“A Myriad of Valuable Lessons from the Impeccable Artistry and Passionate Life of Majora Carter”

A modern-day bedtime tale for our children and a history-making performance is currently being written and illustrated by the passionate life of Majora Carter.

(For clarification on this entry, read my intro post to Majora Carter which includes helpful terminology and reference links: Pleasantries: Get Familiar with Majora Carter)

“The 20 Most Influential Women in Green” from Eco-Salon

The Knowledge of Good and Evil

A powerful story begins in the perceivably unlikeliest of places, at least where strength is concerned. In the state of New York, a South Bronx neighborhood known as Hunts Point was first in line for the placement of a new waste treatment facility. The South Bronx in general was looked down upon as a hostile place to live, and the perceptions associated with it were increasingly precarious. Hunts Point itself was a neighborhood that experienced a dramatic decline in its population due to ‘white flight’ to the more affluent New York suburbs.  With the advent of that demographic shift, light manufacturing jobs were also removed, along with proper government funding for education, health and employment. In the place of prosperous investments, Hunts Point was saddled with toxic waste. People continued to become sick as a result of the air they breathed. Statistics of crime and incarceration remained disproportionate to favorable education systems and career opportunities there. In addition to this, an even more devaluing measure such as a municipal waste plant was considered a fair exchange for the people of Hunts Point and the land they lived on.

The South Bronx as a whole had suffered the brunt of segregation and mounting disinterest, so what would it matter to the Hunts Point residents to establish yet another waste facility near their homes and where the children played? Now the interesting part of this true story is what the state government not only overlooked, but failed tremendously to anticipate in the year of 1998.

Hunts Point, South Bronx. Image via Majora Carter Group

Surely no one living there would notice the obvious imbalance of trees per acre to municipal treatments sites, brown-fields and razed buildings on nearly every block. More importantly, it was presumed that even if the residents of Hunts Point were unhappy about this decision, no one had the guts, or even the strength to stand up to this challenge. They simply would have no knowledge of the good that could come from their neighborhood rather than the impending evil an additional toxic dump would have on their quality of life. But little did big government know that a visionary resided in that neighborhood. And she was a quiet storm.

Meanwhile, as plans became perfected to place this waste system in the neighborhood, the environmental advocate woke up each morning in the South Bronx and laid her head to rest there each night. When the state government finally unveiled the plans for the strategic location of the waste site, something out of the ordinary happened. At the mention of this planned waste facility, the ears of the visionary heard. A seemingly lone soul that retained the knowledge of good and evil in this scenario had decided that Hunts Point had experienced enough divestment. The individual knew that Hunts Point did not have to get worse.

Fortunately, the circumstances that in a real sense, forced her to move back home with her parents, a move she imagined as a small defeat, was a move that equally put her in harm’s way and in a historic position. And so she began to create her very own strategy for diverting the new waste facility. Harnessing the knowledge of evil that the plant would wield on her neighborhood’s already economically degraded community and impoverished landscapes, she put her knowledge of the salubrious good that the natural environment has on people’s minds and hearts, plus the benefits to a local economy, to use. The knowledge of good she possessed was leveraged mightily in the form of a community-based campaign to strike down that detrimental decision made for people where she lived: her neighbors, her friends and family; herself. In the end of the first chapter of the passionate life of Majora Carter, the audacity of harm was trumped by the peculiar audacity of hope.

The Miseducation of Majora Carter

Before the first pages were written of the heroic actions she was destined to fulfill in the South Bronx, education was how Majora Carter planned her getaway. Promising herself she would not return, Majora attained a higher education she deemed would free her from the possibility of living in a place like the old Hunts Point. But the very thing that allowed her to escape, forced her to return. The series of unfortunate events surrounding Majora’s community, the story of her family and finally the realization that she had to come to terms with it all again, turned out instead to yield a greater fortune than she could have ever imagined. The miseducation she had once received of the lack of opportunities in the South Bronx was auspiciously overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of urgency to realize potential in the face of adversity.

Majora reminds us through this story of the miseducation of ourselves and our miseducation of how we perceive others and our own communities. On a personal level, our knowledge of good and evil is informed through how we observe our surroundings, and through understanding that those who have greatest influence on our lives and destinies are in fact, ourselves. 

