Conflicts often arise when implementing sustainability initiatives due to diverging interests between different stakeholders. Some common sources of conflict include: Trade-offs between economic and environmental interests Short-term financial goals clashing with long-term sustainability goals Misalignment between organizational and individual sustainability goals Differences between internal and external sustainability priorities

Find where there may be a break in communication and make time for active listening. Be honest and upfront about expectations, concerns, and needs so that all of it can be documented and addressed. While this process is going on, make sure you emphasize that building a strong foundation is the primary goal, since that will allow all parties to be successful in their work.

To navigate conflicts between employees and external partners in a sustainability role, start by encouraging open dialogue. Bring both parties together to discuss concerns, ensuring everyone’s perspective is heard. Focus on shared goals, such as achieving sustainability targets, to shift the focus from conflict to collaboration. Act as a mediator by finding common ground and proposing compromise solutions that address both internal and external concerns. Set clear expectations for communication and responsibilities, ensuring that both employees and partners are aligned. Follow up regularly to address any lingering issues and ensure ongoing collaboration. Keep the focus on long-term sustainability goals to promote a cooperative atmosphere.

When you allow for everyone to speak, and everyone to actively listen, key details and information will be disclosed, bringing everyone closer towards solutions. Ask open ended questions, repeat back what you think you heard, and align these comments together to find common ground. When you can bring it back to the basics, the solution is often simple and can be resolved with open dialogue and regular communication.

Communicate the Benefits of Sustainability Clearly communicate the long-term benefits of sustainability, such as cost savings, innovation, reputation, and resilience. Seek win-win solutions that create value for the environment, economy, and society. Engage and Empower Affected Stakeholders Engage and empower employees and external parties affected by sustainability changes. Provide them with incentives, support, and feedback to motivate and enable sustainable actions

Focus on shared goals and co-benefits. Even if the employees and partners have different opinions, emphasize how sustainability measures align with long-term business goals for all parties. Highlight the benefits like risk reduction, cost savings, or market competitiveness. This can help reframe the conversation around mutual interests, rather than misalignments.

Establish Common Goals and Standards Build trust and transparency among stakeholders. Establish common goals, metrics and standards that align and coordinate actions and expectations across the organization and with external partners. Identify Explicit and Implicit Contradictions Identify explicit and implicit contradictions between different stakeholder groups. Deal with them in a constructive way by surfacing underlying interests and finding creative solutions

When conflicts arise between employees and external partners in a sustainability role, the key to implementing solutions is open communication. Start by finding common ground- what are the shared sustainability goals? Listen to both sides to understand their concerns and perspectives. Once there’s a better understanding, work together to create a plan that everyone can support, with clear roles and responsibilities. Keep the conversation going by regularly updating both teams and celebrating small wins along the way. By involving everyone in the process, you build trust and ensure long-term success for your sustainability goals.

Focus on Core Interests and Points of Agreement Strip conflicts down to their core issues and desired outcomes. Start by identifying points of common interest before making compromises. Remove superfluous issues to clarify the path to solutions. The key is to balance the core stakeholder interests - business, environment, and people - through effective conflict resolution. By implementing these strategies, organizations can navigate sustainability conflicts and drive meaningful progress.

Support continuous learning and dialogue so that the relationship remains supportive and frictionless. Use tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to streamline communication in one place, rather than through scattered emails. When discussing tasks, be clear about the objectives, deadlines, and expected outcomes. Lastly, agree on an appropriate communication cadence like a monthly meeting where everyone can share more nuanced updates that cannot be done best over email / text. And continue to support a culture of understanding and gratitude. Partners and employees want respect just like everyone else, and by showing that to all stakeholders, we all get better results.