How do we engage the apathetic others?
If we are to make a difference that makes THE difference in how our organisation operates in a more sustainable way, it will be necessary to engage everyone in the process and the effort.
I attended a really useful workshop run by Ashridge Business School and InterfaceRAISE this week that examined the challenges that this proposition raises as well as looking at a few (high profile) examples of where the challenge has been overcome.
The challenge is not be underestimated and this issue does require those of us who are passionate about making sustainability a routine part of business strategy to find like-minded individuals in the organisation and create movement, however subtle it may be at the outset - in the absence of firm leadership from the CEO (who, in most case, will not take the lead unless he/she has experienced a ‘road to Damascus’ moment).
Surprisingly, despite the obvious financial benefits to an organisation of running the business on ethical and sustainable lines (InterfaceFlor themselves have saved over $400 million so far operating sustainably!), the message does not appear to be motivating every CFO into action either.
So how do we engage the apathetic others?
The workshop went into the various psychological profiles that we present within a group environment, which was very useful, except that if you are the lone wolf in the pack who sees a better way, it is still difficult to engage people if they don’t see the need, despite the best engagement techniques you can use.
Which got me thinking about a sales course I took very many years ago that covered the topic of change (and the fear of change) and went through the 4 rules of change; in brief, they are:
1. See the need for change
2. See the changes that need to be made
3. Be willing to change, and
4. Be the change agent
(There is an oft-touted fifth rule, which goes before (1), that states ‘see where you are now’)
Following these principles, it is actually relatively easy to be a change agent; in any organisation, we have the ability, wherever we may feature in that organisation, to make small changes that do not noticeably impact on the organisation’s processes whilst still benefiting the organisation’s bottom line. As the saying goes, “every journey begins with the first step” and that can even be a small step. The trick is to make the change (by being the change agent) and, once implemented and making a difference, to promote it. You should then see like-minded individuals becoming attracted to your position and, however small it may be, your wolf pack is destined to be more effective than the actions of a lone wolf.
The bottom line is this; just DO something, however insignificant you may think it is! Too many people are waiting for someone else to do something with the result that too many people are doing nothing at all.
For some of the attendees at the Ashridge/InterfaceRAISE event, their first attendance at this type of event was their first step. Keep that momentum going and we’ll all benefit eventually.
