Business Leaders Driving Impact on Climate Change and COVID-19

As we at Becoming Sustainable social distance and work remotely, I am drawn to thoughts about the health of our planet and the interconnectivity between climate change and disease. In the early days of COVID-19, I was on a webinar with a former head of the CDC, Dr. Julie Gerberding, who highlighted the impact that climate change is having on infectious disease. The health of our planet affects the health of our people and businesses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted as business shut down and layoffs ensued. As business leaders, it is time that we take climate change seriously as a business risk and work toward a viable solution that protects our planet, people, and profit.

Viewing some of the Nasa photos taken during China's COVID-19 shutdown gives us an opportunity to better understand the impact reduced industrial activity and consumption has on our planet. On February 28, NASA reported how decreases in industrial, transportation, and business activity since the coronavirus outbreak reduced levels of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) over China.  Oil and coal consumption in China were also significantly down resulting in 25% lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These significant drops in emissions are  a reminder that while individuals can make personal choices to reduce their own carbon footprint, it will take significant business leadership action to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) emissions. The industrial sector is a major contributor to GHG emissions and air pollution. Without a meaningful plan from business leaders, we will not begin to reach our lower emission targets and our planet's health and ours remains at risk.

In order to drive meaningful change around climate action, we need a broad based approach that considers both environmental and social levers. Environmental and social impacts are intertwined within an interconnected system and their interdependency is reflected in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). A team of researchers and scientists at Project Drawdown found that promoting gender equality (SDG#5) was one of the most impactful tools for addressing climate change. Through better access to education and family planning services, outcomes for women and girls improved. As a result, stewardship of land and resources also improved.

If you are a business leader thinking about what you can do, the following 10 steps provide a roadmap to begin to drive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) change:

1.     Build a culture for ESG impact by changing behaviors in employees, customers, and suppliers.

2.     Leverage industry resources and best practices to identify and address material issues for your business.

3.     Align business goals and material UN SDGs

4.     Engage employees, communities, and peers on material ESG issues to collectively address solutions in public and political forums.

5.     Build partnerships with community organizations, industry members, supply chain organizations, and government agencies to support private public partnership solutions.

6.     Highlight organizational sustainability goals and initiatives to attract and retain top millennial talent to continue to drive change.

7.     Establish ESG goals, track progress, and report on outcomes.

8.     Leverage technology and Artificial Intelligence to improve data, impact and outcomes.

9.     Align capital investments and projects with ESG goals.

10.  Participate in public policy conversations to change resource allocation toward addressing the UN SDGs.

For additional information on driving impactful ESG change, here is a link to my book Becoming a Sustainable Organization. We believe that the health of our planet and its people are the top priority. We are happy to discuss these ideas with you and to begin the conversation about driving impactful change. 

Stay safe and well.

Is Remote Work the New Normal?

When things return to the new normal, the state of work will not be the same. While some may have a different point of view, from my perspective remote work is here to stay. Both managers and employees are fully participating in this workforce dynamic and, if handled proactively, it adds value to businesses.

The benefits of making flexible work the norm include tapping into a broader and more diverse talent pool. For many, the work requirements of a 9-5 in person position just didn’t match their life requirements. Offering flexible work as the norm rather than the exception promotes belonging in your organization building a more diverse talent pipeline. Other good news, all of your employees are much more skilled in digital tool usage and are finding new and better ways to leverage existing tools to improve communication and project outcomes.

While there are many benefits to both employees and employers for offering remote or flexible work arrangements, it is imperative to have a policy that is well supported by tools, resources, and information for both employees and managers. At HRcomputes, we have worked with clients to create flexible work arrangements that include remote work, compressed schedules, and job sharing. Here are some of our top keys to success:

1.     Leadership Buy-in-Garner leadership buy-in and support for flexible work arrangements so that it is institutionally supported as the new norm. It is imperative that a flexible work structure is part of the organizational culture and that it is consistently implemented across the organization.

2.     Program and People Eligibility-Identify which flexible work options are going to be offered such as telecommuting, compressed schedule, and extended shifts and who within the organization will be eligible. Also, consider tax law requirements for remote workers.

3.     Tools and Resources-Clearly communicate expectations around requirements for a remote workspace; not only physical space but also technology requirements to meet service level agreements and security protocols. Leveraging existing employee engagement and communication platforms can be a great way to communicate the organization’s resource offering and the requirements need for remote work from the employee.

4.     Training-Both employees and managers will need some training on best practices for remote work. From managing people and projects to effectively utilizing digital tools, your people are going to need to learn new skills to effectively work and manage under a flexible paradigm. Providing on-going remote training is a way to establish baseline competencies as well as to provide access to gain new skills and competencies. The good news is that there are many great HCM learning platforms to support this delivery mechanism.

5.     Deliverables-Consider how work will be assigned, what it includes, who needs to be involved, and when it will be due. Set guidelines for responsiveness to invitations and emails. If your work is client based or collaborative, you may want to consider establishing hours for team availability. Working remotely requires us to be much more focused on transparency of process both around assignment of projects and deliverables.

6.     Feedback- Create a feedback mechanism such as a pulse survey that provides actionable data for managers and leaders. Also, provide a coaching protocol to allow managers to provide ongoing meaningful feedback for employees.

7.     Dashboards-Help managers meet their goals by providing meaningful data so that they can make data driven decisions rather than decisions based on their own biased perceptions. Leverage metrics, analytics, and predictive analytics to improve decision making and organizational outcomes.

8.     Networks-Promote a sense of community through your online communication platforms. Think of new ideas such as the virtual lunch and learn or virtual team gatherings. Use your voluntarism program to connect remote workers and create a sense of community around shared interests. Remote work can create a feeling of loneliness so proactively build a sense of virtual community.

9.     Technology- Managing remote devices can be challenging. Organizations that have gone to total remote workforces provide a useful model for technology support. They have tech support attend large conferences and employee gatherings and provide timeslots for employees to bring in laptops for upgrades. Clearly describe what equipment the organization will provide and what the remote worker needs to obtain. Consider providing reimbursement for internet access.

10.  Data Security-Set clear expectations around data security including data and information that should not be sent via email or provide a secure email option. Identify requirements for internet and WIFI usage especially for employees who like to work from coffee shops. Are you providing a VPN for employees? If so, are there restrictions such as employees printing documents on home office printers that might need to be addressed?

These are a few of our ideas to support a vibrant virtual workforce. We would be happy to continue to conversation including digital, AI, and machine learning tools that can help.

Stay safe and well!