Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2016 - (Page 44)

Creating a Sustainability Program: Choosing Corporate Values The second in a series of articles to help you create a sustainability program By Heather Dylla, PhD., and Martha K. Silver "Our business doesn't occur in a vacuum; we make purposeful business decisions that reflect our social and environmental values." I n the March/April 2016 issue of Asphalt Pavement magazine, the first article in this series covered some of the drivers that make creating a sustainability program for your company so important, busted myths that have prevented some companies from initiating sustainability programs, and highlighted features common to all sustainability programs. This second article in the series explores how to identify and adopt corporate values that will be used to guide your sustainability program. Sustainability has three pillars: economic, ecological, and social. As a company creates its sustainability program, it must make thoughtful, balanced investments that recognize strategic benefits from these three pillars, deciding what operations it will perform and why. To do this, the company must adopt corporate values it will use to guide its actions and to communicate with its stakeholders. One company that recognizes the strategic value of using corporate values to successfully guide its A Caveat In the same way that there is no one method to strategically manage a company, there is no one way to choose your company's corporate values for a sustainability program. The suggested method provided here allows your company to be inclusive of employees, consider the needs of stakeholders, and leverage existing sustainable operations; however, you can always choose a different method for identifying your corporate values. sustainability program is Colas Inc. "Our responsible development [corporate values] is built solidly on an ethical principle," Colas Director of Risk Management Chris Kirby said. "Our business doesn't occur in a vacuum; we make purposeful business decisions that reflect our social and environmental values." Where Corporate Values Begin Every organization's leadership comes to the table with basic beliefs. These beliefs shape an organization and how it operates. This is called values-based leadership.1 Company leaders base their decisions on their beliefs in how a business should operate. These beliefs include how stakeholders are valued, how resources are allocated, and what priorities are placed on ethics. If you are your organization's leader, you know you use your beliefs to make hands-on decisions that affect strategic management and day-to-day operations. In its most academic terms, values-based leadership has been defined as "leading by example by doing the right thing for the right reasons and not compromising core principles.2 This definition is the blueprint your corporate values will create to guide your company's sustainability efforts. In addition, there is another reason why valuesbased leadership has a very real role in creating a sustainability program. To achieve success, a company's leadership must be committed to the program and support the efforts underway. Therefore, the creation of corporate values for a company's sustainability program must be dictated, at least in part, by company leadership and its beliefs. continued on page 47 44 * View past issues online at www.naylornetwork.com/nap-nxt http://www.naylornetwork.com/nap-nxt

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2016

Chairman’s Commentary
Industry News
So Much More Than Mill, Move, Pile, Recycle Excerpts from Best Practices for RAP and RAS Management
Asphalt Pavement Industry Continues to Improve Excellent Record on Sustainable Practices
Creating a Sustainability Program: Choosing Corporate Values The second in a series of articles to help you create
Industry Events
Index of Advertisers/Advertisers.com

Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2016