Employees are people too, as it is. They have attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors that distinguish them unique in the work environment. So if you want to engage them in reaching goals green business (and you should), you will be much more successful if you learn how they think, feel, and act in the workplace.
Even with an employee base of 100 people, you will find useful segments that can inform different approaches to communication, persuasion and engagement. Moreover, identification of these segments is relatively easy by administering an overview.
The summary may make attitudes and perceptions, as well as behavior. For example: “I think it is important to turn out lights when you leave a room.” To capture the attitude, and “I happen lights whenever I leave a room.” To capture the behavior.
The summary should be administered by one third to dispel concern about confidentiality, job security, and performance appraisal. In addition, you may be able to use a PIN number unique to each person, so you can target messages and actions based on the segments that you identify.
Once you have completed the preview, you can arrange group and individual discussions to better understand the results and leading the attitudes and behavior. During these discussions, you can use projective techniques to gain a deep understanding of your employees motivations.
The evaluation results of your insights gathering activities within your green business objectives inform the next step. If employees in the various segments seem prepared to support these goals, you can begin to develop communications. If, however, there are segments that are unlikely to support actual goals green business – either because of attitudes or behaviors are not aligned – then your next step is to develop promotions engagement.
Promotion of engagement is a program designed to motivate change and to accustom new behaviors. To generate ideas and concepts for potential promotions, lead the brainstorming session with employees who are the target of promotion and it would need to become motivated.
The brainstorming session should send an impediment (ie d. What is the problem) and the performance should be three or four concepts well-thought-out, rather than 100 ideas on a list. You can then select one or concepts to be incorporated and lead to a successful program of engagement.
Now you’re ready to develop communications. The content should address attitudes and perceptions identified in the overview. You can segment communications and target different messages to different groups of employees, or address the issues attitudinal, perceptual, behavioral and all in all communications. The format should include all available means, including email, intranet, large meetings, and messages cascaded. (Be wary of using paper to cast a green message – it is the ultimate in a mixed message.)
Finally, to change old attitudes and new behaviors become accustomed, not structure the program as an event with a beginning and little or no active monitoring. However, driving daily operations and reporting on progress in the first weeks, then every other day, and later on a weekly or monthly.
With a green approach to selling your employees to use, you’re likely to see a multiplying effect on progress towards achieving your goals green business.
The Great Informan
