So, you might be asking, “How can sus-tainability principles build on these ideas and bring greater monetary gain?” There are many ways that two of the legs on our stool — people and the planet — are addressed in sustainability principles. Profiting From People Your management style and company cul-ture can be very effective in supporting a sustainable enterprise. The use of effective communication will make every employee feel more connected to the tasks at hand and will allow for effec-tive responses to customer needs. A positive culture can actually minimize employee turnover. Well-defined tasks and procedures, such as checklists for activities or manuals describing any necessary processes — in addition to cross-training for synergistic competency — will make for an effective team when challenges arise. Encouraging a healthy workforce can also maintain your business in a sustainable manner. A simple example of this is to encourage, or even provide, flu shots to all employees, staffs and other building occupants at your property. We all understand that humanity-focused sustainable principles can make your busi-ness more efficient, but many overlook the fact that they can also minimize costs and, therefore, lead to greater profitability. What would happen to your business if 20 percent of your workforce was sick with the flu, norovirus or some other ailment and could not work? A sustainability-oriented business can minimize inefficiencies — and the diminish-ing profits resulting from those inefficien-cies — by encouraging or providing influen-za immunizations, by cross-training people in multiple activities, by having procedures in place to address a workforce change and by being able to communicate effectively with coworkers and customers. Such measures can be implemented very cost effectively, with minimal expense and effort, and are basics to good business practices. If your company has a plan in place to address these possible situations, you will minimize the disruption to your business and that of your customers. In addition, you will retain customers, pro-vide confidence and value to your custom-ers and solidify the most important thing to any business: Relationships. By making sure that those relationships are healthy and that the people with whom you work can serve your customers under any circumstance, you create sustainability for your business. When all is said and done, you will mini-mize losses and, more importantly, gener-ate greater profit. Profiting From The Planet The planet is another important contributor to sustainability, and there are many factors of environmental sustainability beyond the products that are used to clean and their effects on the health of a population and the quality of the indoor air. For instance, energy conservation is criti-cal, both the energy to produce the prod-Product Information no. 215 on page 24 www.cmmonline.com 27
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