Majora’s example shed light on the possibility of a better ending. Once deemed as faceless, voiceless, and unknown characters in a tragic tale, when the smoke cleared, the silhouettes were striking against a once forlorn backdrop. A retrofitted picture was then painted with Majora the protagonist, holding the brush, adding brightly intense colors to green the ghetto, and still incorporating dynamic illustrations of faces, of distinct communities with their own chapters to be added to a story that has not yet reached its conclusion.

 A Rose in a Concrete World

Hunts Point Riverside Park, the first park along the waterfront in the Bronx in 60 years. The founding of Sustainable South Bronx, a non-profit that equips local residents with communal incentives. The development and implementation of BEST, a green-collar training and job placement program; think landscaping, green roof installation, Brownfield remediation. The founding of the for-profit consulting agency and planning firm, the Majora Carter Group, LLC. National public radio host for the Peabody Award winning program, the Promised Land. A speaker for the world-renowned TED conferences. The recipient of a MacArthur ‘Genius’ grant in 2005.

Hunts Point Riverside Park. Image via The New York Times

All of these accomplishments? Majora has done them. The Wesleyan University graduate who continued on to earn a Masters degree in Fine Arts from NYU creates daily works of breathing, living and growing art. Whether it be a singular installment such as a green roof, or a tapestry of neighborhood connections through bike and pedestrian trails, a masterpiece of healthy local communities rooted in economic vitality is the artistry of Majora Carter. But the vivacity and energy she possesses allows her to do more.

Next on her itinerary is launching a nationally recognized brand that relates to the consumer the guarantee they are buying the most freshest of local food. Majora recognizes that, “by establishing a nationally recognized brand platform that immediately signifies local economic prosperity and high quality, we can drive more investment into local food systems. That means building more indoor, year-round hydroponic growing space, which in turn reduces blight, draws people back into declining urban areas, and inspires hope for those who have very little now.”

Still, the accolades that have been attributed to Majora cannot begin to describe what she has achieved for others on a psychological level. In addition, what they themselves have achieved in their own lives on a spiritually edifying level because of the passionate life she lives, could not be immediately determined.

Because how do you accurately categorize the accomplishment of helping one man never again return to prison when he was, by popular opinion, supposed to? How can one place a value on the experience of a child who will not suffer from asthma or diabetes? How does one gauge a new interest in ecological preservation from those who were never afforded the chance to witness firsthand the complex beauty of nature? And what about the countless individuals who have become the supporting force of her vision? A generational legacy in the making is hers to claim.

One Sun Gives Life to All

Heat, energy, light and life in general: like the sun that sustains every aspect of our existence and comfort, so are other essential and natural things, ours to have and share. Like clean air. The health and safety of our own children in our neighborhoods and in the place we call home. Majora reminds us that we are supposed to have these things, and in abundance. It is not only for the wealthy or the privileged, but for each income bracket.

There is no skin-color requirement, nor socioeconomic pre-requisites or standardized tests you have to pass to be afforded what you rightfully deserve: atmospheric natural beauty to envelope you, the access to healthy food, unpolluted air, and a neighborhood that you can feel proud to call home. This in essence, is environmental equality, Majora’s greatest mission and aim:

“No community should have to face more environmental burdens than any other. Period. We have to strive for equality in all aspects of life, but the environment is chief because it affects everything—how we breathe, what we eat and how we move through our communities and our lives.”

An excerpt from the interview with Majora Carter titled, With Liberty and Environmental Justice For All by  Natural Home and Garden

Through the campaign that brought down the municipal waste plant that was planned for the South Bronx, Majora teaches us that if we do not understand the enormous value of our own lives, our own health and our own happiness, we become steady targets for harmful decisions carried out time and again by lawmakers. So like Majora, we work to become informed of decisions made for where we live, educate ourselves on our basic human rights and work smarter against measures that aim to deplete and devalue our living environments. Her actions have spoken just as loud as her words through her ability to use activism as a genuine tool for social, environmental and economic progress.

