Inventory of ESG Actions

We all want to do the right thing, and are already doing what we think is the right thing. The challenge is knowing what that is. Organizations are always evolving, either by conscious effort, internal forces, or external forces. Every organization already has many initiatives that are enhancing its environmental impact, its social impact and its governance.

WEE has found that many organizations already taken very robust ESG actions, but just don’t know it. Creating an inventory of current initiatives, actions, policies, and practices that contribute to evaluating the ESG performance is always the first step in developing a ESG program.

It always surprises organizations how much they are already doing to further ESG goals. Cataloging the current status into ESG categories has always been the first step in integrating ESG into the organization.

WEE has found that this first step can open opportunities with customers, and provide a competitive advantage, that did not exist before. The inventory along ESG guidelines also provides the framework to better engage employees, plan for further actions, and further promote the actions being taken to your customers and the financial community.

Employee Engagement

Every organization is a collection of individuals that contribute priceless efforts in evolving the organization. Going through many training exercises, it always becomes obvious that the group is better at solving problems, than any individuals alone. Getting individuals to contribute their best ideas to improving the operation of any organization is key to its success. Every organization is unique, and only the people in that organization truly understand how it really works.

In todays world, ESG topics have become an element of hiring and employee retention. Many organizations have staked out their claim to be the greenest, or have the most diverse workforce, or be the most open management structure to further their attractiveness in the marketplace. I have found that every organization can better attract talent and keep more employees, by making everyone more aware of what ESG actions are being taken.

Planning Integration

As a consultant, an outside in perspective is possible, but that is like looking in the windows. I have found that the people inside an organization can best initiate actions, motivate coworkers, and create change. Using the outside in perspective can help bring framework, processes, and planning tools to enable the organization to build integrated processes to address process improvement while implementing ESG initiatives.

I have found that ESG initiatives cannot stand alone, and must be part of the overall business process. Having worked in project management, and being certified in using program management tools to coordinate individual projects, I have found that you always get what you measure, and consequently don’t get what you don’t measure. WEE uses program management structures to implement the projects that customers determine will have the biggest impact on their organization.

ESG reporting is merely channeling the organizations efforts into a framework, and shouldn’t be radically changing current processes. There are many software tools for channeling the reporting, but establishing the linkages and engaging individuals into the process has been the key to successful integration.

Promoting the Organization

Once the ESG planning integration is accomplished, it is critically important to drive the messages inside and outside the organization. Here is where the program management tools become important to crafting a message out of the individual projects.

The mission critical change management initiatives that goes on every day in organizations, like improving cost positions, efficiency, cycle time, or improving customer satisfaction, can be aligned with an ESG message specific to your industry. The goal is to differentiate the organization on another dimension, while still proceeding in the organizations mission critical initiatives.

Enhancing the ESG scoring can be as simple as incorporating the current initiatives into a comprehensive program that can be aligned to an ESG framework. I have found that identifying how each mission critical initiative fits into an ESG framework has enhanced the acceptance of that initiative to both employees and customers.

Enhanced buy in from employees and customers provides better employee engagement and a competitive advantage with customers. In addition, an enhanced ESG score has provided enhanced financing options.