Page 77 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

56 CHAPTER 2

This time of work and fun includes perhaps the most moving ritual of the year: the
company’s annual core values awards dinner, which kicks off the retreat. During the
dinner, Martin reads aloud stories colleagues have written about each other as they
recall their teammates’exemplary efforts over the preceding year. You can almost hear
the voices of individual staff members as they recall each other’s small exploits of
courage, determination, and leadership. Watching the face of an individual staff mem-
ber as a particular story is read aloud about him or her is almost indescribable. It says
They noticed, or They see me for the best that I can be. Mostly, though, it is a public
recognition that this community cares deeply for what an individual has done and
what he or she stands for.
The retreats are learning opportunities, not only on the theme for the retreat (e.g., a
specific core value, metrics for a triple bottom line, the meaning of sustainability), but
for learning about each other. Time is spent in teams and thinking sessions. The indi-
viduals see how they react to one another and see other team members in a setting
outside the office. Retreats also attempt to give staff members time for relaxation,
recreation, and visiting with one another.
Several retreats have been intense in the realms of interaction and focus on the com-
pany’s identity and culture. Each retreat sets in motion an action plan for the ensuing
year, largely to develop processes that address problems identified during the retreat.
I have learned to go with the flow, as much of what I plan requires adapting to the
moment or the situation. When staff members begin to feel freer to express some of
their concerns, unexpected issues arise, and deeper systemic challenges are identified.
Typically, the ritual of the annual retreat opens pathways into processes that need to
be developed or refined over the coming year.
The follow-up processes we develop over the course of the year are deep-structure
rituals that shape the company’s green bottom line. They are rituals in the sense that
they provide standards of conduct and behavior that shape the culture of the company.
They indeed assist in ratcheting down tension and anxiety, and they also assist in mak-
ing a community of individuals a high-performance culture. The rituals tend to fall
into five conceptual categories: valuing multiple perspectives, transparency and straight
talk, accountability, mentoring, and alignment. Let’s consider each category and the
particular rituals implemented for each one.

VALUING MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES
In my work with Melaver, Inc., I decided that the best process for people to learn about
each other, to improve communications, and to build a real team would be through
self-assessment tools like personality assessments, leadership style assessments, skills
assessments, and values-clarification exercises. As part of the “green glue” of culture
creation at Melaver, Inc. each staff member is provided the opportunity to take the
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI ) to learn about themselves, to learn about oth-
ers at the company, and to learn how all the disparate styles within an organization can
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be leveraged effectively. The MBTI has been an insightful tool for improving com-
munications, working relationships, and coaching styles.