Some people want to turn up to their job, do it well, get paid, and go home. We cannot stress how there’s nothing wrong with that. But this is why any part of your sustainability initiatives need to be engrained in everyday working practices, not seen as an additional add on.
Take printing for example, you can make it more sustainable by printing fewer documents and a great way to do this is to assign everyone with electronic signatures. You’ll save energy and resource by printing fewer items and electronic signatures will be part of an everyday action. Nobody was asked to work outside their remit, put in extra time and in the long run, the business made a sustainable and affordable change.
Humans are creatures of habit, but we’re also continually looking to make our lives easier. It’s finding the right green initiatives that strike a balance between the two that is key.
Before you announce to your team that you’ve got some new fancy net zero carbon emission targets and you’re turning the office cafeteria into a vegan only paradise… pause for a moment. Take inspiration from the following green initiatives that will have minimal impact on the day-to-day working of employees, making it a shared responsibility.
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1. Provide Education and Resources for Sustainable Choices
The resistance to sustainability often comes from a lack of knowledge. If employees aren’t sure how to incorporate green practices into their work, they may feel like it’s too complicated, too time-consuming, or simply not worth it. The solution? Education.
Provide resources, whether it’s a sustainability handbook, workshops, or online platform, to educate employees on how they can make sustainable choices. Show them that making green choices doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive, or time-consuming. The more informed they are, the easier it will be for them to integrate sustainability into their day-to-day lives without feeling it’s “not their job.”
2. Reward Participation, Not Perfection
One of the biggest barriers to widespread participation in green initiatives is the fear of failure. People often feel that if they don’t make the perfect sustainable choice every time, they’ll fall short and be criticised. This can result in people opting out altogether.
To combat this, create an environment where efforts are rewarded, not just outcomes. Celebrate participation and incremental improvements. Maybe it’s a monthly shoutout for teams that reduced their paper usage by a certain percentage or an office-wide challenge to reduce electricity consumption. The goal is to encourage a culture where employees feel supported and motivated to try without the fear of failing.
By focusing on efforts, you’ll help move away from the all-or-nothing mentality that often holds back progress. Perfection isn’t the aim; progress is.
3. Make Sustainability Part of the Everyday Workflow
As we briefly mentioned, the key to overcoming the “Not My Job” mentality is to weave sustainability into the very fabric of daily operations. It should never feel like an extra task or burden. Instead of asking employees to go out of their way to engage in green practices, find simple ways to integrate sustainability into what they already do.
By focusing on small, easy-to-implement changes, sustainability becomes part of the regular workflow, making it feel less like an “extra” and more like a natural evolution of work habits. Just like other office tools or tasks, sustainability should feel seamless.
4. Lead by Example
One of the most effective ways to tackle resistance to green initiatives is through leadership. When the leaders of an organisation prioritise sustainability and actively take part in green initiatives, employees are more likely to follow suit. This can be as simple as leaders using reusable coffee cups or consistently promoting energy-saving habits in meetings.
The act of leading by example shows that sustainability isn’t a bottom-up directive or a passing trend, but a core value embedded in the company’s culture. Employees feel more engaged when they see their leaders practicing what they preach, rather than simply asking others to make changes without doing the same themselves.
5. Make Green Initiatives Convenient and Easy
The easier you make sustainability, the more likely employees are to adopt it. If an initiative requires too much effort or disrupts an employee’s daily routine, the “Not My Job” mentality will likely kick in. To get everyone on board, ensure that green initiatives are as convenient as possible.
For example, creating a centralised location for recycling, offering digital alternatives to in-person meetings, or providing energy-efficient office equipment can all encourage greener habits without requiring extra time or energy from employees. When sustainability becomes the easy choice, it’s no longer an additional task, but a simple part of the workflow that everyone can support.
6. Foster a Collaborative Culture Around Sustainability
Sustainability isn’t a solo effort – it’s something that thrives when everyone works together. To break down the “Not My Job” mentality, encourage team-based approaches to green initiatives. For example, designate “green champions” within departments who help brainstorm ideas for sustainability that are specific to their team’s function.
Create a space for open dialogue where employees can share their ideas, challenges, and successes around sustainability. This allows everyone to feel that their contributions, no matter how small, are valued and integral to the company’s overall sustainability goals.
When sustainability becomes a shared goal, it fosters a sense of collective responsibility. Everyone feels like they have a role in the game, making the overall effort more inclusive and less isolated.
7. Reinforce the Bigger Picture: Sustainability as a Shared Vision
One of the most powerful motivators for breaking the “Not My Job” mentality is connecting the individual actions to a greater purpose. When employees understand that their small, everyday actions are part of a larger mission to protect the environment, reduce waste, or support social causes, they’re more likely to engage.
Make sure your team understands the why behind the initiatives. Whether it’s a commitment to reducing the company’s carbon footprint, ensuring a more ethical supply chain, or supporting community projects, helping employees see that they’re part of something bigger can shift the mindset from “not my job” to “this is our responsibility.”
By framing sustainability as a shared vision, it becomes something that everyone feels involved in and responsible for. It’s not an isolated task but a collective goal that everyone can contribute to.
By making sustainability part of daily routines, leading by example, providing easy-to-follow initiatives, and fostering a sense of shared purpose, we can ensure that green initiatives become embedded in the fabric of the workplace.
It’s not about demanding extra work or imposing rigid rules. It’s about creating an environment where sustainable practices feel natural, achievable, and most importantly, part of everyone’s job. So, next time you’re tempted to roll out an ambitious green initiative, take a step back and think about how you can make it easier, more inclusive, and ingrained in everyday practices.
