with purchasing and a supply chain, strategic management opportunities may be missed. Strategic sustainability considers the entire system within which a business operates. Decision making within a vision for sustainability assures future competitive advantage.
Benefits
While passion, excitement, ideology and personal philosophy may bring people to support sustainability, the strongest case that can be made revolves around economic benefits.
A deeper understanding must be imbued that this is a smart business opportunity, not a liability. It also must be shown how financial success is interdependent with environmental and social systems, and how this understanding can be utilized to drive business strategies that will lead to a competitive advantage. This refers to the triple bottom line.
By redesigning energy usage, material flows and environmental impacts, an organization with sustainable practices can realize significant operational cost savings and increase access to capital through the minimization of risks. Improved principles and strategies can lead to cost avoidance, compliance with present and future legislation and an invigorated outlook at the market.
Sustainable thoughts and actions lead to product and service innovation, and injecting revolutionary thinking into the development of business offerings. This can open new markets and increase the customer base while reducing risk throughout product life.
Sustainability is utilized by visionary organizations to adapt to market pressures through innovative, flexible, and adaptable products and processes. The practice provides the corporation with an enhanced ability to quickly respond to change ahead of competing companies. The enhanced brand equity and reputation that sustainability delivers will serve to attract customers and employees and will instill deeper trust and loyalty.
Research shows that companies that hold to sustainable business strategies have significantly greater shareholder value than their peers and are looked at by the investment communities as profitable vehicles for their funds. A company’s environmental stance or track record as an organization that is concerned with their corporate social responsibility (CSR) leads to increased profitability.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines CSR as the continued commitment of an organization to contribute to economic development while improving quality of life for their workforce, community and society. Organizations that genuinely and effectively engage communities to deliver triple bottom line benefits are much more likely to achieve success in their ventures.
Plan ahead
There are risks in not adhering to sustainable practices. Part of the risk lies in industry reputation and missing out on the green brand that is driving much of the economy. As aforementioned, sustainability is largely customer and employee driven, so by not adopting sustainable practices, a company faces the risk of losing the ability to attract and retain the people that actually sustain the company.
The smart thing to do is to talk about the program. Know what to say and to whom to say it. Hit the hot buttons that generate interest and promote collaboration; focus and fixate on what’s in it for them.
Plan the plan—Strategy should be translated into high level objectives that can be verbalized to satisfy the needs of the customer/target. It is an iterative lifecycle model and must be validated continually through dialogue and feedback.
Align the plan—Fully understand all in the inner workings of the organization and mesh the moving parts to create one smoothly functioning operation. Integration and alignment are key to creating and communicating an intelligent approach that will influence senior decision makers.
Work the plan—Put things in motion. Start the process with the serious intent of seeing it through. This is not a snapshot, but a continuing panorama.
Market the plan—People must be aware of what is going on. Communicate successes achieved and the future of the efforts. They must be engaged continuously in the process.
Helping everyone become cognizant of the triple bottom line of economics, environment and society, and the resultant benefits to the company, will save money, improve health of employees, enhance the company reputation for corporate social responsibility and secure the future of the organization. The end result promises to bring the organization strategically closer toward environmental and social sustainability in an economically sound way, and that’s a discussion worth having. FMJ
Bill Conley, CFM, CFMJ, SFP, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow, is owner/CSO of CFM2, a facility management and sustainability consulting company based in Orange County, Calif., USA. Conley has more than 35 years of experience in the facility management profession and has been a proponent of sustainable operations for more than 20 years.
Conley has served on the IFMA board of directors, is a recipient of IFMA’s distinguished member of the year award and has twice received the association’s distinguished author award.