How do you deliver sustainability to the world's largest corporation?
A Corporation in Transition: Bringing the Change Home
When Wal-Mart approached Act Now in the spring of 2006, the company was still in the early stages of a profound transformation towards becoming a world leader in sustainability. Already publicly committed to broad goals in the environmental arena— to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain natural resources and the environment—Wal-Mart senior management sought to find a way to drive sustainability throughout the organization and leverage the collective strength, passion, and wisdom of its 1.3 million U.S. Associates.
Wal-Mart management also sought to improve overall engagement amongst the Associates, further support the Company’s goals of improving the quality of life for their Associates, and make a positive difference in local communities from Vermont to Alaska.
A Vehicle for Values: The Personal Sustainability Project, the Largest Grassroots Undertaking in Corporate History
Act Now designed and deployed the Personal Sustainability Project as a vehicle for educating, inspiring, and empowering the people of Wal-Mart around “sustainability” – a 14 letter, 6 syllable world that is difficult to grasp by any measure – in a way that was personal, fun, and easy to digest.
The Concept:
Through the Personal Sustainability Project , Act Now pulls the concept of “sustainability” out of its more traditional environmentally-focused framework, and makes it about the individual. Each person can make one small change, a personal sustainability practice (“PSP”), that supports their highest interest and makes them happy (happiness is key here). A PSP practice can be physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual, as long as it ties directly to the community and to the planet. Whether the PSP is eating healthier and consuming fewer packaged foods, exercising and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by biking to work rather than driving, conserving water at home, or volunteering with local schools to improve the natural environs, anything that makes the Associate happy and is good for the environment can work as a PSP. Together, the collective population of Wal-Mart Associates are able to engage in a higher sense of purpose and play an active role in sustaining our planet’s resources now and for generations to come.
The Approach – “By Associates, For Associates”
The framework for deploying such an immense HR program incorporated a train-the-trainer model launched through a series of one-day Sustainability Retreats led by Act Now Field Trainers. All Wal-Mart Market Managers, Store Managers, and hourly Associate representatives attended, then returned to their respective stores and markets to educate and train other Associates on sustainability and core components of PSP. Act Now also provided project support via conference calls, emails, and communication tools from in-store signage and buttons to a full custom magazine (“If” magazine) featuring Wal-Mart Associates and sustainability content. In addition, a computer based tracking system measured Associate uptake of PSP and collective Associate successes around in-store sustainability initiatives.
In order to customize its proprietary PSP program for Wal-Mart, Act Now conducted a series of pilots and focus groups to gain a thorough understanding of the needs, aspirations, challenges, and communication preferences of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club Associates. As a result of Act Now’s ongoing collaboration with a core group of pilot Associates, PSP was truly defined as being “by Associates, for Associates” – a key reason why it has been so successful and continues to grow and expand.
The Defining Difference: Grassroots and “Bottom-Up”
Unlike traditional top-down HR programs, PSP is grassroots and “bottom-up,” allowing participants to make the decisions relating to the implementation of PSP in their stores. Associate “Captains” train and orient fellow Associates, choose which sustainable practices to undertake, and brainstorm how best to engage their local communities. In this regard, PSP departs from typical “check-the-box” programs and allows for a much greater degree of flexibility and freedom when it comes to addressing the needs of individual Associates and the local communities, while aligning with corporate objectives.
"PSP is one of the most exciting Associate engagement initiatives I have ever had the chance to implement at Wal-Mart. This grassroots program has unleashed a connection and a spirit within our total Associate population that reinforces the desire within all of us to make a difference in our world. PSP has proven to us that ordinary people can and will support environmental sustainability in an extraordinary way!
I am a proud advocate and sponsor of PSP."
—Celia Swanson, Senior Vice-President, Change Management
The Results: Real, Positive and Permanent Change Comes from the Inside Out
In addition to delivering sustainability education, motivation and empowerment to 1.3 million Wal-Mart Associates, PSP has proven itself to be a highly effective tool for:
- Distributed problem solving
- Organizational integration
- Internal capacity building
- Communication channel development, and
- Leadership skills building
Some noteworthy accomplishments of the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club Associates are:
- lost more than 60 tons of weight;
- walked/biked/swam more than 380,000 miles
- created over 16,000 “Idea Groups” to support one another around Personal Sustainability; and
- quit or reduced smoking, with more than 10,000 Associates to date making a healthier change!
- Recycled more than 5 million pounds of aluminum, plastic, and paper
Associates across the U.S. are eager to take PSP to the next level, ready to “pass it on”, to their customers and community, and feel proud to work for an organization that is committed to sustainability.