Nothing, If Not Authentic

Activism. What comes to mind when I hear that word? Cut-off jeans with frayed edges. Ivory skin. Picket lines formed by participants waving signs smeared with deep red ink. You know, the stereotypical tried and true, all-American red, white and blue. None of these things are wrong, and equally important, they do exist in the realm of activism.

But what Majora has done with the word [activism] is nothing short of awe-inspiring. She has reenergized it and skillfully injected within its definition, the artful beauty of knowledge-based regenerative problem-solving. Undoubtedly, she is one of activisms’ authenticator’s.

Through the magnificent accomplishments she has swiftly pioneered, Majora shows us that activism must be purposeful and directed; it must be a catalyst of fresh innovation and ever expanding and blossoming ideas bridled with the renewable energy of informative strength. Kaleidoscopic at best, Majora illustrates that the greatest results come from demonstrations of activism with the community at its helm. She shows us that a community that is informed and educated and skilled in not simply higher education, but also trade skills, common knowledge and with avenues open for ongoing training is where real solutions are found. Her activism seeks out preventative measures before a new crisis erupts. Her activism is academic and artful, it is grass root and top-down, and it is ongoing and ever-improving the lives and economic vitality of the communities she serves. Real activism is pressing towards a just cause & utilizing all resources vital to that cause: the people, the planet and even the profit. For Majora, activism is nothing, if not authentic. 

Majora Carter Group image via Allblackwoman.com

Reconsider Your Position

After engaging in conversation in a coffee shop one morning with a young man I am forever indebted to, he mentioned he learned of a unique woman, a Black urban planner by way of a TEDTalks clip on YouTube. I was caught off guard at the mention of these simple descriptors: black, female, urban planning, TEDTalks. She must have done something really cool, I imagined happily. After rummaging through his web history, he finally pulled up a link with her name for me: Majora Carter. I scribbled it down on the back of used receipt paper. Days later, I could say I had learned a great deal about the inspiring life of Majora Carter.

She is an environmental justice advocate and activist. She strongly believes in the power of education to change all things, from how we see ourselves to how we see the natural environment we all share. Because she believes in the pride one feels when they can work with their hands and hearts to create something good for their local area, she puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to neighborhood revitalization, and encourages all stakeholders to do the same. She and I share the perspective that a higher GDP does not have to include a degraded environment and population. With her first organization SSBx, her activism did not settle on only reacting to problems, but also included taking existing problems and creating solutions that are innovative and designed in order to be flexible for future benefit.

But the single greatest lesson I’ve learned and grasped and now hold tightly to from Majora Carter, is to reconsider your position: where do you live and what is bringing down the quality of life there? Utilize the resources you have in your midst and expand on them: the families in your apartment complex or residential street. The public library. The people in your school. The place of worship you visit. The local, national and global news stories. The social and educational events that are free to the public that take place in a number of areas inside and outside of your immediate community. Your own imagination.

These, Majora shows me, are all resources. I have learned the greatest lesson from Majora is to be the change you want to see. It is to look closely at your city and your neighborhood, shoot even your block, examine the problems there, and then re-imagine it all. Begin to teach yourself and others around you and start on the extraordinary quest of turning it all into something beautiful, healthful and stronger than it was before. Because Majora believes…“You don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one.”

“Helping people and groups understand that when we value all people, the value of all people rises. Environmental problems may seem impossible to solve, but when we accept the challenges of equality, economic opportunity and the environment, we uncover the keys to more powerful solutions for all of our issues. When we can do that, we will experience real peace with ourselves and our planet.”

An excerpt from the interview with Majora Carter titled, With Liberty and Environmental Justice For All by  Natural Home and Garden

More of Majora

Visit her site: Majora Carter Group, LLC
Follow her on Twitter: @MajoraCarter
She was in Minneapolis, my hometown and spoke at my alma mater: Majora speaks at ‘Momentum’
Soundtrack to this blog post: “All I Can Become”

It’s a good book: “The Green Workplace,” by Leigh Stringer.

Lots of natural light. Looks like a home office, too. Now that's the sign of a greener workplace.

MAKING THE CASE

My big bro would always tell me something growing up, every time I found a particular task difficult: “Work smarter, not harder.” Those words are just a small but critical element of the way to go green in the workplace.

