1. Focus on internal engagement using a materiality principle

The concept of shared value can be used both internally and externally. This means making a deliberate effort to understand the priorities of your colleagues in other functions and focusing on synergies — in other words, using what we are calling an organizational materiality principle. 

Once you have used a materiality assessment to identify key priorities for your company, you can use this to design an internal engagement program focused on departments with the most potential influence, collaboration potential and relevant expertise. Applying stakeholder engagement best practice to your cross-functional work is essential.

2. Educate your colleagues about sustainability; but don’t forget to learn from them, too

Sustainability teams often see it as their mission to help raise internal awareness on key issues such as climate change and human rights. But if sustainability teams treat this as a one-way education process, they risk being deemed both preachy and insufficiently business-focused to drive change. It is critically important to understand the priorities, goals and success factors of the teams you wish to work with — and this will make you a far more effective and impactful expert resource across the business.

3. Recognize that governance matters, a lot

In 2018, many of the most pressing challenges facing organizations do not fit neatly into the remit of one particular department. At the same time, issues that once would have been dismissed as niche sustainability concerns are keeping the C-suite up at night. Lobbying and tax disclosure involve government affairs and finance, and they are also increasingly sustainability topics. Diversity and inclusion are front and center for your HR team and also high-priority sustainable business issues. This means that accountability can become diffuse, and careful design of new governance structures is essential. 

4. Understand your corporate culture

Yet governance is not effective in a vacuum. Making a deliberate, considered effort to understand the culture of your organization will make you a much more effective change agent. Team dynamics, incentives and existing programs are all key considerations when driving sustainability and building companies with more coherent values and purpose. Sustainable companies do not just focus on responding to issues, but also on how they work and make decisions. 

Ultimately, the ability to successfully collaborate — both inside and outside your company walls — will be essential in your efforts to advance sustainable business in our rapidly changing world.

Source:Green BIz

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Picture credit to:Philippe Toupet