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Social Impact
Social impact describes any improvement that confronts or solves inequalities and injustices in a community. Different sectors—including businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations—can contribute to positive changes on a small and large scale. Instead of viewing a potential solution in terms of financial returns or personal gain, groups that advocate for social impact consider the effect their actions have on the surrounding community. Since social impact advocates address systemic issues, the work and result of social impact require a series of many actions rather than one event.
- Identify the social challenges you want to address. From social justice issues to environmental challenges, you and your organization can address various obstacles. Consider holding a meeting with necessary stakeholders to decide what issues matter most to you collectively. As you discuss different social issues, consider how different challenges relate to your mission statement. During this first stage of decision-making, you and your team should choose a social challenge that connects to your purpose, so you can more easily integrate your vision into your business strategy.
- Consider your goals. After choosing a social issue to focus on, outline short-term and long-term development goals to make your vision a reality. Establishing benchmarks provides your team with manageable steps. As you outline your goals, create a project timeline, so everyone is on the same page.
- Take stock of your resources. Identifying your organization’s resources helps determine how to best support local communities. Consider the financial resources at your disposal that you can allocate toward social impact projects. Resources also include volunteers, facilities, and supplies, so include these factors in your checklist.
- Reach out to community partners. Connect with other changemakers in your surrounding area to develop long-term partnerships. By collaborating with other groups and volunteers, you and your team can scale projects and create a larger impact.
- Outline and implement development programs. Use your goals and resources to create a development program that addresses your social issue. To foster commitment toward initiating change, discuss how your organization can implement your social impact work into your business model.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
1. Reveal relevant opportunities.
The first step is about discovery — not setting an agenda or duplicating diversity initiatives that seemed effective in other organizations. It involves gaining awareness of the types of diversity within and across groups, and the context in which diversity, equity, and inclusion play out for individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole.
In order to set a direction, create alignment, and generate a commitment to DEI initiatives in the workplace or in other types of organizations, top leaders should take the first steps: articulate their individual and collective perspective, identity, values, and culture; consider how experiences of power and privilege may affect their approach and effectiveness — and that of others; and evaluate how dynamics of DEI may affect their marketplace and their business strategy.
By exploring their specific context, senior leaders can engage others in the organization to identify the most relevant opportunities for change, and then select 2-3 strategic actions that will drive the desired results.
2. Elevate equity.
When discussing diversity initiatives in the workplace or in other organizations, many professionals reference the term DEI, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. At CCL, we recognize this terminology, but we prefer to shift the order to EDI, placing equity before diversity and inclusion — for a reason.
You may see us use the terms interchangeably; however, our belief is that without equity, efforts to promote diversity and inclusion are laudable, but not sustainable. So, what is equity? Equity is providing all people with fair and contextually appropriate opportunities and resources that are required to attain their full potential.
3. Activate diversity.
Diversity is the collective of differences and similarities that includes individual and organizational characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, and behaviors.
Activating that diversity is a process that involves recognizing and engaging differences within the employee and customer base. It equips managers and teams to explore the impact of diversity on perspectives, assumptions, and approaches, and identify ways to enhance the contribution of all.
And, it includes defining expectations or metrics and setting clear goals.
4. Lead inclusively.
Inclusion requires active, intentional, and ongoing efforts to promote the full participation and sense of belonging of every employee, customer, and strategic partner. It involves policies and practices, but also the ability to envision and enact new ways of leading.
Across levels and functions, leaders need to learn what is now required, interpreting inclusive leadership for their various groups or for different roles. They also need tools, resources, and support as they improve their ability to identify and mitigate bias, respect differences, build empathetic relationships, foster allyship, manage conflict, and bring out the best in others.
Environment sustainability
1. Sustainable Fit Out
Ocean Fair LEED Certified InteriorA sustainable interior fit out is the essential first step in creating an environmentally sustainable workplace. It creates the base conditions in terms of energy and resource consumption, lighting, air quality, thermal comfort and others. Aiming for an environmental certification such as LEED for a new fit out enables sustainable commercial interiors to be created to an international standard.
There are also many cutting-edge technological innovations that can contribute to making interior fit out more sustainable. Green fit out enables the implementation of workplace practices that improve employee health and productivity, while cutting operational costs. Experienced fit out contractors will also use environmentally sustainable materials where possible and reduce internal pollutants by using non-toxic paints and materials, contributing to improved indoor air quality.
