The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook Building New Bridges, Second Edition
Edited by Jeana Wirtenberg, Linda M. Kelley, David Lipsky, William G. Russell
With deep thought and inspiring examples, this updated book engages readers by increasing their understanding and awareness of what sustainability means conceptually, practically, personally, and professionally. It provides readers with the tools and techniques to improve the social, environmental, and economic performance of their organizations in both the short and long term. Since sustainability is not achieved in a siloed environment, everyone has a critical role to play on this journey. The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook engages today’s managers and leaders of organizations, in both the private sector and civil society, who are being challenged as never before to find ways to play a proactive role in understanding and addressing the risks and opportunities of sustainability. It teaches them how to apply systems thinking to turn our most intractable problems into exciting business opportunities, and offers ground breaking frameworks in new chapters on globalization, strategy, metrics, and sustainability models for collaboration, technology, and community. That is why this book is structured to be a fieldbook to provide practitioners the Activities, Cases, and Tools that they can use to help move their enterprise through progressively higher performing stages of sustainability. Readers will also gain access to the innovative Living Fieldbook : an online community forum filled with supporting materials.
Building a Culture for Sustainability People, Planet, and Profits in a New Green Economy
BY Jeana Wirtenberg Ph.D
Foreword by Andrew Winston
This practical, easy-to-understand book sets a path to successfully building a culture for sustainability in today's global marketplace, providing "best practice" case studies from industries and sectors including manufacturing, business-to-business, hospitality, consumer products, telecommunications, and professional services.
"Sustainability" isn't merely a buzzword; it's critical to long-term success.
In their own words, leaders, managers, and employees from nine global companies explain how they are turning their visions into reality. Sustainability and human resources expert Jeana Wirtenberg describes how these companies are transforming challenges into opportunities by opening their minds to the megatrends that will define the future. The vast majority of today's CEOs consider sustainability essential to their company's success, yet most do not know how to embed it into their company and its culture. This book guides firms of all types and sizes—from those organizations just starting their journey to sustainability, to those seeking to accelerate their positive impact on people, reduce their negative environmental impact, and improve their bottom line. Wirtenberg shows readers how extraordinary results are possible by engaging the hearts and minds of employees throughout the organization.
Features
• Never-before-published stories and lessons learned from nine successful global companies that are building cultures for sustainability
• Tips from business leaders on how to create purposeful work environments that ignite employees' passion
• Practical resources: on-the-ground successful programs; proven global and local best practices; top-down and bottom-up strategies and activities; and user-friendly frameworks, tools, and references that help firms at any level of sustainability build a more sustainable culture via increased employee engagement
THE SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE FIELDBOOK: WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER
Edited by Jeana Wirtenberg with William G. Russell and David Lipsky
in collaboration with The Enterprise Sustainability Action Team
Today, managers and leaders of organizations, in both the private sector and civil society, are being challenged as never before to find ways to play a proactive role in addressing the concerns of sustainable development. But they are often
overwhelmed by a bombardment of conflicting messages from the media,
shareholders, customers, employees, and NGOs. The Sustainable Enterprise
Fieldbook helps managers deal with this confusion. It teaches them how to
strike a better balance, moving from an "either/or" mind-set to one that holistically embraces social, environmental and economic issues simultaneously. It addresses the "what" ("what is a sustainable strategy for a company or organization?") as well as the "how" ("how do we go about building a sustainable enterprise?").
The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook has been put together by an
outstanding network of experts from business (Microsoft, Sony, Philips, and
AIG), consultancies, and academia. Its aim is to teach and guide leaders,
managers, practitioners, students, and professors in every sector of society,
and in every industry, in creating a successful and sustainable enterprise. By
making the steps needed clear, understandable, and simple to follow, the book
naturally engages readers in their journey and encourages their participation
in three key ways: by increasing their understanding and awareness of what
sustainability means at a conceptual and practical, as well as a personal,
level; by energizing and expanding people's commitment to building sustainable
enterprises; and by providing readers with extensive tools and techniques so
they can individually and collectively take actions that will improve the
social, environmental, and economic performance of their organizations in both
the short and long term.
Each chapter of the book illustrates through models, tools, cases, stories, and
examples from a wide range of companies how to integrate sustainability into
the day-to-day realities of running a business. Managers are coached,
facilitated, and guided to enable them to create a better balance between the
short and long term, to help them to become change agents in their organizations
and to provide answers to the question "How do I make a difference?"
Some of the areas covered are leadership, strategy, managing change, employee
engagement, metrics and measurement, networks, and globalization.
Readers of The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook will find access to the
innovative "Living Fieldbook", which is an online community support
service providing ongoing updated assistance in building a sustainable
enterprise.
The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook offers an ingredient that has been
missing in the enormous outpouring of information on organizations and
sustainability: an holistic integration of solutions, which will make the
journey personal for each reader.