Although an increasing number of organisations have embraced the idea of sustainability in the last decade, why do so many initiatives fail, leading to wasted resources, frustration and cynicism? Why have so few organisations successfully adopted more sustainable policies or practices? And when they do get launched, why do so many efforts plateau after a short time and fail to ascend to the next level of excellence? What process is required to create change within organisations to move them towards sustainability? Because so few resources are available to answer these questions, Bob Doppelt spent three years researching how the leaders of both private and public organisations that have initiated and sustained significant sustainability programmes designed and approached them. His findings, presented in this hugely readable book, will demystify the sustainability-change process by providing a theoretical framework and a methodology that managers can use to successfully transform their organisations to embrace sustainable development. According to Doppelt, discussions about what to do--which new technologies and policy instruments to apply--have dominated the public dialogue on sustainability. Practitioners place comparatively little emphasis on how organisations can change their internal thought processes, assumptions and ingrained behaviours to embrace new tools and techniques. Organisational and cultural change is the key missing ingredient in the operationalisation of sustainable development. Without such change, sustainability efforts usually stall soon after they begin or fail outright. Changing organisational culture requires interventions in two key areas: First, the governance system of the organisation must be altered. A majority of organisations today hold a mechanistic, autocratic view of governance. In contrast, organisations that have made the most progress toward sustainability view all of their internal members, as well as external stakeholders, as vital parts of an interdependent system. In the leading sustainability organisations, these beliefs engender a skilful distribution of information, power and wealth among employees and stakeholders because managers realise that all of the parts of the organisational system must feel valued and be meaningfully involved for these higher purposes to be achieved. The second intervention is leadership. Organisations that develop effective governance systems typically have good leadership. Effective sustainability leaders have the ability to keep their organisation focused on achieving its higher mission while simultaneously managing numerous, sometimes contradictory, streams of activity. Savvy leaders can inspire and mobilise employees and stakeholders to embrace change as an exciting opportunity to learn. In the exemplary organisations, this style of leadership pervades not only top management, but also most levels of the enterprise. Doppelt found that, when an organisation has an effective governance system and effective, forward-looking leadership, it is much more likely to be able to marshal the tremendous forces required to transform its culture and successfully adopt sustainability-based thinking, values and behaviours. When an organisation lacks an effective governance system or sufficient leadership, its culture will remain static and the adoption of a more sustainable path will be stymied, no matter what type of new technologies are adopted, quality-control tools are used, or consultants are hired. Crammed with case examples, interviews and checklists on how to move corporate and governmental cultures toward sustainability, the book argues that the key factors that facilitate change consistently appear in the ongoing and successful (but incomplete) efforts Doppelt examined at companies such as Nike, Starbucks, IKEA, Chiquita, Interface, Swisscom and Norm Thompson and in governmental efforts such as those in the Netherlands and Santa Monica in California. For these and other cutting-edge organisations, leading change is a philosophy for success. In fact, in many ways "Leading Change toward Sustainability" is just a restatement of what their leaders already know and do.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Based on a study of practices at firms like Interface, Herman Miller, Patagonia, Collins Companies, Chiquita, Xerox and Starbucks, this book serves both as a primer and study of the cutting edge", Business Ethics, Fall 2003 "Anyone involved in a business or agency that wants to transform itself into a better environmental citizen would do well to read this book", Earth Justice, Winter 2004 "Starting from a seldom-discussed reality - that some sustainability initiatives simply fail ... his findings are presented in the form of a theoretical framework and methodology that can be used by managers to help their organizations embrace sustainable development", UNEP Industry and Environment, Oct-Dec 2003 "This book is a really useful read for those leading or indeed aspiring to lead change to sustainability in organizations worldwide ... Read it and you can make a difference", Consultnet, April 2004
From the Inside Flap
"Implementing sustainable business practices is about much more than policies and plans. Bob Doppelt teaches us that leadership driven by vision, values and even a fundamental shift in thinking characterises true success. By taking us inside companies from around the world, he demystifies sustainability and presents a hands-on practical approach allowing the potential for a company's cultural transformation."
- Carsten Henningsen, Co-Founder, Portfolio 21; Chairman, Progressive Investment Management
- Carsten Henningsen, Co-Founder, Portfolio 21; Chairman, Progressive Investment Management
"This book is packed full of sound experience gleaned from dozens of cases and is a must-read for anyone at all interested in embarking on an organisational change strategy to embrace sustainability in their organisation. One of the most useful books I have read lately. Calling it a Bible for the practitioner is too strong, but it conveys the right idea."
