Net Impact Boston

Ready for Impact

It’s that time of year again; students – fresh-eyed, anxious, and idealistic arriving in a new place for their first year of college. The world is their oyster. Opportunity is everywhere. Where will they make their mark? What will be their lasting legacy, their impact on society?

Except for the college part, this is how I feel most days too. I think a lot of sustainability professionals do. I conducted an eco-efficiency site assessment this week and a colleague said to me after just an hour, “I’ve never seen so many things so differently before.” I look at the global commitments my company has made to sustainability and I wonder simultaneously whether we have stretched too far or not far enough. I wake up every morning and go to work, convinced there are better ways to do things and that the collective capacity of a creative class can achieve the craziest of ideas. For me, the universe is the oyster, our planet its pearl, and we have a shared opportunity to make the most of a very rare gem.

But college is more than casually tossing a Frisbee around on the quad. It comes with its share of investment, responsibility, and late nights. So too, does our job. The saving grace is all the other fresh-eyed, anxious idealists surrounding us and nowhere do I feel this more than in the presence of fellow Net Impacters.

This is why September isn’t just for students anymore; it’s for professionals. This month we are looking forward to welcoming many of you to Boston as new members and to seeing everyone at two of the largest, most anticipated events of the year – speed networking and Jeffrey Hollender at Brandeis. All of these activities promise you will meet someone new and learn something you never imagined – a little like college, right? So read on for inspiration and the details of the opportunities September holds for you.

Kind regards,
Holly

Nudge

In a rare window of free time, I recently found myself indulging in one of my favorite things – non-fiction. Anyone who has talked to me in the last couple of weeks is likely tired of hearing me cite Nudge (Thaler and Sunstein), so what better idea than to share it with my fellow Net Impacters.

Nudge examines the design of decision-making and suggests that there are better ways to structure choice architecture to give people an increased chance to choose more wisely. This could be as simple as setting a better default. Car industry anyone? Another and not so surprisingly way to nudge someone is to inform them about what others are doing. Yes indeed; it turns out peer pressure works rather effectively off the playground as well and in a very positive direction. Imagine being asked to trade in your SUV for a Prius. If 9 out of 10 people drove a Prius, might you wonder what you were missing? The human instinct is to conform, whether we fancy ourselves pioneers or not.

The book covers many different areas of life, including the global call to action to stem or to reverse human impact on the planet. The question asked is, why are so many people AND governments still not listening or acting? Where are there opportunities to improve individuals’ chances of making a better choice, either by making all choices “good” choices or by offering some insight or trend about what others are doing? Some progress is being made, but I bet each of us could identify several opportunities to manifest change in both our personal and professional lives by borrowing from the pool of nudges (nudges.org).

So, I am inviting you to consider what influences your decisions and how you influence others in the sustainability and CSR space. What do you keep saying you “should” do, but haven’t gotten around to it yet (eg. biking to work, joining a CSA, upgrading to energy star). Think about becoming a lifetime member of Net Impact, committing to attend the next event, getting to know another Net Impact member and telling someone new about Net Impact. If history and behavioral science hold true, you will see a positive difference in yourself and in others.

Be well and be sure to nudge someone this month (including yourself)!

Kind regards,
Holly