Making Sense of CSR Activites

Sharon JacksonFounder and Director

The European Sustainability Academy Cretewww. EuroSustainability.org

Engaging other people to act Understanding THEIR Sensemaking and

interpretation- what matters to them

Noticing YOUR Sensegiving – what did you say/what did they hear

Harnessing the phenomenon of Social Identity

2 stories of engaging people…

The anchor of identity• Organisational culture/identity• Sub group culture/identity• Individual identity

• DIFFERENT WORLD VIEWS- work with them

• Equifinality- does it matter WHY excess lights are turned off?

‘Mind the Gap: Making Sense of Sustainability from a Business Manager’s Perspective’ Jackson 2010

Engaging people in organisations… the same…• Find the ‘ambassadors’- popular people – the

super networkers• Allow time and space for the social identity

phenomenon to happen• Go to the managers OWN WORLD of

sensemaking – in THEIR space • Identify what are they noticing – what do

they deselect. EG. texts, fb chat, emails – HONE YOUR RADAR

• Accept that you may not get everyone on board

Avoid gimmicks and insincere jargon eg. ‘Green Jam’ - Be honest and transparent

Accept that there are sub cultures and different world views in each sub culture in the organisation – WORK WITH THAT not against it – PUSH GETS SHOVE !

Allow informal, emergence of creativity to enable engagement and ownership (don’t be to rigid or inflexible)

Allow people their time and their interpretation

And finally… Volunteering should be… voluntary MAKE SURE IT IS FUN and not an added

burden

Thank you

Sharon.Jackson@EuroSustainability.org