Collective Thoughts
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Why “Stakeholder” is Out of Date
Why we won’t use the word “stakeholder” and what we use instead. One billion. That’s how many hits the word “stakeholder” gets on Google. We’d say that officially makes it a buzzword—ubiquitous for sure, perhaps even entering the realm of jargon. And fair enough, with the rise of ESG, conversations about “stakeholders” are certainly becoming…
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Difficult Conversations, Part 3: When Conversations Go Wrong
3 of 3 in a series Last time we talked about how the simple (yet, not easy) act of deep listening can go a long way towards making difficult conversations more fruitful and less stressful. Unfortunately, though, even when we have the best intentions and use our best listening skills, the conversation can take a…
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Difficult Conversations, Part 2: Deep Listening
2 of 3 in a series Last fall my EarthWork colleagues and I ran a facilitated series called Climate Conversations. The purpose of these sessions was to help people talk about the climate crisis. We guided the group through a series of strategies – telling personal stories, finding common ground, connecting facts to emotions –…
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Difficult Conversations, Part 1: Getting Started
1 of 3 in a series We Have to Talk I recently had an argument with a family member about climate change. He firmly believes that stopping fossil fuel use will plunge our world into an economic depression “like we ain’t ever seen.” Despite being utterly flabbergasted by his premise, I had to begrudgingly admit…
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Why your Organization Needs More Storytellers
I recently had a meeting with a senior manager from a fairly large corporation who wanted to know more about EarthWork’s team building sessions. He was struggling to get employees on board with a new sustainability initiative the company is rolling out. “Ok look,” he said, “It’s not just lack of engagement. Due to company…
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False Economy is Your Choice — Face It and Stop It
You know that stuff that seems cheap to buy, but after you’ve made the purchase, you realize, later but usually sooner, that you’ve been ‘taken to the cleaners’, fleeced and fooled by delusions of what is called “false economy”? The term is defined by Merriam Webster as: “false economy. noun. Something that costs less at…
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The Adoption Curve and Climate Change
Early adopters of new technologies are often frustrated by the lack of urgency displayed by late adopters. To those that join the choir early, it’s an obvious choice — there is no rational reason to not join the choir. Perhaps they had a reason to not join earlier, but at some point they picked up…
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What are the reporting frameworks? How do they differ?
There are many methods of ESG reporting because there are many types of businesses. Even within the same industry, companies will choose the ESG framework that best meets their needs.
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Where to Start With ESG in Your Organisation
Step 1: Envision Look at how the information on ESG principles and practices shared in this document applies to your company. Get a sense of where your company stands right now in each area: Environmental, Social, and Governance. Put your biases and assumptions aside. This can be tricky, but being able to look in the…
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What Does A CSO Do?
There are many benefits to making ESG the heart of your company’s mission. These include increased profits, a better reputation, and attracting talented workers. And businesses that prioritize sustainability outperform those that don’t. So how do you create an effective ESG program? Appoint a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) or an ESG Lead. Even though this…
