We are bombarded with messages and information throughout the day and mostly, it's distracting and not useful. We want to be productive and we have developed ways of filtering out all but the most important messages. However, often the solutions we reach are isolated within our sectors and we forget to consider their wider impact. So how about taking a moment to challenge yourself and to ask: is there more you can be doing to make a difference in our world?
What
Our team's idea is a "Moment for Change". The idea is for employees of engineering companies to regularly receive a message or notification with a prompt inviting them to take a moment to step back, to think about responsibility, and to ask how they could make a difference.
How
The prompt can be in many forms. It could be a statement about responsibility, a question to the employee to contemplate, a suggestion about something new to try or just an interesting fact. The message can be sent in a way and at a frequency that suits the individual. It should be a nudge, not a directive. If a company wants to make it more interactive, it would also be possible to take polls and share links to relevant articles or more information.
The system would be run by a non-for-profit organization distributing the software to various companies and providing regular content on a subscription basis. The company could then select what is sent to its employees or even allow employees to select their areas of interest and the type of prompts they want to receive. This is simply a notification system on one's computer that would appear when logging on. These messages will be inclusive for all employees: multi-lingual; local and global topics; technical and non-technical. As the industry evolves, so too can the system by keeping up with the latest issues and global developments. The core messaging and intention will remain the same.
Why
The purpose of the idea is to encourage the engineering industry to take a greater collective responsibility, and to be globally sustainable. We need to become more accountable.
Our goal is to engage those engineers that are active in their work practices to promote the importance of collective responsibility. While not expecting drastic changes from the more resistant employees, it will allow engineers and architects to be more vulnerable and try new ideas outside their comfort zones.
Some of the benefits include: increased awareness of our industry's global emissions footprint; more action towards achieving net-zero emissions; mainstreaming of the ESGs and initiating discussion of them with our colleagues, friends, and families.
This system will act as a gentle encouragement towards a sustainable mindset and a better understanding of how our actions influence our world. An invitation to inspire responsible ways of thinking and promote discussion amongst employees and people around them both professionally and personally.
While this message should just take a moment, over time it will foster long-lasting changes.
Team Information:
Team code: RE22-002
Team members: Luce Bassetti
Andrew Baird
James Hansen
Ursula Guant
My SMART personal actions:
I will plant two oak trees this spring
I will reduce my home electrical consumption by 5%. Monthly target 12.5 kWh. This can be accomplished by running users during the day to use my solar panels.
I will reduce my home water consumption by 5%. Monthly target 250 gals
I will investigate the local Jacobs offices to sponsor a tree planting service morning with Trees Upstate a local non-profit environmental organization.
My SMART personal actions: 1. I will give a presentation on this challenge and our team's submission to my team in the next month to promote the competition, EWB and the purpose behind it.
2. Introduce a moment for change at the start of monthly team meetings, adding a slide on responsibility to each presentation.
3. Be more active with EWB UK and try to attend 3 virtual events and one in-person event in 2022.
My SMART personal actions
I will include "Moment for Change" in the coastal planning and engineering Community of Practice to break silos. Measure: Start moment for change in April and every other month.
I will promote change by volunteering my time to learn from other engineers and facilitate conversations to inspire others and myself . Measure: Monthly time set aside starting from March .
I will listen, learn and be open to changes by educating myself about net zero challenges and nature positive changes by setting up achievable goals Measure: reach out to mentor from different field and participate in 3 sustainable workshops.
I will reduce my energy bills by 5% in 2022.