A green mission statement is invaluable as a declaration of goals.
For businesses, its the first step toward walking the green talk – and if your competitors are talking, this little statement can give you a big boost in setting you apart from the others. For individuals and families, a green mission statement focuses your efforts and emotional energy.
First, writing a statement allows you to articulate your own values and concerns, prioritizing your efforts. Its true we can’t solve all the world’s problems, but we can give ourselves permission to focus only on two or three that are most important to us, and not worry so much about the rest. Second, knowing your mission is driven by your own deeply held values and concerns, you will feel confident that you’ll take the necessary actions toward your goals because you actually care. The emotional energy will build in with the positive feedback. Third, moving your actions into alignment with your values increases your personal integrity, another positive feedback loop.
1. From a long list, select causes and issues that cause you feelings of stress or guilt. The list should include issues from all aspects of the Triple Bottom Line (environmental, economic, and social). As far as I can tell, there is no comprehensive listing, like you might find for values when doing this same exercise for a typical mission statement. For help on this, see my previous post for a starter list.
2. Of the words you circled, rate them on a scale of 1 – 10, with 1 being your top priority (or causing the strongest reaction of stress or guilt).
3. From a long list of value words (see franklincovey.com for help with this step), circle the values you appreciate the most. Then rate them on a scale of 1 – 10 (1 is most important to you).
4. Now compare your top 5 words from each list. Are there connections here? Do you see how certain values could be associated with improvements in some of the issues you identified?
5. Build your green mission statement around your top 2 – 3 (maximum) issues. Keep it simple and straight-forward, bullet points are ok. Avoid over-simplified or generic statements like “we are committed to a greener workplace.” Or, use that only as a starting point – identify your specific causes. This is important as you start living your mission – it’s all about focus.
Matt Courtland, senior consultant with The Natural Strategy, offers this advice when writing your statement, “An environmental mission statement is the sum of three parts: Why + Goal + Success. Why is this topic important to us? We believe … What is our end goal? We want to … How is success measured? We envision a world ….” The “why” of your statement can be answered by the value words you selected.
Here are a few corporate green mission statements as examples:
From Four Seasons hotel:
Four Seasons involves employees and guests in the common goal of preserving and protecting the planet. We engage in sustainable practices that conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact. As importantly, sustainable tourism will enhance and protect the destinations where Four Seasons operates for generations to come. [followed by listing of current activities]
From Ad Spice Promotional Marketing:
Ad Spice Promotional Marketing is a full-service screen-printing, embroidery, and promotional products firm. We specialize in helping you engage your target market using well-designed, high-quality, promotional products made with respect for people and our planet. Our mission goes beyond making a profit for owners and stakeholders to creating a positive impact on our community and a lower and more beneficial impact on our planet. [goes on to list specific organizations they are affiliated with]
Need help putting it all together? Advisors at re:Think will review your green mission statement for free. Contact info@rethinkyourworld.com
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