Sustainability Consulting
Consulting proposition
Impact has a specialized consulting practice focused on helping clients address their challenges around sustainability issues. This consultancy was developed in response to our clients’ requests for support in this area, as more and more organizations are realizing the benefits associated with sustainable business practices.
We consult with clients across a broad spectrum – including organizations that are at an early stage of the journey as well as those that are well down the path in implementing their sustainability strategies. Our consultants will work with you to define where your organization is on this journey and help you implement an inclusive, engaging, and mindset-changing approach to operating more sustainably.
Impact has been working with clients for 30 years to develop values-based leadership for sustainable enterprise. In 2009 we won formal recognition as Best Company for Corporate Responsibility Excellence and Best Company for Learning & Leadership for Sustainability. Please click here to visit our awards page.
Why focus on Sustainability…the business case
The past few years have clearly shown that executives at some of the world’s largest companies exercised shortsighted leadership - in some cases making business decisions and commitments that were clearly ill advised and unsustainable. The resulting global economic crisis, though damaging, has also created an excellent opportunity and platform for positive change. Now is the time to take stock and reconsider the path going forward, while the lessons are still fresh in our minds.
Organizations and their leaders who make a commitment to sustainable business practices are those that will thrive and enjoy long-term competitive advantage.
They will achieve this by developing leaders and key talent who ‘walk the talk’ of their professed values - and expectations around ethical conduct - in order to deliver on corporate responsibility commitments. It’s not just about doing good – it’s about doing right because it helps you do well while also benefitting others.
Business executives increasingly face dilemmas involving brand reputation, supply chain integrity, your corporate carbon footprint and social responsibility. Organizations whose executives lead by example and inspire their people to conduct business responsibly in the global communities where they operate will enjoy superior financial results over time. They will obtain this through the strong customer loyalty, talent acquisition & employee engagement that come along with being recognized as a good corporate citizen and a great place to work.
How we work with you
Our consultants partner with your change leaders to assess your current point on the sustainability continuum, identify key business drivers, and embed a sustainability mindset across your organization. We work with you to design and deliver initiatives that produce cultural shifts in support of sustainability.
Some of the key change drivers we help you examine include:
- Talent - Are the best people attracted to your organization – are they engaged and do they choose to stay?
- Customers - Do your customers trust your brand?
- Image vs Reality – Do your practices live up to your PR messages?
- Suppliers - Do you have confidence in the integrity and reliability of your suppliers?
- Resources - How sustainable is your resource usage?
- Investors – Are shareholders committed to you as a good long-term investment?
- Environment - What are you doing about your impact on the environment?
- Corporate Citizenship - Do you consider your effects on society?
- Your Legacy...Will your company thrive or fade away? Will you hand over a sustainable enterprise to your successors? Will you be remembered as a visionary leader?
How can Impact’s Sustainability Consulting Practice help?
As trusted advisors, we help you to identify and engage an intrapreneurial network of thought leaders who can provide leadership for your company’s journey toward becoming an admired, sustainable enterprise. We do not prescribe but instead facilitate and clarify your own solutions for sustainability.
As Organization Development consultants, we are objective and data-driven facilitators who help you to:
- Define both where you are and where you want to be
- Identify risks and opportunities
- Decide key criteria and options for action
- Design workable initiatives to advance your organization from Here…to There
- Deliver development that moves the meter on strategic gauges of progress
- Demonstrate ROI/business payoff
Consulting approach, tools and deliverables
We do this through a consulting process that includes:
- Gap Analysis: Assessment of current state and desired future state via structured interviews, focus groups, and online surveys
- Business Case: Analysis of business impacts - both internal and external
- Vision for Sustainability: Facilitation to identify key areas of focus and action plan
- Change Management: Co-creation of organizational adoption strategy
- Commit to Action: Implementation planning
- Leadership Coaching: Building leadership capacity and commitment
- Creating the Future: Design and delivery of leadership and team development to drive key attitudinal and behavioral changes for sustainable enterprise
Measurement
Impact’s consultants will partner with you to create a custom-designed evaluation strategy to track success against agreed measures; to track achievements and sustain the momentum; and identify additional opportunities for excellence.
Evaluation criteria may include:
• Financial ROI
• Business impact
• Leadership accountability & effectiveness
• Employee engagement
• Customer & key stakeholder feedback
• Public/community recognition
• Industry recognition
Please click here to read our UN Global Compact Report.
Wasafiri
Wasafiri is a social enterprise established following the development of our Relief and Development Group. It brings together an alliance of independent consultants generating action to overcome poverty and crises. Please click here to visit their website.
