Deprived of BBC radio here on my Spanish holiday, I've taken to downloading the Beeb's podcasts to listen to while cooking or doing the washing up. The change in medium is leading to quite a bit of serendipity and at the weekend I happened upon Peter Day's World of Business and, in particular, an edition on whether big-name MBA courses are worth the huge amount of money they cost.
Pertinently, Day asked academics from Harvard Business School and the Sloan Business School at MIT how come the Masters of the Universe they had expensively groomed had failed to avoid the great financial crash of 07/08. The immediate response was "we have an ethics module."
We have an ethics module.
Hmmm. Kind of reminds me of "we have ISO14001" as a straw that businesses clutch at when they're challenged on their sustainability performance. ISO14001 will not deliver sustainability. A module on business ethics is hardly going to overcome the predominance of the profit motive in the rest of the course.
Out of interest I took the top scoring business school on the 'Beyond Grey Pinstripes' social/environmental ranking, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and had a browse through their MBA cirrculum. There was indeed quite a lot on ethics, but virtually nothing worthwhile on the fundamental relationships between business, society, and the environment. On environmental issues there was a lot on the green buildings in which the course was taught, but I couldn't find anything about, say, the circular or low carbon economies. If it was there, it wasn't obvious. And Stanford is meant to be the best at this.
No-one needs to pay me megabucks a year to learn an inconvertible and basic truth that underpins all business: the economy exists to serve society which is part of the environment - and all three are thus interdependent.
If a business school isn't teaching you that, I'd ask for your money back.
2013 will be the third year of our Green Academy on-line training programme - our low-carbon, time-efficient, cost-effective way of boosting your personal performance as a sustainability practitioner. The syllabus is shown below.
On each session, you print off a workbook then log into our live on-line presentation (webinar). As we progress through the principles and exercises, you apply the concepts to your own organisation in the workbook so you end up with a highly practical action plan to implement. Everybody who registers gets a recording of the session, so it's not the end of the world if you miss one.
As last year we are offering a whopping great 33% off subscriptions taken out before the end of 2012:
That's 14 hours of stimulating interactive learning for much, much less than one of those bog-standard, death-by-powerpoint "conferences" you keep getting plagued about!
You may have seen or heard about our Green Academy on-line training sessions and wondered if it would work for you. Well here's an opportunity to experience Green Academy offline by following the recording of yesterday's "Go Green or Go Bust: An Introduction to Green Business" webinar.
The session covers the business case for sustainability, defining sustainability, business & sustainability, inspiring case studies, and potential pitfalls. You can access the recording using this link.
To get the full experience, you should download and print out the workbook which allows you to apply the learning to your organisation. You can get it using this link: Green Academy intro workbook.
Well it's first day back in the saddle after a great half term doing dad things with my eldest, Harry - the break coincided with his 5th birthday, so there's been a lot of fun going on. One of the things I've really noticed over the last year is how far his confidence has come on when it comes to climbing frames, adventure playgrounds and the like. This time last year he was rather timid compared to his peers, now he's at the top of everything, showing off.
While some of this change could be natural development, I put a lot of it down to my own attitude holding him back. For years I did what many modern parents do and stand over (or under) him, shouting encouragement, advice and warnings. Often he would just give up, so eventually I gave up too, and let him do his own thing while I checked Twitter from a park bench. The change was incredible - every time I looked up from my iPhone, he'd be trying something new. And over time I noticed he would be even more adventurous when the climbing frame was crawling with other kids - I thought they'd make him nervous, but I was wrong - it drove him (literally) to new heights.
I've noticed the same thing with the thousands of people I have trained in sustainability over the years. If they're into sustainability then, yes, you can play the expert role and give lectures. But for people who less convinced, I've found it is better to put my ego in check and let them explore sustainability, and what it means to them, with their peers. So more and more of my work is about asking the right question, rather than providing the 'right' answer. Getting a group of people who work together to develop their own sustainability solutions moves an organisation much further forwards than, say, giving individuals an understanding of the concept of 'Factor 10'. And you often get some corking new ideas to boot.
