Preconceived notions on sustainability

Have you ever run into a situation where the person already knows everything about what you are talking about.  Doesn't allow for much of a discussion does it?  When the mind is closed there are not a lot of opportunities, but if you don't know then the opportunities are endless.

This has been my experience the past couple of months as I talk to companies about integrating sustainability into their business. There is this strange resistance to the subject.  Which I just don't understand as the business case for sustainability is really just about surveying your operations - its impacts, risk and opportunities.  Additionally this results in higher employee retention and engagement which has a dramatic affect on your bottom line.

So why the resistance?  Some theories I have heard is that there was such an environmental activism approach to getting companies to consider the environment that there is just a built in mental push back on ANYTHING green.  Another idea is that companies to day have a lot going on to catch up with IT, design, social networking arenas, that to add the ideas of sustainability feel too much.

So it has been interesting to open up the closed minds to the subject of sustainability - what it means and how it can benefit their companies and them as people.  Around every corner there is more to learn.  I shouldn't be surprised by this, but my mind needs to open too.