Employee Buy-In
If you expect to successfully make changes at work, it's best to get your employees to buy in to the concept. Employees will probably be administering the programs, and they may have some inventive ideas. Employees who came from a university environment or a former employer where sustainable living was promoted may have worked with campus or workplace programs. They may also have experience in their personal lives, at their homes, or in their communities.
Employees who feel they've been included in a plan or program are more likely to cooperate. Be sure to let them know that the goal for improving the operations and making the business more environmentally friendly is not strictly to save money and that any savings will be used to initiate more programs or improvements for the environment or the employees who helped with the success.
Employees are more likely to accept changes and new policies where they really see and feel they have ownership in the company, not because they've been told their values matter. This often means breaking down barriers between departments and levels and bringing everyone into the fold.
Sometimes all it takes is acknowledging the cost and environmental impact for employees to look at operations just a little differently. Think about rewarding employees who offer suggestions on ways to save or implement programs in their own departments. Make good examples of those advocating greener operations.