Here are 12 potential green business new year resolutions of varying ambition for your business - pick one and drive it through to get 2012 off to a sustainable start:
Set some really ambitious stretch targets to hit by 2017 and 2022;
Engage employees in a carbon/waste/water reduction programme - ask for ideas and use them;
Instigate a carbon reduction competition between staff teams/sites;
Be kind to cyclists: improve racks, start paying cycle mileage, subsidise cycle purchases, improve site access;
Install/improve teleconferencing facilities;
Radically increase the number of employees working from home;
Work with a supplier to develop a more sustainable supply of raw materials/goods;
Bump up the weight given to sustainability in supplier selection (and tell your suppliers);
Initiate the development of a new, greener product, service and/or product service system;
Delete an unsustainable product line;
Install (more) on-site renewable energy systems;
Invest in more efficient/alternatively fuelled vehicles, subsidise low emission vehicle purchases by staff.
Whether or not you decide to do any of the above, you MUST do the following in 2012 - no excuses!
Regular readers will have seen posts on the blog here for our Green Academy series of environmental training webinars - dozens of people have taken part at one time or another in 2011 and the feedback has been fantastic. Well now we've completed a successful single cycle of the programme, we've launched new pages here on the website. You can peruse all the sessions and book into those you fancy.
If you haven't come across Green Academy yet, I explain how it works here:
And, wait, there's more!
To celebrate, we've decided to run a Christmas special deal. If you book over the festive period, we'll give you a whopping 33% off the Advanced Series (10 webinars, normal cost £330.00+VAT, deal £220.00+VAT - click here to get the discount) and the Introductory Series (4 webinars, normal cost £150+VAT, deal £100+VAT - click here to get the discount).
We have to receive payment by 6 Jan, so get your skates on!
I usually start off my seminars by asking delegates why their company should go green (try it - much more effective than you telling them why they should go green). The first answer is almost always "Save money" and, after compiling a list of other reasons, this is identified as the most important.
I always challenge that answer. The delegates have explained how customer pressure is a factor, yet they then discount this in favour of short term cost cutting - maybe it's the current economic climate to blame. I usually point out that, without customers, the bottom line is an irrelevance.
There is always more scope for increasing sales than cutting costs. This is an essential truth to get across to anyone doing investment appraisals of green projects - they need to factor the scope for raising the top line into their calculations, rather than just a simple return on investment (ROI) assessment.
Interestingly those who seek to raise the top line will cut costs into the bargain - Marks & Spencer's Plan A programme was never intended to save money but it has. But if you take a penny pinching attitude and expect a direct ROI on projects, you will never back the ambitious ideas that will set you apart from the pack in the market - missing out on the big rewards of green business.
So, don't forget to get the bean counters greened up and aware of their importance in the Sustainability performance of the organisation.
From July, Green Academy splits into two streams so there will be two sessions on 6 July:
11:00 BST An Introduction to Green Business - a free taster session covering the business case for sustainability, business and sustainability, a selection of inspiring case studies and some information on The Green Academy. E-mail us to register for the session.
14:00 BST Advanced: Green Products and Services - the sixth in the series covers the power of redesign of products and services. Contents include:
Benign by design - the case for changing products and services;
Understanding the market.
Practical techniques to green your product or service;
Advanced innovations (product service systems, virtual products etc);
Finding green market niches for your business in the emerging low carbon economy.
Inspirational case studies.
The advanced session costs just £45.00 + VAT per person to participate - use the button below to pay by card or Paypal. Contact us to make a BACS payment.
"Gareth's webinars are smart, punchy and thought provoking. His approach shows how sustainability is about achieving commercial advantage and not simply an altruistic gesture. Highly recommended." Graeme Mills, GPM Network Ltd.
"[The webinars] are great value and I would recommend them to both CSR professionals and SME owners." Louise Bateman, GreenWise
"I consider this a must for organisations looking for practical help in improving their sustainability performance." Ted Shann, Wipro
The fifth of our Green Academy Webinars will be held on 1 June at 14:00 BST. The hour long session will explain why you need to tackle the environmental impact of your supply chain and how to go about it. Contents include:
Don't buy trouble - the case for greening the supply chain;
Basic green procurement techniques;
Engaging with suppliers to find solutions;
Advanced techniques - industrial symbiosis, buying services rather than products, strengthening weak chains.
The webinar costs £45.00 + VAT per person - use the button below to pay by card or Paypal. Contact us to make a BACS payment.
"Gareth's webinars are smart, punchy and thought provoking. His approach shows how sustainability is about achieving commercial advantage and not simply an altruistic gesture. Highly recommended." Graeme Mills, GPM Network Ltd.
