Nestle has embarked on a very ambitious plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It’s a massive goal for a company that will require the engagement of 500,000 farmers and 150,000 suppliers around the world.
By 2050 the current executive team along with many employees and farmers will have retired. How do you get engagement on a project for which you won’t experience the results?
CEO Mark Schneider ties the plan to the future of the company. Attitudes are changing when it comes to climate change and a responsible company owes it to the world to do what it can to care for our world. He is making the plan “a matter of honour” – doing what’s right for our children. He has cast a vision with hope for a healthier world.
That will be enough to motivate some, but not everyone. Therefore, hope is supplemented by help: If you want to maximize your bonus, then environmental work must be part of your work as evaluated in performance reviews.
What about heart – the connection of strategy and work to purpose and meaning? Sustainable sourcing and agriculture offer direct benefits to farming communities around the world with higher incomes. Nestle also believes customers will benefit from a higher quality product.
Two years ago, I introduced three ingredients required to motivate engagement in change: Help, Heart, and Hope.
If you would like to know how to integrate these into your strategy for increased engagement, give me a call.
