Sustainable Business Learning Community Conversations, Sep 2015 - Oct 2015

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Sustainable Business, Sept. 17, 2015 Topic: Delegating Responsibilities

Comments from last week's conversation, What is Green?:

  • Many activities are taking place under the umbrella of being “green” – but maybe they’re not.
  • Do you need a data driven approach – or should you meet your audience where they’re at?
  • People are eager to install solar panels – but what makes sense is actually energy efficiency and insulation.
  • Solar is sexy right now - was insulation ever sexy?
  • Green Garage approach: first action is to analyze the demand, reduce the load (perhaps insulation or efficient appliances) and only then consider renewables such as solar.
  • Non-profits may have an incentive to build things. They can raise money for capital projects, but not for operating expenses.
  • Whole systems thinking is uncommon. Some companies or municipalities just want a windmill – it looks good.
Delegation.png

Today's Topic: Delegation: What do we mean today by delegation in the sustainable business environment?

  • Delegation is more than just asking for help. It involves responsibility and accountability for getting something done.
  • You can ask a boss for help under certain circumstances – if you can’t get someone’s attention or have an issue with a peer.
  • Some of us have been told to delegate more – that we can’t do it all ourselves.
  • Delegation is not dumping a problem. You still own responsibility. Maybe you’re responsible for a choice of who to hire to do a project (painter).
  • The owner of the project may care the most about the outcome and quality of the work, but there also needs to be a shared sense of accountability. The owner needs to supply adequate support, resources, clear goals and schedule, regular communication and rewards.
  • The director of a play has a concept or theme for a production and needs to communicate that and make sure that actors/set designers/techs have what they need. The director does a lot of research and thinking behind the scenes to get to the concept and the seed. Not everyone needs all the details (can be too much).
  • The Great Game of Business – you must define a job and how it fits with the rest of the company. Others depend on this job being done well.
  • When we transfer responsibility we must set it up to give feedback (positive and negative) – check in regularly to ensure we’re on the same page. Honest two-way communication is key.
  • There should be rewards for a job well done, such as salary or recognition.
  • Are there also intrinsic rewards for doing a good job?
  • The theater producer needs to clearly define the work, the budget and other constraints. Good to put it in writing. This can help with accountability down the road. If a director is too controlling (insecure?) and is not open to new ideas, the show suffers. Everyone goes on auto-pilot and the passion is gone. However if there is trust, discourse and shared ownership, the creative energy is amazing!
  • People need to understand the tone and mission of a team. Trust can be built by working together over time.
  • Good to understand how people think and where people get energy in work (different for different people).
  • Shared responsibility demands forthright and honest discussions – but these are not always welcome.
  • You can ask someone what they’re good at – or what they love to do – two very different questions. It’s super fun to work with someone who loves what they do.

How can you delegate in an open system where people are leaving and transitioning all the time?

Sustainable Business, Sept. 10, 2015 Topic: Getting to the Truth of What is Really Green

Solar panels on house.png

Green! Sustainable! Eco-Friendly! Wouldn't it be great if that were true?

We don’t want to dwell on the negative, but how do we deal with claims like this?

Many people are moving forward with projects labeled “green” or “sustainable” with no real basis in science at all. Or, well-intentioned people try to move forward by making more sustainable choices, but they don’t have the information necessary to evaluate and are met with false claims of sustainability.

  • Tom’s example of a project and ongoing conversation that is based on no real information: There is a 26,000 square foot building in Detroit with no insulation, windows pried open, open to elements. Two organizations have approached the city about doing a solar project with the building. Tom took the number of BTUs that the building used last March and he calculated the number of solar panels that would be required to meet that BTU measurement. Answer: Over 15,000 solar panels, or between 5-7 acres of property for all those solar panels. There is talk of creating a solar district in the city, and people working for a non-profit are being told to spend their time and energy to figure this out. But they have no experience or ability in this area.

We have to understand the natural environment in which we live.

  • An all glass building at 42 degrees latitude? There’s no way that can be energy efficient.
  • There was a person interested in building a rammed earth home here in Detroit. The technology originated in England where they don’t have as wide temperature variation as we have here in Michigan. Also, there is too much moisture in the midwest and people that started the rammed earth building fad in here are now finding mold in the walls. That kind of building material is simply not suited to our climate. Very often builders don’t change how they build depending on the location.
  • So, we have people selling stuff for projects that won’t even work. People don’t do the research, they don’t have a good understanding of the natural environment we live in.

Is real information, scientific data enough?

