Visions of Synergy and Sustainability
Much of what I write about is in the vein of trying to get people to step out with small initiatives and get even the smallest amount of momentum NOW! I do that because I want people to know and believe that any effort, even a small one, matters!
Equally important, though, is providing some encouragement to go after the big projects that take a long time and will really test your commitment! One such endeavor is to pursue an eco-certification.
First, a little background in case the concept is still a bit new to you. An eco-certification, or eco-label, is an award or label an organization receives when a third-party verifies adherence to a set of standards. Note that not all eco-certifications are third party verified, but I believe those worth pursuing are. You don't want a label that says you're green because you say you're green; it will be far more credible and stand up to better scrutiny if you earn this achievement through a third party audit.
Watch a brief video with highlights from the interview with Joan.
It's also worth noting that "eco" is a limiting term because there are many certifications that focus on human rights, wellness, and other sustainability factors. There are labels for buildings, cleaning products, clothing, food, and entire companies. It would take far more time and space than we have here to give a comprehensive overview, so if you'd like to learn more about eco-certifications in general, I recommend you read this brief overview.
In an interview with Joan D. Plisko, PhD, Founder and President of Plisko Sustainable Solutions, I asked about her experience convincing a client to pursue a Fitwel designation, which is a certification that promotes healthy buildings. Joan's client was a conference center that already had a mission that aligned perfectly with such a program; however, it took Joan about two years to first socialize the idea, then gain buy-in from executives and staff, and finally to go through the process of certification.
Each of these is vital steps towards achieving a more audacious sustainability goal (and on a micro level, you may even find yourself needing to step through these same phases for small projects). Let's look at each phase:
Phase 1: Introducing an Idea
Joan explained that the staff might not understand why it's important to get such a certification in the first place. This might even entail educating staff on the basics of certification. Joan emphasized the value of third party verification. She also shared that it wasn't just the staff; she had to educate a wide variety of stakeholders. When you are endeavoring to pursue a sustainability certification it will involve staff, executives, investors or donors, board members, vendors, and maybe even clients, government representatives, and community members.
Joan explained the relationship between the time commitment required and role of the vision. "Two years might sound like a long time but what I spent those two years doing is creating a vision, creating goals, educating the executive team, educating the board, educating staff, providing examples, and getting partners across the organization…that was part of the process that took so long."
Phase 1 is where the vision needs to be the most emotional and compelling. I asked Joan how did she get certain people to buy into the long term vision?
It fit well (no pun intended) with both the existing ethos of the organization, which is create "earth based connection", and the ethos of all the work Joan does, which has a recurring theme of human health impact (in fact, when you listen to the full interview with Joan below, you'll hear the entire first story about stormwater management at a hospital resonates with this theme). The Fitwel certification was an authentic expression of a person the client’s staff had already come to know and trust for other sustainability initiatives. Relationships and emotions are vital levers in this phase.
Joan D. Plisko, PhD
A Maryland Top Woman!
“Two years might sound like a long time but what I spent those two years doing is creating a vision, creating goals, educating the executive team, educating the board, educating staff, providing examples, and getting partners across the organization…that was part of the process that took so long.”
Phase 2: Executive Buy-in and the Business Case
Once you've developed followers and fans of your idea, it's time to get commitment. People can love an idea but that doesn't mean they will actually invest or do the work. This phase requires more formal documentation and approval steps.
This is where the vision needs to be more business-oriented and strategic. The vision cast in Phase 1 now must be put in the format of:
A budget and business case. Read more about developing a business case here and download Astrapto's worksheet for brainstorming sustainability business cases.
A formal pitch to board members or investors. A sustainability certification is likely to require the type of budget or resource commitment that will not escape the notice of financial decision makers.
A project plan. In order to help decision makers see the endgame, provide a timeline with milestones and an anticipated completion date (but encourage everyone to remain flexible because on such a journey there are occasionally roadblocks you must work around).
In this phase, you are likely to encounter a more conservative and measured response to your idea. Put your audience at ease by connecting this project with the success of other goals and initiatives in place. A vision does not always mean introducing something foreign or radical to an organization. Often it is simply pointing out the synergy and alignment of your proposed initiative and the mission everyone has already bought into. Joan explained, "Every project that I work on I connect to human health and make sure that when we are implementing a project, that health piece is part of that. So that's part of what I was doing was weaving in human health and wellness…into and with the existing mission and vision of the organization. So I wasn't creating a standalone vision but really taking another idea or concept and bringing it to an existing mission and vision."
Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and work, but vision casting is not over yet.
Phase 3: Implementation
You spent all this effort to get to the point that the project is a real thing. It's approved. It's funded. It's time to get to work. BUT it's important to remember that in Phase 3, you are not done with casting a vision and just getting down to business. The long term vision is still a vital part of keeping people focused and motivated.
This is where the vision needs to be more technical and tactical. You will have to translating a big picture vision about a healthy building and healthier occupants and visitors to something more specific, such as a vision for covered bike parking and shower facilities to promote alternative and sustainable modes of transportation. These amenities would have been built into the budget you presented in phase 2 but now you have to get the facilities department on board with vision so that the implementation of this criteria is thoughtful and thorough.
The work of achieving a sustainability certification can be arduous. There are likely to be policies that need to be put in place, equipment to be upgraded or installed, purchasing habits to be changed, education to be prepared, and more. And everything has to be documented and proven. Most sustainability certifications require an onsite audit; this is where that third party checks that you have met all the specifications of the standard.
And don't forget to celebrate when you achieve that certification. The vision casting doesn't end here! Most sustainability certifications require ongoing recertification or audits every few years. Now you need to track and measure results of the program so that you can continually revisit the vision and make it more tangible with real outcomes.
Keep Your Eyes on the Vision
You might wonder "Which phase will take the longest?" It will depend on many factors. If you are in an organization with a great deal of sustainability savvy, Phase 1 might be short but as we saw in Joan's case, even though there was an existing ethos of sustainability, it took time to get some momentum behind the idea. If sustainability is still a newer concept for the organization, you will spend a lot of time in Phase 1 and 2, but the good news is by the time you reach Phase 3, you will have developed the awareness, knowledge, and some of the skill sets needed to move forward.
Phase 1 is likely to be the shortest in situations where an executive decides she or he wants the program to move forward. This means you'll likely skip right to phase 2, but don't forget that there will be staff that still need to be sold on the idea so that they don't derail efforts later. So you might find yourself in multiple phases at once.
Phase 3 can take the longest if your organization did not already have many of the standard's requirements in place. I've seen organizations that were able to get a certification quickly because they essentially already met most of the criteria, but simply needed to gather evidence and documentation.
Regardless of how long all this takes, as the key initiative champion, it's essential that you keep the vision front and center for yourself. Once you get into the weeds, it can be easy for others and even you to lose sight of the original impetus and excitement you had for the goal. Find ways to keep yourself motivated and remember to share those inspirations with others.
Watch the full interview with Joan.
