I sometimes read stuff on-line that makes me go all “why oh why oh why?”

This week it was yet another article from an employee engagement for sustainability ‘expert’ who suggested that you should try talking to employees about recycling/switching stuff off at home in order to get them better engaged in sustainability at work.

But why?

If I want to learn a tune on the piano, why would I pick up my guitar?

If I wanted to do a half marathon, why would I train on a bicycle?

If I want to visit Canada, why would I buy a USA guidebook?

Yes, in each case there is a degree of overlap, but tenuous at best. Why not aim at the bullseye rather than hoping for a lucky ricochet? If you want to get your colleagues to behave in a more sustainable way at work, then talk to them about how their work relates to sustainability. Is that not obvious?

Better still, ask them how they think their job relates to sustainability and how they would change things. It may be worth watching The Art of Green Jujitsu again to see why this works…