"[The webinars] are great value and I would recommend them to both CSR professionals and SME owners." Louise Bateman, GreenWise
"I consider this a must for organisations looking for practical help in improving their sustainability performance." Ted Shann, Wipro
The fourth of our Green Business Webinars will be held on 4 May at 14:00 GMT. The hour long session will cover everything you need to know to green your organisation internally:
Quick wins for different types of business;
Aligning processes to sustainability;
Housekeeping tools: auditing, balances, group work, brainstorming;
Financing green projects.
The webinar costs £45.00 + VAT per person - use the button below to pay by card or Paypal. Contact us to make a BACS payment.
"Gareth's webinars are smart, punchy and thought provoking. His approach shows how sustainability is about achieving commercial advantage and not simply an altruistic gesture. Highly recommended." Graeme Mills, GPM Network Ltd.
"[The webinars] are great value and I would recommend them to both CSR professionals and SME owners." Louise Bateman, GreenWise
"I consider this a must for organisations looking for practical help in improving their sustainability performance." Ted Shann, Wipro
I am delighted to announce our brand spanking new series of ten dynamic hour long webinars covering the whole range of green business issues.
What you will get:
The essential skills, knowledge and understanding you need on the critical business issue for the 21st Century;
A practical action plan to apply your learning immediately to your business or organisation;
Invaluable insights and experiences from other participants.
Every webinar will include brand new content that I haven't be delivered anywhere else. All this in a cost-effective, time-effective and low carbon package.
The programme for 2011 is as follows:
2 February: Sustainability and Your Business
2 March: Strategy, Management Systems & Targets
13 April: Staff Engagement & Culture Change
4 May: Good Housekeeping: Waste, Energy & Water
1 June: Greening the Supply Chain
6 July: Green Products and Services
7 September: Green Communications & Marketing
5 October: Corporate Social Responsibility – the Ethical Angle
2 November: Green Business Leadership
7 December: Advanced Sustainability Techniques
All webinars will run from 2-3pm UK time. The cycle will continue into future years so you can join at any point and get all 10 seminars.
Each webinar costs just £45.00 + VAT and there is a whopping 25% discount if you purchase the whole series at once. If you try a single session and want to upgrade to the whole series, we will discount a further 10%. If you sign up for all ten, I'll throw a free copy of my book The Three Secrets of Green Business into the bargain.
Sign up for the February webinar at £45.00 + VAT
The 10 webinar series costs just £330.00 + VAT
Other payment methods:
Cheques should be made payable to Terra Infirma and sent to Terra Infirma Ltd, 157 Stratford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5AS. We need your e-mail address to register you for the seminar.
For BACS payment, please e-mail us here and we will send you details.
Tomorrow I'm running a waste workshop for a small manufacturing company (you wouldn't know their name, but you'd know some of the brands they manufacture). The whole structure of the workshop is designed to embed the underlying principles into the thinking of the participants. In fact the reason for having a workshop rather than doing a "clipboard consulting" walkover review is to develop sustainable solutions owned by the company employees, not by me.
There is no Powerpoint (hurrah!) because I want them to come up with the answers rather than me preaching to them. So the technology comes down to the humble flipchart and pen. I will elicit the drivers for going green for them, because I want them to think about them rather than having to sell those drivers to them. We will be developing a model of their company and identifying where opportunities to make improvements lie.
This approach has three benefits:
We get to harness their brainpower, experience and knowledge to identify problems and solutions rather than just my expertise;
They own the solutions, making it far more likely they will be implemented effectively;
The enthusiasm generated by this approach can lead to further spontaneous solutions appearing in the future.
For these reasons, I'm increasingly finding that my consultancy, staff engagement and training projects are converging in an amorphous single beast. Training makes more sense if learning is applied to the organisation concerned and consultancy is much more likely to 'stick' if there is a capacity building/engagement element.
Whether or not you engage an outside provider to help you green your organisation, I thoroughly recommend going down the workshop approach. So put away those clipboards and get out those flipcharts!
Yesterday I was on the trains again, this time down to York to train environmental champions for a public transport company. It was another beautiful early morning - this time misty where Monday was crystal clear, Durham Cathedral appeared lit golden behind the rising and evaporating trails of fog. The two sessions went well and the feedback good.
