Green is your strategic partner in business

I am a believer in the power of learning by example. I’ve discovered over the years that many businesses and organizations have similar challenges in going green, even though their core missions may be quite different. Take a look at a few recent conversations I’ve had with clients and peers. These illustrate some common themes.

Our company has had impressive results from several targeted “green” projects. Now, we have about 10 people really engaged and feeling successful. Our challenge now? How do we engage more of the smart, dedicated folks who work here?

I feel like I’ve wasted so much time – a year – building the case for green with our leadership, using both logic and emotional appeals. There’s so much potential, I just can’t figure out how to unleash it.

Greening is our organization’s highest priority, because it ties in to everything else: business expansion, office and studio space, travel, outreach and community programs. What do we have to do to make green a seamless part of our culture?

We want to be a world-class company, a leader in sustainability. Our core business – energy efficiency – certainly qualifies, but we want to go further and really look at our operations, our community engagement, and our employee policies.

Does your business have something in common with these folks? Are you:

• A mission-driven enterprise that cares about people and the earth, as well as your bottom line?
• Taking some actions to be a better steward of natural resources?
• Convinced of – maybe already taking advantage of – the tremendous cost savings of reducing waste?
• Aware of the great branding opportunities of aligning with the green movement?
• Serving people who care about the environment?

Maybe, along with these folks, you are also wondering. . . .

• How to save time and get right to what really matters to your organization;
• How to engage more green champions from within to increase the great ideas for even more cost savings or revenue-generation; and
• How to take your greening to the next level – to really unleash the sleeping green dragon in your business!

Let’s be honest here. Isn’t it frustrating to see the potential, but not know how to get there most effectively and efficiently?

Don’t we all just want to. . . .

• Walk our talk;
• Lead by example;
• Reduce costs, save time and money;
• Increase our revenue;
• Attract loyal customers and employees; and
• Do well by doing good?

Believe it or not, there is good news. Imagine what it would be like to:

• Get a quick and clear overview of the drivers and strategies that can unlock the bottom-line benefits of green for your company.
• Align around a common language to greatly improve communication both internally and externally.
• Benchmark your internal culture so the actions you are taking are in service of a big-picture strategy.

Doesn’t that sound good? The work we do with our clients helps them to go quickly from frustrated to inspired, from confused to focused. And it all boils down to two simple practices. Yes, two. Ready for it?

1. Slash waste.
2. Create something new.

That’s it. Okay, if I put it in business language, you’ll probably recognize the two top things-that-keep-business-owners-up-at-night:

1. Cut costs.
2. Increase revenue.

The only difference between the first list and the second list is mindset. Sure, you can go about cutting costs in your business in any number of ways. And, you can play around with increasing revenue using the tried and true methods. My message today is to think of going green as an ally in your business, as a strategic partner that can help you reach levels of productivity, customer loyalty, efficiency, and innovation that you never imagined.

Stay tuned for some case studies and other tips.

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