Take a close look at the companies around you that are green. Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), Texas Instruments, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) are but a few examples of companies and corporations that have incorporated sustainable strategies into achieving their bottom line. According to Leigh Stringer, vice president of HOK and author of The Green Workplace, they have created value in a variety of categories: their ability to recruit and retain top talent (hello Tampa, FL), attract more ecologically-conscious and future-oriented consumers, improved public relations, reduced operational and real-estate costs and enjoy increased productivity. These are powerful accomplishments to consider. Now imagine your company and specifically your work environment; can it claim to have achieved these accomplishments?

The underlying goal is to maximize long-term return on investments. Because of the current economic crisis, companies are undergoing dramatic overhauls in all aspects of their business plan. Stringer attests that giving attention to greening the workplace will be critical for a company’s bottom line. So real motives for going green in the workplace arise from the need to increase market value and share price performance/growth.

But not only that, Stringer states that along with a host of factors causing employers to reconsider the way the workplace functions (i.e. climate change, increased populations, advanced technology, generational differences in knowledge and financial necessity), the strongest driving forces for more sustainable business practices stem from two major sources: 1) the global financial crisis and 2) instability in the marketplace. When you consider the obvious, to produce a good or service, you need raw materials, synthetic and ever increasingly, technological resources. You also rely on energy to produce the good/service, transportation systems to transport the good/service, advertising and marketing for the good/service and thus a steady supply for the demand. The easy solution to all of the increase is to minimize.

One of the ways to minimize is by reevaluating the space (read: land and real estate) that a company utilizes for increased productivity and growth. Stringer hints early on in the book, that the workplace is now transcending the confines of what a traditional, subdivided office looks like, to resembling more and more an alternative workplace, or even a cáfe, an airport, and your own living room or home office; in essence, where technology is readily available and accessible.

From a purely environmental standpoint, along with transportation, buildings are the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions. Looking for greener ways to build then not only becomes a viable option, it is necessary to cut back on overall resources and energy expenses. (For more information on green building, check out LEED).

 “In the future, we will be an idea-based culture and all menial tasks we now perform in offices will be taken care of virtually. We’ll have really smart people leading the world and social structures stemming from ideas – people will be able to work any place they want. It’s the ideas that are the most important thing in keeping the world together as it grows and changes and there are more urgent problems to solve.”

-Bill Valentine, Chairman of HOK.

One of the best bits of information about the book is the emphasis on the future workplace. Green thinking will be mainstream. Regulations will become the norm for your business practices. Local investment will be emphasized. Better space utilization. It is an alternative work environment where closed off-cubicles and far-removed offices become non-existent. The need for purchasing bigger real estate based on square footage per worker, is sliced in half when the workplace becomes ever more communal. Think about the future, because the future is now.

Saving planet earth could not be more intriguing.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

Stringer states, “where resources are being spent is where opportunities for savings can be found.” So here are a few steps towards beginning and/or continuing the workplace greening process:

1. Recycle! Develop a greener waste management plan for your organization, office, and even your home.
2. Emphasize on local investment and utilize local businesses for office resources such as supplies, products, food.
3. To add a really unique, edgy and green feel to your office design, buy used and recycled office furnishings.
4. Reduce air travel by compensating through alternative communication means, i.e. teleconference or video conference call.
5. Provide green transportation incentives for employees.
6. Leverage new technology in traditional communication and work performance: use electronic media channels to distribute information rather than paper.
7. For the protection and safety of janitorial employees, minimize their health risks by purchasing green cleaning products and eliminate toxic chemicals in the workplace.
8. Have a solid communication plan i.e. bi-weekly staff meetings, a buddy system, signage for employees and patrons.
9. Choose green vendors and buy supplies from companies invested in sustainability as well.
10. Speed of change efforts; delivering initiatives without delay is vital. No dragging of feet required in the efforts for your office, building, and company to go green.
11. Measuring new sustainable initiatives is key  before implementing them:
    • Water and energy usage
    • Air quality
    • Reviewing invoices
    • Materials used inspections
    • Examine the corporate policies regarding the environment.

