Steps to Business Sustainability

As a sustainability consultant, I often observe companies and individuals searching for the short-term immediate gains at the expense of long-term value. While making a sustainable change doesn’t have to be a laboring task, the pursuit of business sustainability is a continuous long-term commitment.

Establishing a focused approach will facilitate results lasting for your business. Breaking down a plan into manageable steps will ensure that the approach is aligned in with your overall business sustainability objectives. At the same time, it will not overwhelm the business or your employees.

Our small business resources work with clients to develop a successful sustainability plan that meets your specific business needs. These plans can be broken down in three manageable steps that can meet the speed of your business. Begin with identification step:

•    Identify your sustainable growth potential
•    Define the long-term value of sustainability for your unique business
•    Set a vision for business sustainability
•    Evaluate your current state in the process
•    State where you want to take the business
•    Engage with key stakeholders (e.g. employees, investors, customers) in the process

In my professional consulting experience, implementation is often the most challenging yet critical aspects of the process. The true value capture from business sustainability will come from a successful implementation of strategies that are accepted by the business’s key stakeholders. Keys to implementation include:

•    Develop sustainable business strategies
•    Clearly communicate an action plan
•    Engage with key stakeholders (e.g. employees, investors, customers) in the process

Managing a successful sustainability plan in a continuous process and does not end with implementation. Monitoring a plan for continued improvement includes a periodic observation to see if you're on still on track. It also includes consideration for strategies not yet defined. To complete the business sustainability loop, a plan must:

•    Monitor and review successes and failures with stakeholders
•    Capture and implement lessons learned
•    Re-evaluate and add new strategies

At Taiga Company, our sustainability consulting practice works with clients to build a sustainability plan or incorporate sustainability concepts into business core practices. We work with business leaders, work groups, and stakeholders to recognize the importance of business sustainability as a key value driver for the company’s growth and success.