  • Mike’s story: Mike has been part of a citizens commission tasked with improving recycling in a suburban Detroit community. But residents (particularly older residents) were wincing about going the the larger 64 gallon single stream recycling bins. There seems to be a resistance to change - a kind of inertia. In the end the idea was rejected by the local residents. Many times people make emotional decisions rather than decisions based on real information.
  • So how do they go forward? How do they make a community attractive and relevant to the younger generation who would generally support measures to reduce their environmental foot print? Perhaps if we can get people to see the connection between our children, the environment, public health and the future, they might be more willing to accept change.
  • Proven data shows that millennials really value strong recycling systems, and want to live in places that have them, which means they won’t want to live in a backward community. Result: population drops, home values drop. It’s an economic reality that might convince the naysayers. Young people don’t want their community to have a reputation of being retrograde - guess what, you CAN change things and you don’t have to move out of this community. You can make it better for you and for the future.
  • There needs to be a certain level of community involvement; we must encourage young people to get involved and engaged. Also, they have to vote, especially in local elections. Less important to try the change the minds of the naysayers than to engage those who are behind your efforts.
  • Where’s the data? Many times there is a lack of information available that people need to make an informed decision. People often don’t see the numbers, or the data simply doesn’t exist. Cars and appliances have stickers on them that let you know what your gas mileage will be or how much energy you will use. But buildings and homes don’t come with a sticker to let you know how much it costs to heat/cool the place.
  • Understanding whole-systems building is not something being taught in our universities. We struggle because we come out of a world that never taught whole-systems kind of thinking. Each expert works only in his area, and they are not looking at the whole system of a building - it’s very fragmented. The best thinking on energy efficiency in buildings, heating and cooling systems that respect climate and use little energy as well as passive design, is being done in the private sector, outside of universities. The Passivhaus Institute in Germany is doing very good work in this area.
  • There are many examples of buildings designed without regard to their environment. LEED’s standards have resulted in an architect pursuing points, not energy efficiency. If an architect’s compensation were tied to the energy numbers of the building, then we would be having a serious conversation about sustainable design and construction - it would change the game.

Sustainable Business, Sept. 3, 2015 Topic: Leadership, continued

How is leadership nurtured?

Topic: Nurturing leadership

Comments from the group:

  • I was taught not to think of myself as a leader – but I’ve always had a lot of empathy for people. At work there are always people who struggle in those systems. Sometimes I find myself a leader.
  • I did not grow up in the most positive environment. I had leadership potential but it was dormant in that authoritarian family system. At school a teacher saw possibilities in me- suggested I take piano. Another teacher told me I was a good writer – I was surprised because I did not trust my voice.
  • It really helps to be around good leaders who will not rescue you and allow you to do your own thinking. You must have responsibility for your own choices. As a woman you must push yourself to go for it.
  • I now know thousands of ways not to manage people. I had career success and managed a department of 50 people but was too wound up in management politics. Now I know it’s really about relating to people – the person you’re working with in that moment.
  • I follow the Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
  • Does empathy mean rescuing someone? No – give that person tools and assistance but don’t rescue.
  • Once I had to fire someone and empathy did not seem possible. However, there may be a way to fire someone with empathy. Say “you would be better off working somewhere else” – and they know that it’s true. A leader needs to be trustworthy, disciplined and notice if people do well, but most of all must have empathy. When you’re considering firing someone ask, “Have I supplied them with everything possible for positive results?”
  • I was sent in to fix a dysfunctional team. I told them that I will back my team to the wall – but you must do your job. I want you to grow at work. As a manager I shared information, celebrated successes and birthdays. There had to be regular communication.
  • Competency comes from learning something and practicing it. Let people grow – don’t micro-manage.
  • There are quiet leaders, behind the scenes – deep thinkers who see the big picture and who lead by example. Are you able to be vulnerable and exposed as who you are?
  • As a leader I do not have all the answers. I’m very solution-oriented and some might think that’s not empathetic. Be committed to growing yourself, and to help others grow. Everything is a balance – there is such a thing as too much empathy. Organizations get in trouble if too much empathy allows disruptive behavior to persist. The ship has no rudder. Everything goes to weeds.
  • The leader of a hacker space in San Francisco (Noisebridge) has one rule – “ be excellent to one another.” That open community has lasted for a long time.
  • Are there successful leaders with no empathy? Maybe Steve Jobs – a leader with a passion for the highest standards. But you shouldn’t demean people who don’t get it.


Question: How were you nurtured as a leader?

  • I observed others as parents and looked for successful parents.
  • I landed in a supervisory job (drafting) as a young person – I had fresh energy and was able to see people’s abilities authentically.
  • Someone who believed in me made a big difference. I learned that I usually have the right answers. We take our own gifts for granted.
  • How do you hold creative people together on a team? This type of person may not honor the process and may disrupt the team. A leader can pull them out and create a space where they can add value. There needs to be a clear focus for the work. There is a pattern to how/where people gain their energy – different for different kinds of people.
  • W. Edward Deming said that 85% of team problems boil down to the leadership. We have to put people on the right task or in the right system. A woodworker who has meticulous attention to historical details is excellent at some restoration work where there is ample time and budget – but is the wrong fit for other construction projects on tight schedules. A leader needs to effectively delegate to the right people.