These are but a few instruments of change you can utilize in your workplace. Encouraging green behavior (Chapter 5) was a chapter that hit home. I can attest to this in my old workplace. How do you get people to go green? Determining each level of commitment is critical in order to better understand where to fine tune this communication. To find out more information on creating a green strategy for your company, your building, your office and even your home, The Green Workplace is a tremendous resource for this information. But don’t take my word for it!

Wards Cove Marina Warehouse Office Designed By Atelierjones. A sustainable office is an office that reduces, reuses and recycles. A warehouse recreated into an office cuts back on sprawl, utilizes existing real estate, and positions itself in a locale that is special and interesting. The long-term savings and benefits are the largest factor. Research terms like 'urban infill' and 'mixed use buildings' to understand the benefits of converting old spaces to look and feel brand new.

MY THOUGHTS

The books main selling point is that it is a solid resource for sustainability newbies. Here you are exposed to the vocabulary and the fundamental concepts of what a green workplace looks like and how it functions. I think it’s a great resource for fresh entrepreneurs and organizations starting from the ground up. The simple fact is that if the whole point of the product or service you provide is for the benefit of the consumer, in this day and age, the consumer is attracted to a company with a social and ecologically-beneficial objective, specifically the younger, recently educated and working young professional. They are looking to buy from and work for an economic entity with sustainability at its helm and goodwill at its core.

Yet a green company does not end there. The workplace is the driving force of expanding ideas and creativity, and these elements can only be nurtured in an accommodating and productive work environment.

Stringer does not allude to, but rather clearly emphasizes that the next economic shift in the workplace of the future (Chapter 11) will be to a society of ideas. The shift, many believe, will be centered on an economy of creativity and new ideas. So imagine the workplace no longer housing multiple cubicles and separate offices, but a more fitting theater-style, virtual environment. Fahrenheit 911, anyone?

But I am relieved that she recognized that the future of the workplace will still be contingent on human-to-human relationships; face-to-face and in the flesh interaction will not fade in the background.

Therefore I myself sense, from what I gathered from the book, that greening the workplace has the capacity to develop or create enhanced colleague interaction at all levels. And so if this purposeful and synergistic interaction was lacking before, it has the ability to increase when you introduce sustainability efforts. And now your specific work environment is set to reach its full economic potential.

Stringer suggests setting up mediums for feedback when these efforts go into action, in the form of evaluations and even blogs. This touches on a very important subject for me; the value of each and every single individual employee contributes to the overall function of a green workplace. When you consider a company that does not value all employees, the employees feel it, and productivity will never reach its full potential. A work environment where each employee level is considered an integral factor in the move toward sustainability opens up discussions, avenues of help and a desire to work as one body with many important parts.

With a focus on greening a workplace inherently through teamwork, there should not be a desire of keeping up with the Jones’; instead a healthy competition should take place, where innovative ideas and a healthful competitive edge is the difference, compared to a competition that leaves employees unsatisfied and traditional methods of accumulating profit continues on unchallenged. Bottom line, think of it this way: green equals growth.

Useful terminology & concepts:

Renewable Energy Sources: sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal heat
SOV: single occupancy vehicle
EPA: environmental protection agency
MSW: municipal solid waste; the most common waste; comprised of everyday items
TDM: transportation demand management strategies may be encouraged and developed by providing incentives for alternate modes of transportation which include bicycling, mass transit, hybrid cars, car pooling, car share services, and walking
CSR: corporate social responsibility
The ‘Triple Bottom Line’: People, planet and profit.
Ecological footprint: the ever-increasing depletion of natural resources by humans and the measure of human demand on the earth’s ecosystems.
Greenhouse gas emissions: These emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are burned for four main purposes: 1) to create electricity, 2) industrial, commercial and residential usage for heat, 3)to power transportation and, 4)agriculture and other miscellaneous activities. 

Ideas and resources

Ecowise-Solutions
How to Go Green at Work
The Best Green Offices (Inc. Magazine)
Green Office Furniture

My Favorite Place to Work.

"Happy Monday!" sounds so much better when you mean it. The London branch of global architecture firm, HOK Photo via Inc. Magazine.

