This is the first in a series of regular columns. It is the result of conversations with many top industry professionals regarding the greening of lodging properties. Throughout those discussions there were several threads regarding how best to make impactful, cost effective green measures happen. Engaging employees, developing a sound plan, and successfully implementing it all involve the human side of the organization, not just the hardware. In a service sector company, there is even more of a need to better understand the process, not just the products.
Most travelers share similar experiences: sleeping in a strange bed, eating different food, enjoying new sights and, of course, seeing those ubiquitous little signs in the bathroom that read: “Please help us protect the environment, save water and energy. If you want to re-use your towels, hang them on the rack, otherwise, leave them on the floor.”
This, of course, often leads to another, unfortunate shared experience—finding that the towels conscientiously left for re-use have been replaced with clean ones by well intentioned staff.
A guest might wonder, “Why am I asked to do something and then when I do it, my efforts are ignored? Is it because this hotel doesn’t really care about protecting the environment and puts those little signs in my bathroom just to impress me?”
The answer usually is that the system that the hotel uses to protect the environment and save money isn’t working correctly. Even the best, most technologically advanced systems do not work unless the people involved understand them and believe that it’s in their best interest to make them work. So, until room attendants understand the “why” of the towel request, and are motivated to refold but not replace the towels, some guests will continue to be frustrated.
The Importance of Cultural Change
While the towel problem might seem minor, it is a real world example of a much larger issue—that of changing or shifting an organization’s culture. Altering the way people do their jobs, how they communicate about those changes, and whether or not they accept the new culture will depend on how the organization goes about affecting the desired change.
Too often, ensuring employee buy-in of a new procedure is often an afterthought in the design, procurement, and implementation process of many organizations. We hear comments like “we train all our employees to…,” or, “all that is covered in employee orientation.” Unfortunately, providing one-time training, while important, is not the entire answer. Any effort to shift culture needs to be more holistic, systematic, and thoughtfully planned and implemented.
So, what does all this mean? Where and how does an organization start down the path of being green or more sustainable?
As any organization advances into new territory, such as “sustainability,” management should recognize that the journey is one that the entire organization needs to take if it is to be successful. In this journey the role of management is clearly to motivate, lead and inspire. But the rest of the employees have to make the system work day in and day out, so getting employee buy-in is critical. And all this can be short-lived unless the change is integrated into the company’s culture. Where to start?
We need to look at management’s role in applying a systematic approach to organizational culture change. Since top management cannot do it alone, how do they create the necessary support mechanisms? One answer is by creating a Green Team. Who should be green team members, what are their roles, how should they function, and what are the benefits are all questions that need to be asked and answered based on your organization. There are, of course, some basic team building practices that will enhance the probability of success. Once the teams are created, management needs to support them and to integrate their mission into the overall culture.
Management should explore whether a green team is enough, or if there is also a need for a “Director of Green.” One needs to examine the qualifications, costs and benefits of such a position.
Technology Alone Will Not Work
Since we live in a technological world, what does implementing new technologies mean for an organization’s culture? The short answer is that there is a social component to technology and management needs to address how the two interact.
Employees need to be motivated to help ensure buy-in. Management should address the questions: “What are the appropriate incentives, and how should they be implemented?” Finally, as we expend all this energy on greening our facilities, how do we maximize the benefits including the ROI?
We’ve raised a number of issues and generated several questions here—in future columns we’ll address them. As with all learning, more knowledge generates more questions. We anticipate, and hope, that our columns will generate ideas, questions, and comments since the best learning is interactive. So send in your thoughts. We’ll incorporate as many as possible in following columns.
Jack Luskin is director of the Program for the Practice of Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Tedd Saunders is the president of EcoLogical Solutions, Inc. and the Chief Sustainability Officer for The Saunders Hotel Group, as well as a co-owner of The Lenox Hotel and Comfort Inn & Suites Boston/Airport.
The two authors can be reached at Jack_Luskin@uml.edu and tsaunders@ecological-solutions.net.
