Communications.
Communications should not only be at the heart of sustainability, but at the centre of any business - however big or small. I have said this before and I will say it many times more, being sustainable is the logical target for any organisation. Striving for it ensures healthy growth. But it will never be an easy process: social, economic and environmental considerations will always contradict each other. This is when communications comes in, like the missing puzzle pieces that connect the entire process/strategy/plan.
The point to clarify here is that communications is not about talking your way out of or into a particular situation. It is about explaining your point of view, listening to others, and ultimately pushing for dialogue (in other words - you should not find yourself being talked at, but rather you should find yourself in the middle of a conversation, even if it be a heated debate!) The deeper you go, the more likely you are to find points in common, and compromise quickly follows.
Communications is about allowing people to see the wider picture, instead of being stuck in their specialist bubbles or narrowed viewpoints. If it were to be personified, it would be that chap/lady who always seems so annoyingly sensible and who can diffuse any situation. Yep that's right, your mum basically! And we all know how powerful they can be at the best of times.
As a blogger and user of social media, I have always loved the concept of communications. This just gives a whole new dimension to it!
Till then... Stay Classy [insert where you live here].