Many people have vivid dreams of becoming their own boss one day. Even if it comes down to a side-hustle, I think everyone should have one. But what I truly feel sets apart one business from another, is the influence from the top-down.

My experiences in the workforce are far from singular: I am a college graduate in a post-war economy, working to make ends meet, and striving to collect and polish skills. And my experiences are far from over. I want to be the lady who wears many hats; a hard-hat one day, or a kenté cloth-hat the next. But one constant variable remains threaded into my experiences: when the going gets tough…well, the tough finds within herself an entrepreneurial spirit.

I claim not to be an expert on analyzing work environments. I simply have made plenty of observations that have informed my perspective on workplace productivity. The observations I’ve collected so far have allowed me to promise myself this: when it comes time to ultimately hold the reins, with the resilience, flexibility and forwardness akin to a woman of prestige, I am committed to holding-fast to integrity in all things concerning people, planet and profit. When it comes to people, I’m interested in relaying to them that they are deeply understood. So! I dreamed up my own set of future objectives titled, ‘The Ideal Business Strategies’. Some of these strategies you can read with a grain of salt. But I find all of them ideal for my favorite place to work.

The ‘Ideal Business Strategies’ element comes from a deep place…that place is my imagination of what my dream job would look like, feel like and even taste like. I want to work with other companies that are indexed as the best places to work…in the entire universe. Can we do it? Yes we can.

Ideal strategy No. 1: The hiring process must come close to perfection.

Hiring people should be based on not only their merits, but their compatibility with managers and with colleagues. It is important to keep in mind that you are hiring a cohesive team, not just random players to fill in critical positions. The hiring process brings into focus the mission statement. Since we are a green company, invested in sustainability in all aspects of how the company functions, this is made crystal clear to those seeking employment. Are they on that level of green awareness, or are they eager to learn more? This is important. Additionally, I want to hire creative, funny, hardworking, dedicated and above all, honest people. It’s like picking a dream team player; we find a person that has qualities we admire, and bring them aboard.

Ideal strategy No. 2: Creating the application will reflect who management is.

In addition to it encouraging critical thinking, let’s make it fun. That way, we can weed out people who have a good sense of humor and hire them immediately. No cynicism required. But the application itself (not just the process) should be really unique and engaging. I can co-sign with the inclusion of those 77 question-questionnaires that ask detailed inquiries. Yet I want our questions to have substance. Case-scenarios are always good.

Think about it: general questions such as, “why do you want to work here?” can take a creative applicant hours to put their thoughts down on that. Plus, it’s so broad that you can leave so much out. Instead, creating a question tailored to the uniqueness of the company is…well, ideal. When a question is posed like this: “what is one thing that stands out to you about this company and how could you contribute to that thing/factor?”, then that creative applicant is able to fine-tune their thought-process on their perspective of your company while simultaneously zeroing-in on their most valuable skills. It’s a win-win situation when it comes to searching through endless applications.

Ideal strategy No. 3: Have an extremely interactive workplace environment.

We don’t thrive well in a hum-drum work environment, where the highlight of the day is the lunch break or better yet, clocking out. So how do we resolve the boring, uneventful work environment?

• We always have music in the office. When I was apartment-hunting in downtown Minneapolis a year ago, I remember walking into a modern underground, almost cabin-feely leasing office where the music…oh man the music encompassed me from all directions. And it wasn’t just any music. It was beautiful music. And that’s when I knew that my favorite place to work would always feel like this.
• Give people options to work from home.
• Monthly interactive presentations (read: staff meetings) that include food and music are mandatory. This place should feel like a community. And a strong community engages in healthy and productive discussion and builds upon a real sense of familiarity and comfort with colleagues.
• Field trips, fieldwork and excursions will be in the job description.

Ideal strategy No. 4: Show appreciation of good work by giving acknowledgement. 

Acknowledgement is the most important thing to give a good worker. It boosts morale, which in essence creates an efficient work environment and internal desire to do more than what is expected. I remember once working in a position where the manager never showed a smidgen of gratitude to good work. It was simply business as usual. I would see a few co-workers go above and beyond their job description for the good of the customer, but at the end of the day when it came to management, it was a thankless job. Sure there were employee lunches scattered around the calendar, but how amazing does it feel to have your boss come up to you and say, “I just wanted to let you know you did a great job yesterday. One customer was very happy with the way you handled their concerns. Keep it up.”

