Sustainability Training: More Than Just a Checklist
- Maria Maisuradze
- Sep 12, 2024
- 3 min read
When it comes to fostering a culture of sustainability within your organization, a single hour of training is just the tip of the iceberg. While training is essential, it needs to be part of a comprehensive strategy that integrates various levers and tools. Here’s a practical guide to embedding sustainability deeply and effectively in your organization, based on years of experience working with financial institutions.
1. Start with 'Why', just like Simon Sinek says.
Before diving into building training, ask yourself: Why do you want to upskill employees on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) topics? If your answer revolves around ticking boxes for a report or meeting compliance standards, the rest of this post probably won’t interest you. Authentic sustainability leadership requires a genuine commitment to embedding these principles into your organizational fabric to drive positive outcomes.
2. Identify 'Who' and 'What'
Assuming you're committed to meaningful change, your next step is to determine who needs training and what they need to learn. Recent consultations reveal a shift from siloed training to engaging all departments. IBM's report highlights that effective sustainability integration spans across the entire organization. It Is not a stand-alone project.
Here’s a structured approach:
Company-Wide Awareness: Start with foundational training for all employees. Why? Because you want to ensure that everyone is on the same page and aligned with your vision. Engage your employees by sharing what sustainability means for your business and why their role is crucial in achieving sustainability goals. This initial training can be brief—around 15 -30 minutes—but should be engaging and inspiring. Hook them!
Division-Specific Training: Once the basics are covered, focus on departmental needs. Client-facing teams, risk managers, procurement staff, and software developers each have unique requirements. Its not one size fit all. Generic training may be effective but only for individuals who deeply care and want to act. These are rare, most employees are too buys with their day-to day work and balancing life and work. Develop targeted training plans and create a roadmap to address these specific needs.
3. Measure Success
Are you converting training into sustainability benefits? Assessing the impact of your training can be challenging. Beyond tracking completion rates and learner feedback, consider more practical metrics. For instance, if you train financial advisors on sustainability products, monitor any uptick in sales or RFPs for sustainable investing. Regularly check in with learners to identify any obstacles they face in applying ESG principles.
4. Utilize a Mix of Tools
Leverage a combination of approaches: deliver authentic and inspiring messages from leadership, establish incentive systems, form task forces to drive change, and engage managers in accountability. A multi-faceted strategy will support broader and more effective adoption. Work with your communications team to effectively position and promote your training internally.
5. Integrate with Other Initiatives
Link your sustainability training to product launches, organizational events, and team-building activities. Making it part of the larger organizational fabric ensures it’s not seen as an isolated initiative but as an integral component of your company’s mission.
6. Choose Your Terms Wisely
In some regions where ESG terminology may be politicized, focus on value creation, risk management, and leveraging macro trends for company success. This approach can avoid unnecessary contention while emphasizing the benefits of considering macro trends such as employee retention, regulatory development, and consumer preferences.
7. Assess and adjust
Seek feedback from the learners, understand what resources and tools they may require to help them embed sustainability into their workflow. As sustainability space evolves, ensure that you update regularly your training content to ensure that it remains fresh and relevant.
About ED4S:
We offer smart sustainability training solutions that save months of development for sustainability leaders within banks, asset managers, and insurance companies. Leverage on our sustainable finance subject matter expertise and instructional design capabilities to build high impact, customizable training programs for your teams.
If you need guidance on this journey or want to discuss tailored training solutions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Embedding sustainability is a complex but rewarding endeavor, and we here to help you navigate this path.
