2Sustain

For the past few weeks, I’ve used this blog to post results from a variety of recent studies that focused on sustainability practices in business. If you put all of that data together I think one thing, in particular, is abundantly clear: now, more than ever before, companies are concerned about sustainability, and most are doing something about it by establishing new guidelines, implementing new policies, and establishing new programs.

Companies today are beginning a journey that, in time, will make the world a better, more sustainable place. But this is a big goal, and it will not come easily. As surprising as it sounds, even when a shift toward sustainability can be shown to improve the bottom-line, a company may still have its fair share of nay-sayers. Sometimes change, no matter how beneficial, intuitive or positive it may be, still engenders resistance. So, how do we convince that group? What can we do to get them on-board?

First of all, we have to be mindful of the language we use. Bob Willard, a 34-year veteran of IBM Canada and a noted author on the subject of business sustainability, spoke about this very topic at a conference on sustainability in Wisconsin last month.

According to an article about the event, Willard presented a model that showed how companies can realize a potential profit increase of 66 percent (!) by diligently adhering to sustainable practices. But models like this aren’t enough, he added. Business has to be sold on these prospects in language that corporate financial chiefs can understand.

"Sustainability has six syllables," Willard said. "Profits has two."

In my opinion there is great wisdom in this sentiment. The language we use, and the approach we take, can make a huge difference in how the basic principles of sustainability are received. Some of us have been involved in this arena for years. Others are just joining the conversation. We’ll only make progress when we start truly communicating – using language that can meld our different perspectives for the purpose of creating a sustainable future.

Stated simply: everyone understands profits. Give that a shot next time a nay-sayer resists implementing sustainable business practices at your firm. Check out the article about the event, it is worthwhile reading.