“Using and adding value to renewable services and resources”
I am writing a series on the parallel between the twelve operational principles of permaculture and organizational change so as to support changemakers in creating sustainable transformations.
💡 EXPLAining THE PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLE
Permaculture is an agricultural method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings, so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems.
The permaculture principle we’ll explore today, is quite simple to apply but often ignored.
We are invited to “use renewable resources.”
Renewable resources are those that can be replaced and renewed while taking into account the time needed to produce them.
Let's take an example from everyday life: your energy levels. Chances are you'll often feel full of energy if you:
Listen to your body and mind.
Rest when you feel tired.
Get enough sleep.
Meet motivating people.
Spend time on activities you enjoy.
On the other hand, you may become exhausted and even collapse if you do the opposite.
This permaculture principle also invites us to make the most of what's here and now. In organisations, this means your time, current missions, ideas, and even those of your colleagues and partners.
🔍 ILLUSTRATing THE permaculture PRINCIPLE APPLIED TO A MISSION OF TRANSFORMATION
Let's look at an essential resource for the success of change agents within organisations: the support of top management.
Applying this permaculture principle means not seeking endorsements from all the heads of entities within your organisation before launching your project. You can become credible and make a positive impact by starting with a pilot project with only one genuinely committed sponsor.
When I started working at Veolia Asia more than 10 years ago, I was conducting sustainable development assessments at our operational sites.
This approach was not only a good way of connecting with the field and understanding their issues, but also obtaining a 360° snapshot of the operations and overall performance of the site.
I could see that the operators were very happy because:
They felt acknowledged and supported.
Site members and managers had facts and insights to promote their work’s positive impact to customers and members of the local community.
They were able to quickly identify the key areas for improvement and the cross-functional projects that were often neglected.
This type of mission positively reconnected the “field” and the “head office.” The field employees pointed out where head office employees were needed, not the other way around.
However, I struggled to get the entity directors to agree to these assessments.
One day during a seminar, a director who I’ll call John, said to me: “Stop asking them. Come and work for me. You already have more than thirty sites open to you. The rest will follow.”
Do you know what? He was correct. In just a few years, his entity’s successful examples led other entities and countries to implement sustainable development assessments.
🐝 TIPS TO GET MOVING
Look around and identify :
Three resource persons to support you in your missions and challenges (e.g. mentors, coach, committed sponsor, inspiring peers, a friend who listens to you, and a newsletter author).
Three activities that generate the energy you need to keep going (e.g. mine are yoga, nature walks, time with my daughter, and music).
Three projects that could create a ripple effect and inspire others to get involved in the movement you are launching (e.g. human factor fresco, assessment of the carbon footprints of business solutions, and review of employees’ bonus schemes taking into account their social, societal and environmental actions).
So, do you see the abundance surrounding you? Take one step at a time. I trust that you'll advance in the desired direction. If you need to move faster or more efficiently, I invite you to reach out to me, I’ll be happy to listen.
As we come to the end of this series of articles presenting the parallels between permaculture and organisational transformation, I'd like to celebrate and thank two authors who inspired me in this process:
“Everything on This Earth Goes Round and Round, We're the Only Ones Who don't Know It” by Marine Simon
“The Sustainable Entrepreneur's Guide” by Solène Pignet.
I recommend reading their books if you want to delve deeper into permaculture issues.
“A man is unhappy not because he has ambition but because he is consumed by it”
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Hi Changemakers!
I am Nina, an impact maker coach, specializing in leadership and sustainable transformation.
I have spent the past 10+ years leading sustainable change in a Fortune 500 organization in a multicultural environment. What I like to do through my activities is to inspire organizations professionals to rethink the business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a more sustainable, human, and nature-friendly world. If you wish to be supported to progress on your journey with multiplied impact and ease, contact me!