Sustainability

Wisdom beggets sustainability

| simon_robert

I was once faced with a difficult task…

I went to see a knowledgeable person. I was told every bit of information I needed to know. But still, no solution.
I went to see an intelligent person. I was given an algorithm to solve my problem but it was hard to grasp and I couldn’t quite link it to my organisations concrete issue.
I went to see a philosophical person. I was told which was the perfectly ethical thing to do but it went further then the specific issue at hand.
I went to see a wise person. I was told that since I had the knowledge, the intelligence and the philosophical grounding, I was probably the best person to answer my questions.

Wisdom beggets sustainability.

Everywhere and nowhere at the same time

| simon_robert

I just came out of my conference (www.cedd.ca) and had a great discussion with my good friend Jacques Blanchet. As always, after a discussion with him, troubling, yet satisfying thoughts occupy my mind. And like I said in the presentation of this blog, this is a relief valve for the many ideas that go through my mind and influence my decisions.
We were talking about our work in sustainable development. We shared the belief that sustainability is not about issues but about the way we build our ideas to solve issues in an efficient manner. Here is a quote to help explain this idea:

« As a net is made up of a series of ties, so everything in this world is connected by a series of ties. If anyone thinks that the mesh of a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is mistaken. It is called a net because it is made up of a series of interconnected meshes, and each mesh has its place and responsibility in relation to other meshes. » — Buddha

Sustainability is about seing the patterns of the mesh, the way it interconnects and finding a solution to make it even more beautiful.

By the way, my panel on risks and sustainability went really well.

Food for thought

| simon_robert

It’s the time of year where a lot of conferences are happening. In these tumultuous times, I have the chance to give a lot of conferences to different universities. It is really a gratifying experience to share our mistakes and successes with these bright minds. It is also a win-win situation since by formulating my thoughts on the different subjects that interest them, I’m improving my own understanding of my train of thought. Furthermore, the many questions of the students brings a new perspective to my own reflections.

I had two similar questions from two universities. What are the caracteristics that can help students standout in the market for jobs? Well, my answer came in two sections. First and foremost: Networking. The sharing of experiences and of successes and mistakes so as to optimize your own initiative is an asset for every professionnal.

The second caracteristic is specialization. Specialization in the field of sustainability. The parallel I often use is with engineering. You can’t just be an engineer, you have to be an engineer « of something ». It is very similar in the field of sustainability. For exemple, I know a lot of consultants in sustainability. When I think of them, I don’t see a global sustainability specialist, I see a specialist of HR and sustainability, of energy management, of GHG or a communication specialist who decided to make sustainable development an integral part of their practice

Myself, I believe in the Karma of networking. In the fact that you need to give to everyone around you. Firstly, you’ll be happy doing it, secondly, its possible that someday, it will come back to you.

My specialty is the integration of sustainability in business models through strategic planning and risk management.

So if you end up reading these words, do something good to help a collegue and integrate sustainability in your everyday work. If you don’t know how to do it, there are a lot of consultants who can help you, a lot of good universities giving courses on the subject. You can always try to reach me, I’m working on my Karma…