Warming Up to Green Training in the Workplace

Sometimes employees are unsure about the difference they can make. Ongoing training to reinforce the value of green practices is an important component of developing a green culture. Repeatedly communicate the value of printing less by illustrating the number of pages it takes to save a tree. Remind them of the value of using mass transit or carpooling with facts about the carbon footprint of an average drive to work. Using glasses and water coolers instead of bottles and calculating and communicating the amount of company recycling are additional actions that can serve as reminders to employees about the company’s green culture and sustainability goals.

Be sure to disseminate this information in an environmentally-friendly way, including e-mail, company Web site and similar paperless communication vehicles. Then give employees specific ways they can contribute to the green effort. For example, you can show them how letters, images, purchase orders, and myriad documents can be attached to files and encourage less printing with a “digital-documents-only” policy.

Building a corporate green culture requires everyone to take a look at their own job and find ways they can reduce the impact on the environment individually and collectively. Rewarding employees, teams or departments that engage in green practices will encourage others and promote a green culture within your organization. One way to foster a green culture is an annual competition that allows employees to show what efforts they made in the year towards going green.

In the not so distant past, businesses had to choose between doing the right thing for society and making a profit. That is no longer the case. Now, doing the right thing for society in terms of environmentally-friendly practices can actually increase profitability. And the opportunity is there for those willing to invest in changing the culture by training employees to work in greener ways.

Owen Davis is managing director of U.S. Operations of TrainingFolks, which specializes in performance consulting, contract trainer and instructional designer services, and designing and executing employee-based development systems. He can be reached at 704-987-7761 or visit www.trainingfolks.com