How Can You Align Your Employees with Purpose?

One of the most important groups of people to have on board with your vision for sustainability in your business is your staff. Your staff are the key to your business’ success.

Encouraging your staff to become actively engaged in sustainability within your business requires just a few simple steps outlined below.

1. Lead by example

It is important for staff to see action being taken at the top. All good leaders lead by example. Your engagement in sustainability practices in both your professional and personal life is key to employment engagement in sustainability practices and the first step in aligning your employees with purpose.

2. Include your team in discussions

Discussions can start with a chat about the Global Goals. These 17 goals are a fantastic way to guide conversation and start the process of aligning your employees with purpose. Out of the 17 goals, there is usually one or two which people feel they connect to the most. Helping your employees discover this is important in ensuring they participate and engage in your business’ sustainability practices.

3. Encourage staff to take initiative in suggesting activities

Once your staff have chose the goals or topics about which they are most passionate, it is important to encourage staff to take initiative in suggesting activities and practices to make your business more sustainable. Suggestions such as participation in charity events or specific days, such as Clean Up Australia Day, should be considered by the management team carefully.

4. Make it easy for your staff to bring sustainability home

Encouraging your staff to participate in similar sustainability practices in the home as they do at the workplace is important in ensuring their ongoing commitment to sustainability in the workplace. Recycling is a fantastic example of this.

5. Be mindful of controversial issues

This is important, especially in small businesses. Pushing issues and ideals which are not accepted by an overwhelming majority of the population, such as LGBTIQ* rights can cause friction and issues in the workplace if there are some people who are not yet on board with equality. For the sake of the business, it is better to spend time discussing what your employees are and are not comfortable with first before committing to ideals and practices.

If you need further guidance in understanding how you can align your employees to your commitment to sustainability in the workplace, contact us today!

This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants website.