2. Energy Management
- ● Perform an energy audit to find opportunities to cut consumption. The US Department of Energy says that just sealing leaks and cracks in the workplace can cut 20% of heating and cooling costs.
- ● Set in place systems for smart metering and monitoring of energy consumption, and increase employee accountability for the results
- ● Set an automatic turn off and turn on of the office lighting, A/C, equipment and appliances
- ● Set up occupancy sensors
- ● Use natural lighting as much as possible not only because it cuts down on electricity usage, but because it helps create a more healthy workplace that integrates biophilic elements
- ● Invest in LED and energy-efficient office equipment and appliances
- ● Raise A/C temperature by 2 degrees
3. Water Efficiency & Conservation
Water is a scarce resource, especially in the UAE’s arid climate. Some of the measures that can be taken to manage water consumption include:
Using water efficient plumbing fixtures including ultra-low flow toilets and showerheads, low-flow aerators that fit on the sink faucets, and water-efficient dishwashers and washing machines Water recycling or reusing measures (Grey water and process recycling systems), and Reducing water use in HVAC systems.
4. Waste Reduction
Waste generation rates in the UAE are among the highest in the world, due to the rapid growth in population and economic development. Each UAE resident is estimated to produce between 1.9-2.5 kg of waste daily. But only 10% of residents are currently recycling. In response, the country has set an ambitious goal of cutting the amount of waste reaching landfill by 75% by 2021. Various measures are being implemented to encourage residents and local businesses to become more aware, and recycle more. Dubai Municipality has recently instituted a waste levy on commercial establishments to discourage waste generation and to encourage more recycling. Abu Dhabi is also setting up recycling stations across the emirate to help in cutting waste disposal costs. So having an efficient waste disposal system in place is not only good for the environment, it will save companies money too. This can be done through:
Developing clear waste disposal policies, with defined accountability and reduction targets Implementing recycling policies in all work areas – including reusing and sorting
Making clear purchasing choices to use goods and materials which stop waste being generate. This can be in the form choosing products with minimal packaging or using recycled or recyclable materials
Ensuring safe disposal for waste that cannot be reused or recycled.
5. Go Digital
There are many ways to help office become a greener space. Workers can use different kinds of software and devices to work more efficiently, using time more effectively and cutting down on waste. For some companies, this will involve a shift in culture, and having clear policies requiring people to think and work differently.
No Paper is the Greenest Paper
According to a TechRepublic rundown, a staggering 90% of all US office waste is due to documents being printed needlessly multiple times. The Emirates Environmental Group, a local NGO dedicated protecting the environment through education, action programs and community involvement, collected almost 1,800 tons of recyclable waste during a 2011 campaign, the majority of which was paper! Employees can be encouraged to go paperless, by reducing the number of printers, rationing paper and toner, and printing on both sides. Other ways to go paperless is to move to electronic invoicing and e-statements. Creating a collaborative work culture that uses online sharing tools rather than paper.
6. Employee Engagement & Awareness
Offices are living spaces. To ensure that a sustainable office remains that way, employee engagement is key. This includes motivating and involving employees in implementing sustainability measures. Smart thermal interior controls and recycling policies are positive, but so much more can be achieved if employee awareness of being sustainable is high.
Raise Awareness & Increase Accountability among Employees: Each company has its own corporate culture. Involving employees in creating an environmentally aware culture is essential to the success of any sustainable workplace initiatives. Employees can become more engaged in a variety of ways. Depending on the nature of the company and its size, an employee group can be formed to lead employee actions. They are more effective in motivating their colleagues
to participate in recycling and to cut down on paper use than any office memo. More aware employees can also push a more sustainable purchasing and procurement decisions. Incentivise Employee Environmental Behaviour: Provide employees with way to monitor their resource consumption and carbon footprint. Incentivise employee behaviour changes through competitions, coupons or gifts. For example, encourage employees to use public transport or to use hybrid, electric vehicles.
7. Procurement & Supply Chain
At another level, one way of applying environmental concerns in the workplace is to put in place policies and procedures for sustainable procurement, as well as to examine all phases of the supply chain to see if environmental improvements are feasible.
Sustainable procurement typically means including environmental, non-cost elements in the procurement process. Procurement decisions are then made not only with regards to cost and quality but also with regards to sustainability. This involves considering whether the supplier has environmental processes and policies in place and whether the goods themselves are environmentally sustainable. It may also mean engaging with suppliers to help them put in place more green policies.