Conversely, I worked at an amazing place, HECUA in Minnesota to be exact, where acknowledgement was the rule of thumb. Come to think of it, many of the strategies I will list are because of HECUA’s  influence. That work environment inspired everyone on board to do better than they ever had before. And when it comes to social justice (which is HECUA’s platform and objective), every extra step counts. To me at least, the feeling of appreciation is the best feeling in the world. It let’s you know that one thing you did to really convey the company’s vision and good reputation was recognized.

Raises and promotions are always good, yet there are countless other ways to show appreciation and not just by words alone, but by action:

• Verbally give the worker sincere praise. 
• Creating a specialized work description that incorporates the great quality that worker possesses. Say for instance, you’ve caught on to the fact that  a specific employee has impeccable organizational and artistic traits. Why not utilize their talents? Let them revamp the office paper files artistically, give creative input to the web design team, or invite ideas from him/her on what should be improved aesthetically and organizationally around the office.
• Solicit ideas on how to make the workday even more efficient. Have the worker write-up their ideas in essay format, give presentations to management, and then actually work to customize and implement at least one plan this worker has devised. This shows that you carefully consider their ideas instead of merely humoring them.

Ideal strategy No. 5: Job descriptions updated regularly.

Revise them, write them up, print them and hand them out (or email it if your paper is not 100% recycled). The job descriptions could even be collated in an annual office newsletter! I believe this can only help, and never hinder. I recall working in an office where I would constantly ask of who is responsible for handling what, because it was never made explicit. By far, that was the most difficult and frustrating work experience. When employees are aware of not only their responsibilities, but everyone elses’, their place in the entire scheme becomes more vibrant, easily recognizable and fends away any type of conflicts of interest. Their updated job description then becomes a part of their everyday function in the workplace.

Ideal strategy No. 6: Regularly scheduled staff meetings.

I just want to take a moment to reinforce this yet again. Based on the jobs I’ve had and particularly reflecting on the ones I’ve hated (excuse my French), there was definitely a gap in meaningful and purposeful and timely communication. Especially for a small office, this should never be neglected simply because of the scale. In fact, it should be encouraged all the more.

Ideal strategy No. 7: Encourage realistic goals.

Was Rome built in a day? No, not really. Actually, to bring it even closer home, was the Apple empire built in a year? No company has probably ever hit the ground running immediately. But that doesn’t mean that once unimaginable greatness has never been achieved. Realistic to me brings to mind the sky as the only limit. Working towards our dreams has never felt more possible than in this day and age, even in the times we live in now. Our sense of realism today, defied the odds of yesterday just a moment ago. That’s just how fast things are moving. Continue to see yourself as limitless and your employees will reflect that thinking too! 

If you were in charge, what are a few ideal strategies you’d incorporate in the way your company functions? I’d enjoy hearing them!

Inspire the Environment.

…I made the promise today, to be
all I can become.

Inspire the Environment: it's my movement.

Sometimes your environment inspires you. Other times,
you inspire your environment…

Stay tuned.

The Greener Side of Networking.

'Mangroves' in South Tampa. Source: Blue Lane Studios

There’s a bad side and a good side to today’s job market. The bad? Obviously the supply of jobs are increasingly disproportionate to the demand. The good? Actually the good is great. A slew of everyday people are meta morphing into creative and ecologically-conscious company leaders & entrepreneurs. The ‘new green professional’ is utilizing their personal talents + knowledge when it comes to creating new opportunities for themselves and others. In spite of the current crises this country is facing when it comes to employment, new green technology, innovations, and overall interest is spiking in this niche.

If you take more than a glance at the city of Tampa, you’ll almost miss a small, yet undeniably vibrant community that is working towards green initiatives in many professional outlets. So where do you find these people? Social networking events may be a useful way to seek out and build connections you search for.

I attended one ‘Green Drinks’ networking event, hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter at the Mangroves restaurant in South Tampa. Attendees ranged from professionals working in a variety of sectors (government, education, publications, and health and beauty) to students, to the job-seeker.

