7 Strategies to Motivate Lasting Sustainability Practices

From Employees to Customers to Communities, Stakeholders Shape the Success of a Company’s Sustainability Initiatives

(Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash)

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” — educator and activist Helen Keller

It’s easy to focus on the role of leaders, but the success of any business initiative requires widespread support. Here are some of the groups who can be valuable allies for companies looking to improve their sustainability and reduce their impact on the environment:

• Employees implement company initiatives and can contribute ideas based on their specific areas of expertise. Everyone from mid-level managers to operational staff to front-line employees can make a difference.
• Customers can purchase green products and services and promote the company’s brand.
• Communities are especially important if your company has a significant local footprint — for example, if you’re engaged in manufacturing or resource extraction. Keeping your social license to operate within the community reduces friction and costs and can even lead to collaborations on projects with local stakeholders.

How to Motivate People Toward Sustainability

The field of conservation psychology studies people’s attitudes and behaviors toward the natural environment. Researchers have found seven ways to motivate greater environmental action. Because these draw on general psychological principles, they apply to most people you will encounter.

Equip people with (the right) knowledge.

People need to know both why an action is important and how to do it. Being able to try new actions in a small way can be reassuring. Pilot programs are a great low-risk strategy.

Help people process information.

People absorb ideas and make decisions in specific ways (see NBS’s report on Decision Making for Sustainability for a full review). For example, people are more affected by stories than by abstract statements. Hearing a message multiple times, in multiple ways, is often necessary for it to sink in.

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Leverage the leaders.

People look to leaders — formal and informal — as they’re deciding how to act. If others they respect are doing or endorsing behaviors, people are likely to follow them. Peer action also sets a standard.

Make actions easy and enjoyable.

People can have wonderful intentions, but without practical support, the action often won’t happen. If a recycling bin is close by, people are more likely to use it. If a product’s not readily available, people may not seek it out.

Allow participation.

People want to be involved in issues that concern them. Participation can mean many things, including just having information, but people often want the opportunity to contribute ideas as well.

Take one step at a time.

People can be overwhelmed by major change; generally, they prefer to get comfortable with one behavior before they try another. Consider introducing an initiative gradually and connecting it to familiar things.

Pause rewards.

Rewards should be used carefully. They tend to be effective while they continue. But once they stop, the behavior usually drops off.

Tips for Working with Each Groups

You’ll need to apply these general principles to your specific context. Here are some priority strategies for different groups.

Employees

• Key strategies: Equip people with knowledge; leverage the leaders. Consider making activities a group effort, to draw on social norms and make a sustainability initiative more fun . See NBS’s Organizational Culture guide for more ideas.

Customers

• Key strategies: Take one step at a time; make it enjoyable; leverage the leaders. Gradual changes in a product are often easier for customers to adapt to than a dramatic shift. See NBS’s Socially Conscious Consumerism guide for additional suggestions.

Communities

• Key strategies: Allow participation; equip people with knowledge; leverage the leaders. Connect with communities early, when a project is in planning stages. Communities want to tell companies about their priorities and to understand what will happen. See NBS’s Community Engagement guide for specific guidance.

A version of this article was originally published by the Network for Business Sustainability.

B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.