sustainability
Politicians Discussing Global Warming by Isaac Cordal, 2011
In the days before curbside and single-stream recycling, my mother religiously took our collected materials to the recycling facility each week. And so the seeds of sustainability were planted. Unsurprisingly, I chose the only values-driven MBA degree program that integrates social justice, environmental responsibility, and systems thinking. Adding these skills, as well as those from traditional business management, to my design and coaching toolkit expanded the value I can offer.
sustainability
The practice of applying a closed-loop systems approach to meeting the needs and wants of the present, without compromising the well-being or ability of future generations to do the same.
sustainability
A guiding principle and definition
Companies and organizations I have worked with have:
+ improved their NPS with the rollout sustainability initiatives across departments and with both community and financial stakeholders
+ decreased employee turnover and increased engagement
+ realized additional investment with the redirection of marketing budget toward sustainability education
+ achieved reductions in food miles while implementing a campaign to manage offsets
+ promoted individual and community wellness
+ justified investments in change management to bring the circular economy principles from the brand into the culture
+ delivered a multi-stakeholder investment model and service to expand access to affordable solar power
+ developed a go-to-market strategy for a coordinated care SaaS serving senior citizens and their caregivers
+ identified operational efficiencies through the disciplined application of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
We live in a VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex & ambiguous). Never before has the risk of losing control of virtually every system we know of been greater. With machines taking over so many of our jobs, what distinguishes us is our creativity, compassion, courage, imagination, and connection. A commitment to sustainability is a fuel that heightens these uniquely human traits, which just so happen to also be the basis of innovation. To continue business-as-usual is proving to be a zero-sum game. I choose to play on the side of history that is changing that game.
Will we use technology to optimize humanity for the marketplace or to optimize the market for humanity?
-Douglas Rushkoff