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Committed staff working as agents of change can make a big difference, argues Malcolm McIntosh
Those who openly question company policy in areas affecting costs, profitability and traditional practices almost inevitably set themselves up as ‘counter-culturals’, and are often given short shrift as a result. To have any chance of changing long-held business behaviour, such people have instead to become ‘intrapreneurs’ – entrepreneurs who work within organizations with a new business proposition. This will invite a lot of hard-nosed scrutiny from sceptics, and is not always an easy position to maintain, but more managers are learning to act as ‘partisans’ for sustainability.
Some of these partisans and their work have come to light at a series of roundtables on sustainable enterprise that have been organized in London, Cape Town, Brussels, Geneva and Toronto this year by the Applied Research Centre for Human Security at Coventry University. The roundtables have brought together stakeholders from business, government and civil society who share the feeling that the current system of enterprise is fundamentally flawed because it fails to take account of sustainability as an imperative.
Those who revealed themselves as partisans shared a number of strategies they have used to achieve change. They emphasized the need to take time to develop knowledge of their organization’s culture, and to find out who pulls the financial and other strings at a senior level – and how to gain their support.
They also warned it is important not to go public with new sustainability ideas too quickly, or they will quickly be shot down. Better, they said, to marshal the right evidence for the right people – and then choose the right moment. In particular, the chief financial officer is often a key figure when it comes to changing organizational behaviour. If the CFO can see the long-term benefits of taking a more sustainable approach, then suddenly a foundation for change is there. Experience has also shown that partisans work best as part of small groups, alongside people who can gather evidence and ideas and provide the necessary moral support to keep going. Outside experts can also be powerful allies: scientists or specialists on specific issues can provide strong and independent back-up for your proposals.
There is no road map for this kind of work under the corporate radar; one will only emerge after people have put their personal reputations at stake and found out the hard way. But become a partisan. See if you can make a difference.
Professor Malcolm McIntosh is director of the Applied Research Centre for Human Security at Coventry University.
Those who openly question company policy in areas affecting costs, profitability and traditional practices almost inevitably set themselves up as ‘counter-culturals’, and are often given short shrift as a result. To have any chance of changing long-held business behaviour, such people have instead to become ‘intrapreneurs’ – entrepreneurs who work within organizations with a new business proposition. This will invite a lot of hard-nosed scrutiny from sceptics, and is not always an easy position to maintain, but more managers are learning to act as ‘partisans’ for sustainability.
Some of these partisans and their work have come to light at a series of roundtables on sustainable enterprise that have been organized in London, Cape Town, Brussels, Geneva and Toronto this year by the Applied Research Centre for Human Security at Coventry University. The roundtables have brought together stakeholders from business, government and civil society who share the feeling that the current system of enterprise is fundamentally flawed because it fails to take account of sustainability as an imperative.
Those who revealed themselves as partisans shared a number of strategies they have used to achieve change. They emphasized the need to take time to develop knowledge of their organization’s culture, and to find out who pulls the financial and other strings at a senior level – and how to gain their support.
They also warned it is important not to go public with new sustainability ideas too quickly, or they will quickly be shot down. Better, they said, to marshal the right evidence for the right people – and then choose the right moment. In particular, the chief financial officer is often a key figure when it comes to changing organizational behaviour. If the CFO can see the long-term benefits of taking a more sustainable approach, then suddenly a foundation for change is there. Experience has also shown that partisans work best as part of small groups, alongside people who can gather evidence and ideas and provide the necessary moral support to keep going. Outside experts can also be powerful allies: scientists or specialists on specific issues can provide strong and independent back-up for your proposals.
There is no road map for this kind of work under the corporate radar; one will only emerge after people have put their personal reputations at stake and found out the hard way. But become a partisan. See if you can make a difference.
Professor Malcolm McIntosh is director of the Applied Research Centre for Human Security at Coventry University.
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