- Larry Chalfan, Former CEO Oki Semiconductor; Current Director, Zero Waste Alliance
"The journey toward sustainability is not easy but it is right and it is rewarding. Bob Doppelt’s book provides a very practical and concise summary of significant commitments, efforts and processes for leading the change."
- Jim Quinn, former CEO of The Collins Companies and current partner in Medallion Hawaiian Hardwoods LLC
"This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to move their business or organisation to the higher ground of sustainability. Whether you are looking for guidance or just need a reminder, Bob Doppelt provides a real-world approach for implementing sustainable business practices."
- Buddy Hay, VP Sustainable Operations, Interface Research Corporation
"Bob Doppelt has compared a variety of organisations and identified those characteristics of high performance - high performance in the primary work of the organisation and performing that work in a more sustainable way. It is valuable for anyone interested in how successful leaders function in organisations. More to the point, the ideas offered in this book can help move your organisation toward a more sustainable future."
- Dr Craig W. Shinn, Associate Professor of Public Administration, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University
"Bob Doppelt expands the envelope of knowledge about the realities of reducing the environmental impacts of private and public organisations, giving real-world insights into the substantial economic benefits available to corporations and agencies through the adoption of sustainable practices, as well as practical steps to overcome the formidable institutional barriers involved with implementing these practices successfully."
- Ernie Niemi, VP, ECONorthwest Economics Research and Consulting, Eugene, Oregon
"This book takes on a key challenge for sustainability — how to harness the ideas and enthusiasm of people within an organisation. Instead of focusing on the latest technological fixes, Doppelt explains how organisations need to change in order to incorporate sustainability throughout their operations. Businesses and government agencies working on sustainability will be able to use this book to diagnose their situation and identify solutions."
- Matt Emlen Program manager for the Portland-Multnomah Sustainable Development Commission
"After reading Leading Change toward Sustainability, those seeking change can’t help but have a more clear understanding of what it means to say: ‘Our goal is to become a truly sustaining organisation'. With the help of this useful book, they just might reach that laudable destination."
- William McDonough, McDonough + Partners
"Bob Doppelt has taken up [the] challenge to learn about experiences in sustainable development; and now he makes us part of his learning process. The result is fascinating and inspiring ... I sincerely hope this book finds its way into the hands of managers of all kinds of businesses, small and large, to CEOs of the leading multinational enterprises of the world, to directors of government departments in whatever field of public concern they work, to people working for non-governmental organisations, to groups of farmers, to municipalities, to politicians."
- Paul de Jongh, Policy advisor for sustainable development to the Dutch government; former Deputy Director-General for the Environment, The Netherlands
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book on change and sustainability,
By
This review is from: Leading Change Toward Sustainability: A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society (Hardcover)
Bob Doppelt is the first sustainability expert to describe the nuances and challenges of successfully implementing a systemic sustainability program. Where others have said that "you need to get the people in the organization involved," Doppelt goes deeper and tells us how to do this. His comprehensive approach, systems thinking, and concrete examples give us previously unavailable insights about successfully implementing sustainability programs in organizations. I especially appreciate that he includes economic, population, and social equity concerns and not just the technical aspects of protecting and improving the environment. I have recommended this book to all my sustainability Ph.D. students.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At the cutting edge,
This review is from: Leading Change Toward Sustainability: A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society (Paperback)
While the concept of sustainability and sustainable development is still ethereal, Bob Doppelt has his finger at the pulse of our best thinking, practices and strategy for implementation. I resonate with his view that the process of achieving sustainability is messy and non-linear and people enter it from many directions. This book has informed my understanding and has helped structure a subject that has a moving target component to it. Bob Doppelt's work has credibility and substance for me.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Change Management at its Best,
By Frank Roettgers "Author of Going Green Together" (Frankfurt, Germany) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Leading Change Toward Sustainability: A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society, 2nd Revised Edition (Paperback)
With "Leading Change Toward Sustainability" Doppelt wrote an useful guide for everyone who starts from the beginning and wants to make his business sustainable. Well structured, this book leads the reader through several stages of how to become sustainable. Although I missed some explanations at various points why Doppelt suggests his ideas, it offers a lot of practical advice for restructuring a company. He could have gotten a bit more into detail when it comes to environmental practices and their relation to sustainability, but apart from that I liked the read very much and recommend it.
- Frank Roettgers, author of Going Green Together - How to Align Employees with Green Strategies
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