Since Monday, I've been mulling on an insight from Martin Blake of Royal Mail - what book value will high carbon buildings and infrastructure have in 5 or 10 years? Who will want to buy a 'dirty legacy'? This applies to today's client as well, although I'd thrown so much new stuff (ecological footprinting, carbon footprinting, climate change, sustainability, energy management etc) at the poor attendees that I thought this was one driver I would omit. As I write The Green Executive, I'm finding that sustainability is running deeper and deeper into the core of every organisation - everytime I think I've got it, there's another new angle. That's what I love about this job!
The Low Carbon Best Practice Exchange is running in Harrogate on 3rd December - a whole day of round table discussions and one-to-ones - a delightfully powerpoint free zone. I'm leading two sessions on staff engagement and environmental strategy and there are loads more. I know I've said it before - these are probably the best events of their type.
I'm taking a coffee break between client meetings on Teesside. I've just been with a world class engineering company, mapping out the content of two training seminars I'm doing for them, one on CSR and one on Sustainability & Design. While they're fresh in my mind, here are three top tips on sustainability training:
1. Sell the course to delegates
Many people are cynical about training. Many people are cynical about sustainability. You need to sell the purpose of the course to the delegates, both at the start and at points through the session. In this case I'll be pointing out how 'green' can win tenders and the business opportunities for this company in the low carbon agenda.
2. Mind the gap
If you leave a gap between the content of the course and the implementation of those ideas back at the desk, most of your hard work will fall straight through it. I always get delegates to apply the knowledge and skills they are learning to their day job during the session - closing the gap up before it occurs.
3. Make it thought provoking
Challenging your delegates is more effective than lame attempts to make the session fun. Ask questions, puncture myths and put people on the spot. If you can do fun too, then do it.
I think these are the most important three. Do you have any more?
Once again I'll be facilitating two sessions at the Low Carbon Innovation Network, this time on 11 June at the Olympia, London.
The sessions are:
1. Long Term Environmental Strategy, 10:00am
2. Empowering staff to take action, 3:30pm
These events are really good and I always learn loads during the sessions. If you want some info about previous events, see here and here. Highly recommended.
Yesterday I was doing some pro bono work to persuade 120 twelve-year-olds of the joys of engineering and, in my case, that engineering and a passion for the environment could go together. The event was organised by the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) and sponsored by the Institute of Engineering and Technology. I am a member of both.
With each batch of 20 youngsters I talked them through major environmental issues before focussing on climate change, its causes and the role of engineers in the causes (eg designing vehicles and power systems). We then switched to solutions and how engineers have a critical role (renewables, efficient vehicles etc). For the second half I split them into 4 teams and got them to redesign something. We got everything from a manure-powered car to solar powered hair straighteners. The best insight was from one lad who realised you could design the shape of a building to funnel wind through a turbine, but my favourite moment came from a young lad who had simply put some solar panels and a wind turbine on a building.
"What happens if the sun doesn't shine and the wind isn't blowing?" I asked.
I'm giving another seminar on developing, marketing and selling low carbon products and services next month, this time in lovely Harrogate. The seminar is part of the Low Carbon Innovation Exchange event which is certainly the best of its kind that I've ever attended.
At my midday seminar you will:
learn the business case for going beyond compliance.
discover what makes a product or service a low carbon product or service.
find out which markets are booming and why.
learn how to market and sell low carbon products & services.
identify the risks, and how to avoid them.
Plus you will benefit from all the other seminars, panel sessions, one-to-one meetings and round table discussions in the Exchange. Oh, and there's a great lunch included.
Here's The Deal
If you register for my seminar, you will also get:
The reduced entry fee of £295 + VAT for the whole event.
A FREE copy of my eBook "The Green Business Bible" (RRP £24.95+VAT).
A FREE 30 min telephone coaching session (normally £150.00+VAT).
50% discount on my full day "Building a Low Carbon Business" Seminar (full price £295.00+VAT).
A Certificate of Attendance for CPD purposes.
But, to get these offers, you must register via this link. You can see the whole programme for the day here, but you must use this registration link to get the freebies.
Deprived of BBC radio here on my Spanish holiday, I've taken to downloading the Beeb's podcasts to listen to while cooking or doing the washing up. The change in medium is leading to quite a bit of serendipity and at the weekend I happened upon Peter Day's World of Business and, in particular, an edition on whether big-name MBA courses are worth the huge amount of money they cost.
