Keeping the Initiative Alive: Making the SOS Sustainable

• Author: William R. Blackburn
• Pages: 543-550

Chapter 16

Keeping the Initiative Alive: Making the SOS

Sustainable

“The future is not some place we aregoing to, but one we are creating.

The paths arenot to be found, but made, and the activity of making them

changes both the maker and the destination.”1

—John Schaar

Sustaining the SOS

We have all seen inspired efforts go awry in all kinds of organizations.

Plans are prepared but not executed. People promise to help, but later

move or become sidetracked with other activities. Resources dry up. The

excitement dims. Priorities shift. All these problems can plague an orga-

nization’scommitment to sustainability, too. The chances of this happen-

ing are particularly great where there is no well-established process to as-

sure ongoing follow-up.

An SOS is such a process. It provides a structure, a routine that people

can follow to stay on track. But an SOS is not a perpetual motion machine.

It is a dynamic system, a living machine that requires fuels—in this case,

human involvement and resources. Follow-up is needed to ensure that

these fuels are adequate and that the system is functioning properly to de-

liver the desired results. This follow-up, like the SOS itself, should be

carefully planned. Here are some things that should be considered:

Anticipate the Future Internally and Externally

Sustainability leaders and advocates must keep an eye on the road

ahead to anticipate and adjust for dips, turns, and other hazards. Are

company sales and profits down? If so, the sustainability leader must

anticipate working with fewer resources and find ways to emphasize

sustainability projects which help the organization address its prob-

lems. Is a new CEO or board chairman coming on board? If that’s the

case, a sustainability initiative geared to her priorities should be brought

forward. Executives who seem to have her ear should be assessed as po-

tential allies for furthering the cause. Is the organization planning a big

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