Overall, it felt great to be in the midst of other people working towards sustainable goals, not only in their personal lives, but their professional careers as well. The workplace, be it a news magazine publication office or salon, or the classroom, all served as fair game for incorporating sustainable practices (i.e. recycling projects, green building plans) and provided opportunities for going green in Tampa.

Though I found the event useful, social networking events may not immediately come to mind as the most comfortable situation to put yourself in. I personally had to take a pre-crash course in networking guidelines I found by way of Penelope Trunk‘s hilarious and very insightful blog posts. But as uncomfortable as these events may be to some people, there are major benefits to attending them.

For one, when you are passionate about what the event is centered around, you are in your element. Green initiatives in city planning and urban design in Tampa is what I can connect with. These initiatives are desperately needed here and across the nation. There’s job creation and resourceful expansion in the DNA of these initiatives. The people at the event that night understood this, and so did I.

So networking events are honestly sometimes the best way to get in contact with like-minded people. The best thing about this event was based on the variety it encouraged. The meeting of the minds across disciplines, all housed under one theme (green) exemplified a very idealistic yet realistic shift.

Above all, if you aren’t a networking superstar, at least events such as these are a great way to gain experience in that realm. Of course everything takes a little practice.

Take me: I absolutely had my ‘awkward girl moment’ when I found myself in the middle of the room…by myself. Though it felt like a miniature eternity, I learned through the experience that you literally have to start somewhere.

Pretty soon, I found it easier as the night went along to approach people. Some tips that I read from the Penelope Trunk Blog came in pretty handy that night, plus other tidbits I learned on my own that I can touch on involved:

1. Asking questions. People like to talk about themselves. What’s more, job-secure people in this economy are the greatest examples of this. So listen, be interested, and ask more questions. If you aren’t totally relaxed when it comes to sharing information on your current professional situation, asking pointed questions allows you to learn a lot about the person standing in front of you.
2. Quality > quantity.  After I realized I was talking to only one person for the majority of the night, I started mentally reprimanding myself for not being more sociable. But then I remembered Penelope’s advice on how creating one meaningful relationship is much more purposeful than creating a dozen empty ones. Making endless rounds throughout the room and trying to introduce yourself to anyone and everyone can seem exhausting to even the most gregarious extrovert. Maybe you meet one person and talk with them the whole night. Though for the main objective of a networking event this might not be traditionally thought of as ideal, you can tailor the specifics of networking to what you feel is most profitable.
3. The descent. I found it easier to approach people in groups of two rather than larger groups of 3+. For purely physical reasons, positioning yourself shoulder to shoulder with two people can be easily accomplished rather than attempting to peer over shoulders of a closed group. Believe me, I did not try out the latter for the fact that I calculated that scenario in my head, and it wasn’t a particularly attractive visual.
4. Going by yourself is a good challenge. If I had to do it again, I would still go it alone. It appeared that besides myself and a student I hit it off with, everyone there knew at least one person.  And sometimes, it cannot be avoided to attend an event such as this with a colleague. But if you do decide to attend with a group or there will likely be plenty of people you know already, approach someone you don’t know. You have the upper-hand in that situation, so make it count. Conversely, if you attend alone, you’ve won half the battle.

A social drinks-themed networking event is not for everyone, so if a person feels that it’s not their scene, that’s okay too. The point is though, that there are definitely other events or related mediums that you may customize to fit your personal networking objectives. And especially when it comes to the green networking circles, coming in contact with others who share this interest is an opportunity to jump at. Career fairs, city planning meetings, even emailing specific company heads are all avenues I’ve utilized. What ways will you choose to meet others in the professional green arena? At the end of the day, all steps you decide to take are worth a shot.

Say you want to get involved in this green networking niche. If you’re not too familiar with events such as ‘Green Drinks’, there’s actually a website for that. Right here. If you want to create your own event, there’s a link for that too. Right here. 

For more information on how to take green initiatives in your business or workplace, check out this book I’m currently reading by Leigh Stringer, titled “The Green Workplace.”

The Green Workplace; Leigh Stringer