As an Intern at The Natural Step Canada, I was thrilled to get the learning opportunity to attend the Bullfrog Power sustainability training. I really appreciate the dedication we have to learning and mentorship at The Natural Step. On the train ride to Toronoto, I read  “The 5th Discipline” by Peter Senge and he says a commitment to learning is a leverage point for organizational success. So it all makes sense!

The workshop for Bullfrog was the first time we offered the sustainability learning course to an organization team all together. This was a great fit for our mission of helping organizations transition to sustainable operations and governance. When the whole team understands sustainability together, it’s easier to move forward.

I really enjoyed the workshop for two main reasons. For one, I got to see a master at work. Chad Park, the workshop facilitator from The Natural Step, was very attuned to the group, confident in his delivery and made just the right changes on the fly to make the workshop poignant for the group. For example, He noticed the group was comfortable in the open area, finishing their breakfast in the beautiful Brassaii restaurant, so he started the first learning activity there rather than at the tables and chairs in the meeting room. It was perfect because the first activity was to talk to the people around you to and discuss “What motivates you to work for sustainability?”

The second reason I really enjoyed the workshop was because of the answers to that first question. I was really impressed with the caliber of the team at Bullfrog power. They each had their own perspective to why sustainability is important from business, social good and environmental reasons.

We challenged them to really look at their value creation for their clients from a sustainability planning perspective and asked them to evaluate how a company would judge their service offering in light of three prioritizing questions:

1. Does this move us in the right direction, towards our goal?
2. Is this flexible platform moving forward in terms of technology and financial investment? Can we build on it in the future to reach our goal?
3. Does this initiative offer a return on investment that works for our business? This can include the social return on reputation and brand value as well as a financial return. It can also include your investment of time and the value you get back from it.

I definitely saw some (low energy consumption) light bulbs springing on over people’s heads as we looked at their offering from a fresh perspective. There were “Ah ha!” Moments as well as “Aw, that’s a downer!” realizations as we challenged assumptions about sustainability. We also shared laughs of understanding and learning. I got to facilitate one of the activities and I was the graphic scribe for others. I learned about the whole process and saw how good a learning course can be! The Bullfrog employees got a lot out of the training and now they are more unified in their understanding and values around sustainability. Watch for the Bullfrog as we leap into the sustainable future!

To learn more about how The Natural Step can help equip your team with the knowledge, skills, and tools to embed sustainability throughout your organization, visit one-day strategic sustainability training.