Why Ask Why? It’s a Good Sustainability Starting Point
Social media expert Mitch Joel recently spoke to a business lunch audience here in Burlington, and one big point he made may have burst a little bubble for many a company considering a jump onto Facebook or Twitter because “everyone’s doing it.” In fact, I’d argue strongly that the point Joel made in the form of a one-word question should also, and always, be applied to any discussion of sustainability as well. That magic word is “why.” And, what a telling starting point for any company’s sustainability commitment asking that question would be!
Back to the social media example for a minute: It’s pretty common for a brand to enter into it by sitting down with their marketing team and asking “What’s our Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn strategy?” Think about it. Especially when it should be about building strong, authentic relationships with consumers, shouldn’t the first discussion really answer this question instead: “Why be on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn?” From there, Joel argues, and I agree, you can back up into your strategy and tactics.
In the same way, sustainability has a “why” problem. Any marketing tactic that comes off as greenwash, for example, is likely something that started with, for very generalized example, the question: “what’s our sustainability strategy,” and not “why are we pursuing sustainability?” Instead, think about some of the answers that might have come up if “why?” was asked first:
- Our particular customers expect it.
- Our facilities and fleet will function more efficiently and save us money.
- Our mission from the start has been to serve our local community responsibly.
Going backward from there, you might get to “how”/”what”answers like these:
- Let’s audit our processes and products, and start to communicate where we are on our sustainability path- and where we plan to go.
- Let’s audit our processes and reward stakeholders, employees included, for making suggestions we can use.
- Let’s form an advisory board of community members, even the ones who may not be our direct customers, and see what their concerns are and how our company can do a better job addressing them.
In the above examples, starting with “why” has helped keep sustainability front and center – as it should be.
So, here’s the thing: sustainability is an investment, not a quick-fix or sexy sound byte. Asking “what’s our strategy?” before “why?” may well deliver that short-term, looks-good-on-paper ROI. However, in order to deliver a return that endures, whether we’re talking about social media connections or sustainability interconnections, the “what” must be founded on “why.”
Image source: Benoît Stella alias BenduKiwi
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