Shrink-Wrapped in Our Own Thinking:
Sustainability
Thinking That Transforms
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Presented by
Ariane David, PhD
Senior Partner
The Veritas Group
Ariane David, PhD
Senior Lecturer
The VERITAS Group
California State
University,
Northridge
California
State University,
Northridge
ADavid@TheVeritasGroup.com
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ADavid@TheVeritasGroup.com
www.theveritasgroup.com
Pamela S. Hartman, MS
…About YOU and
YOUR
LEADERSHIP
How I Became
Aware…
“PROBE for Sustainable Business
brings together the proven PROBE
methodology with a rigorouslyresearched framework that
encapsulates sustainability as a set
of powerful and readily-understood
principles – The Natural Step
Framework”.
Old Model:
Concentrated on environment; “ green”.
Are you practicing “Sustainability” in your
facility?
So Do We Really Get It?
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There is no right definition of sustainability.
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Intuitively we know that if something is sustainable
IF it can go on and on without adverse affects.
Elisabet Sahtouris, writer: “ I see Capitalism as a pretty natural
(in the sense of evolution biology) juvenile economic mode,
acquisitive and creative, but believe it is high time to move into
the mature cooperative mode if we want to survive current
pileup of unprecedented crises.”
eVOLuTION
Sustainability boosts Evolution
Because we aren’t going
to stop changing.
Doogie Howser
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Neil Patrick Harris
UnPRECEDented
Crises
We are bombarded daily with many
unprecedented crises.
WARMING
is one BIG
unprecedented
crisis!
GLOBAL
Global Temperature differences –
1880 to 2011 via Earth
Observatory.NASA.gov
http://www.futuretimeline.net/
…A number of regions, however, are actually prospering at this time –
these include Canada, Russia and Scandinavia. Melting permafrost and
a retreating polar icecap have opened up vast tracts of land in the
north. Russia is benefiting the most of all, now that seemingly endless
stretches of arable land are appearing in Siberia. The country is taking
full advantage of this, with areas being quickly bought up and divided
for farms.
COOPeraTIVE
What if everything we did in our little realm of
control had this in mind…
Our discussions with external experts focused on the
challenges of getting beyond incremental progress,
toward creating the technological and business
innovations that can reshape our cities, supply chains
and industries so that
7 billion people can enjoy health, prosperity and
comfort, without destroying the health of our
natural ecosystems.
JEFFREY IMMELT, CEO GE 2012
Leadership is a critical contributor to the successful
implementation of Sustainable principles and practices in
organizations.
The Basic Toolkit for the Leader of
the Future…
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Evolutionary Leadership
– Knowing how to choose among existing alternatives
as well as how to create new ones
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Systems Thinking
– Seeing things in terms of connected relationships,
patterns and processes and not just in terms of
separate objects, structures, positions
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Sustainability Strategy
– Understanding the objectives of sustainable business
practice and knowing how to design for them
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Change Management
– Knowing the science and methodology behind
moving people forward
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MISSION: Promote knowledge sharing with integrity and
professionalism to our members in the built environment and the
practice of facility management.
Your IFMA focus is broad…and
directly relates to Sustainability
– ”Facility management is a profession that
encompasses multiple disciplines to
ensure functionality of the built
environment by integrating people, place,
process and technology.”
a New Model for Sustainability:
leading by principles within our control
IFMA
What’s Sustainable?
PEOPLE
Health, Motivation, Social Consciousness
PLACE
Productivity, Low Impact on Ecosystems, Cost
PROCESS
Collaboration, Employee Engagement,
Systems Thinking, Local Support
TECHNOLOGY
Innovation, Space, Equipment, Learning
We CAN’T do this because…
News Flash!
Resistance is an illusion - it
does not exist.
The only thing real is
reactions to change.
Reactions to Change
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Resistance is a natural, inevitable and unavoidable human
reaction to disruption.
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It begins immediately when people become aware of the
change.
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It is neither good nor bad.
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It can be expressed overtly or covertly.
Perception is reality!
Managing Resistance to Change:
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Don’t assume you know what’s going on.
Resistance is very rarely what we think it is.
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Identify specific resistors: people, conditions,
fears, motives (think “fruit”)
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Identify the underlying causes of each of
these resistors.
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Identify specific enablers.
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Make a Force Field Analysis for resistors
and enablers.
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Find ways of weakening resistors and
strengthening enablers.
Sustainability Requires Systems Thinking
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Involves seeing the connectivity of our actions through
time.
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The conditions today are the direct result of decisions
made in the past.
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The decisions we make today will determine where we
are in the future.
Ask:
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What impact will today’s choice have in the long run?
One Company’s Quest for Sustainability
Mission Zero:
– zero waste,
– zero emissions,
– zero use of non-renewable energy
in Interface by 2020.
INTERFACE: Ray Anderson’s Quest for
Sustainability
How?
1 . Research and development: greening of all manufacturing processes
2 . Organizational development:
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Created a culture which would allow employees to participate
Invites ideas from the rank and file, rejecting none without consideration.
Encourages employees to participate in the formation of strategies and goals.
Employee satisfaction is a high priority.
Interface attracts and retains the very best talent and employee productivity is
high.
– Employee engagement and affinity are high
– Absenteeism is low.
– Productivity is high
INTERFACE: Results
This year Interface seems to be on track
to it’s goal.
– Greenhouse gas emissions were down by 80%
– Profits doubled
– Fossil fuel consumption down 62%
– VIEW THE PROGRESS:
http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability/Our-Progress.aspx
Learning Organization:
Problem
Openness / Curiosity
Quality information
and communication
Organizational learning
Accountability
Effective action
Collaboration
Mistakes are the price we pay for learning.
Check Out Other Companies…
The business of sustainability:
McKinsey Global Survey results Oct 2011
More companies are managing sustainability to improve processes, pursue growth,
and add value to their companies rather than focusing on reputation alone.
The Barriers for Leaders are Fewer
Capturing Value in 3 Key Areas
Industry Specific Opportunities
Parting Thought…
If you want a butterfly world…don’t step on the Caterpillar.
Elisabet Sahtouris
http://www.sahtouris.com/
Pamela S. Hartman
(805) 433-9163
PH BALANCE CONSULTING
&
THE HAPPY MIND NEUROCENTER