REinvent Leadership in Sustainability

By Wayne Dyer   (Wayne Dyer is a vice president of Facilities Solutions for Sodexo)

With our global population rapidly approaching nine billion by the middle of this century, many experts are questioning how we can feed, clothe, house, and otherwise meet the needs of so many more people with the finite resources our planet has to offer.  Rapidly increasing population is already influencing the health and wellbeing of people and communities around the world, and it is certain to have an impact on the political, economic, social, and technological realities within which businesses operate.  CoreNet global has identified sustainability leadership as a critical issue for its 2012 agenda, and Sodexo is excited to contribute to the conversation. It is a discussion that includes everything from Sodexo engineers contributing to the more than 2 billion square feet of commercial, LEED certified projects* to designing culinary programs that address sustainably sourced food and equipment. The ability to address these changing needs also creates the opportunity to thrive, through innovations that address shifts in the environment, support local communities, and enhance health and wellness.  This, in essence, is what sustainability in the workplace is all about.  

THE SUSTAINABILITY AND ENGAGEMENT LINK

It turns out that the benefits for a company that embraces sustainability go beyond energy efficiency, risk mitigation, opportunity for innovation, and Corporate Social Responsibility.  Sustainability directly affects your employees.  According to Ante Glavas, Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business; “People who work for green companies have a pride-in-ownership mentality and are happier and more productive.” Higher productivity is certainly a no-brainer for any CEO, no matter what the industry.  Based on its own findings, Gallop calls employee engagement “a leading indicator of financial performance.”  The same research demonstrated that “engaged organizations have 3.9 times the earnings per share (EPS) growth rate compared to organizations with lower engagement in the same industry.”

SOLUTIONS REINVENTED - AN EYE TO THE FUTURE

Recognizing sustainability as core to its business, Sodexo holds a leadership role in its sector by leveraging its Better Tomorrow Plan to meet the company’s CSR objectives, while also facilitating those of its clients.  One way it accomplishes this is through an industry leading tool, SMART, which benchmarks sites, and provides opportunity assessments in four key areas: carbon and energy, waste, water, and healthy/sustainable food and environments.  Operations teams enact change through both infrastructure renewal and behavioral transformation.  SMART allows units to document and report progress throughout the year.  REinvent your leadership in sustainability by stopping by to see us at the CoreNet Global Summit in San Diego.

* USGBC About LEED PowerPoint Presentation, February 2012