Tried and True Ways to Become a Green Champion at Work
If you’re interested in going green and would like to get the skills to become the go-to person in your workplace on all things green, now is the time to get started!
You may have thought about becoming a green champion at work and wondered if you could do it – especially if you have a heavy workload, like most of us, and/or aren’t in charge. It is also likely that going green and environmental sustainability is not in your job description – or else you would already be doing it!
Finding the time to even think about going green at work can seem tough to do but it is absolutely doable. Here are some tips to find time:
Dedicate half an hour of your hour-long lunch break to going green, or even your entire lunch break – work on going green while you eat!
Cut down on the internet scrolling – it’s easy to get sucked in, and before you know it, half an hour has gone by looking at pictures of cats and funny GIFs
Come in fifteen minutes early or stay fifteen minutes later.
There are other ways to find time, but this should give you some options so that you can find two to three hours per week to dedicate to going green. The trick is to turn off all distractions and really focus when you do take the time.
The next potential obstacle is that you’re not in charge – of the budget, of the projects that are given to you, and of resources that you might need for a project. That’s ok – there are plenty of individuals who have implemented going green projects at work when they’re not in charge. Check out the ‘Making an Impact When You’re Not In Charge’ blog series about this very topic here.
Now that you’ve cleared off some time to dedicate to the topic, the next question is – how to become a green champion at work?
Here are two ways of positioning yourself for success as a going green champion at work.
1.The project manager approach
A going green project should be managed like any other project even if it is not something that is currently not high on your organization’s priority list. Below are some high-level project management steps to get you started. There are more detailed steps that can be taken, but since this is a starter project that ideally will have you more ‘doing’ than ‘managing’, only high-level steps are included below:
Identify a simple project that can be implemented in a short time span: A simple project is one that typically does not require too much of a monetary investment, and that does not require significant input and/or support from multiple individuals within your organization. A short time span can be anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. We’ve created a free Beginner’s Guide to Going Green with 50+ projects to help get you started. Be sure to download it to get ideas and inspiration.
Identify any support that you might need: While some starter going green projects are straightforward and you can do on your own, it is usually a good idea to get others on board at the beginning. This will increase the likelihood of your project succeeding. Spend a few minutes and make a list of individuals who could be allies and also whom you may need information or data from. You will want to reach out to them sooner rather than later and have a conversation about what you are doing.
Develop a plan to implement that project: This includes a list of the tasks that you will need to undertake in order to ensure that the project is implemented. Next to each task, you’ll want to write down the estimated amount of time it will take and plan that out on your calendar. You may want to include some goals and metrics to track success of the project. This will make it easier to compare the before and after and share your progress and success with your colleagues.
Implement and address challenges: As you implement the project, you may encounter resistance to change, or unforeseen snags that you will need to address. Keep a list of these and address them as they come up. Some challenges may require you to alter course or slightly change the project that you had originally envisioned. That’s ok and it happens in many projects, so don’t get discouraged. Keep going and expect that challenges will occur.
Communicate and celebrate: When you have completed your project, be sure to share your success with your colleagues. Celebrate what you’ve accomplished and see if you can communicate the results of the project internally and even externally, in order to build momentum for future going green projects.
2. The WOOP approach
Another fun way of looking at this is through Gabrielle Oettingen’s WOOP approach. In her book, Rethinking Positive Thinking, she introduces WOOP as a lens to think through what you want to achieve and increase the likelihood of your achieving it. The book is based on 20 years of scientific research and the acronym WOOP, discussed in the book, can be applied to many areas, not just your going green project.
Wish: What is the vision of the project that you have in mind? Get clear on what you would like to achieve with the project that you would like to implement. What is the best case scenario for your going green project?
Outcome: What is the end result of the project? What are the benefits that will come with the project? What goal would you like to achieve with it? For example, it could be to increase the recycling rate at your workplace by 10%, or cut down on paper use by 15% within X months. It could be to raise awareness of the amount of plastics that are being used, or how natural vs. artificial light can be used to optimize workplace well being. It could also be a goal for yourself, to be recognized as the green guru of your workplace.
Obstacle: You may or may not encounter obstacles when implementing your project. That being said, it is good practice to think through potential obstacles ahead of time and identify ways to address them. For example, you might be assigned a project that requires you to work overtime, so the timeline of your going green project may need to be delayed, or you may encounter resistance from individuals who think that going green is not a priority for your organization. So think of it this way – if X (obstacle) happens, then I will do Y (solution). Make a list of the Xs and Ys. Be prepared ahead of time, and the likelihood of your going green project succeeding will grow significantly.
Plan: Create a step-by-step action plan to concretize your vision for your project. Be sure to include contingencies in the plan for the obstacles that you identified above. Then go ahead and take the first step, then the next, and the next – until you have completed your going green project!
The WOOP method doesn’t directly address the communication and celebration part, but that is certainly part of the process, so either way, be sure to celebrate your success. You have likely acquired some leadership skills in the process, learned more about the topic of your project, and are seen as a green change agent (see what that means here).
And if you’re still wondering what project to start with, don’t forget to download our free Beginner’s Guide to Going Green with 50+ starter projects.