Upcycled by Jake: Going Green????

Upcycled by Jake: Going Green????: A couple of days ago I entered a discussion in a Green group on LinkedIn that was started by a someone whose company had "gone green" but wa...

Going Green????

A couple of days ago I entered a discussion in a Green group on LinkedIn that was started by a someone whose company had "gone green" but was having a lot of problems with getting buy in from their employees. It seems that they could not get their 

employees to place their dirty dishes, bowls, utensils in their  new dishwasher and instead were placing them in the sink waiting for someone else to wash them for them.

Initially, I addressed this as a single issue but now having read both the recent and previous comments on the problem, I have to say this  appears to be more a result of the  company's failure to properly execute their plan to go green.  I was also  quite surprised at the amount of energy being expounded by others in posting comments and suggested solutions to resolve the "dirt dish issue". There appeared to be a lack of broader comments on the company's need to embrace a strong all encompassing CSR and Sustainability strategy. Green best practices need to be part of a larger strategy and are a  result of  embedding social and environmental best practices across the total company, its culture and with all their stakeholders not just the office workers.  

A well thought out and implemented CSR strategy also requires Top Management Leadership to achieve lasting stakeholder  buy in. We're talking cultural change from the top down. So the idea of going green and the problem with the dishes is due to the lack of buy-in across the entire company. It is also a symptom of bigger issues the company has and was exemplified by the CFO's solution to the problem when he threw out the dishes found in the sink. Intimidation, punishment or fines is not going to bring employee change or cooperation. Green has to be embraced by all as a benefit not just to the company, the workers but to all the stakeholders that are affected by all the company's actions.