My Chat with Tyler Kanczuzewski

We’ve been talking about sustainability over the last few weeks, and today we’re continuing that theme by letting you in on a conversation between Syncovate and Tyler Kanczuzewski.

Tyler Kanczuzewski is Vice President of Sustainability at Inovateus Solar. He describes himself as a “Sustainability, Conservation, Solar, Circular Economy, Reinventing Waste, and Eco-Steward.” Tyler is passionate about making a positive impact on others, life-long learning, and helping the world think more about stewardship and sustainability for Mother Earth. His motto:

"Let’s enjoy life and what the planet offers us, but do it in harmony with nature!"

-Tyler Kanczuzewski Tweet

I talked with Tyler about the relevance of sustainability practices in today’s world. As I see it, in times of uncertainty, it’s really important to know your values and your core. What are you doing that’s bigger than making money in your organization? It can be lots of different things.

Sustainability and taking care of the planet can be one of those things. So I like to ask my clients these questions: How are you looking at sustainability in your own organization? Are you thinking about it? Is it part of your strategy?

Tyler is an advocate of this approach as well, and we’ve often discussed how we bring this work into daily practice. This is one of our recent conversations:

Dr. J:  Why is it important for organizational leaders to think about sustainability? What do you want other leaders to know?

TYLER: Sustainability has been a buzz word since Earth Day and “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” campaigning started in the 1970’s, but sustainable business practice has especially been a hot topic lately, with all the weird weather patterns the planet is dealing with (global weirding), and proven negative climate impacts from human induced activities. If your business is not talking sustainability from an environmental impact standpoint, as well as from a company culture standpoint, you should certainly consider starting right now. More and more consumers want to buy from, or work with businesses that care for the Earth and all things living. There are also new policies (like some places already banning single-use plastics, and carbon caps) that will come out in the near future that will require greener business practices. More and more incentives will be rewarded for eco-friendly and sustainable behavior, and it will improve your brand image too. Sustainability can actually save a company money, similar to how lean strategies can reduce time and waste within business practices. Sustainability is really a big picture strategy for a company, it’s a brand and culture overhaul that can improve the health and wellbeing of employees and the customer base too. Sustainability is a way of life, and it’s about trying to come up with a system that can last forever, with the lowest possible impact on the planet. 

Dr. J:  How does sustainability relate to organizational strategy?

TYLER: Sustainability is really the entire strategy for some companies. For an extreme case study, look at Patagonia and their new mission. Or look at the B Corp Certification by B Lab, it’s a certification solely based on holistic sustainability a company embodies, and how transparent a business can be to the public about their true business practices and mission to improve. The “People, Planet, Profit” concept created by John Elkington years ago is another great simple way to think about sustainability, the idea being that if the health of the planet of all things living are not considered a serious priority for a business, they will not make a profit and survive in the long run

Dr. J: We know it’s a competitive labor market right now and everyone is looking to not only bring in new talented people, but also to retain the people they already have on their team. Do you think sustainability strategy plays a role in talent strategy?

TYLER: Absolutely, especially for the younger generations. More and more people want to be a part of a company or mission to improve the planet. People want to know they are making a difference, and that their voice is heard. Allow your people a voice and you will retain talent. Sustainability is the new lens everyone is looking through, now it’s just a matter of how serious people are willing to be about adopting it.

"More and more people want to be a part of a company or mission to improve the planet. People want to know they are making a difference, and that their voice is heard. Allow your people a voice and you will retain talent."

-Tyler Kanczuzewski Tweet

So, how does this apply to all of us going forward? I encourage you to think about what other values your organization holds onto as your North Star values, or your guiding light—things that help you focus on what’s important when the whole world’s going cattywampus. I love talking about your organizational values, and helping you to find clarity around what they are, and how you share them with others through what you do, the stories you tell, and where you invest your energy and resources. If that sounds like something you want to dive into, let’s chat.

Dr. J

About Tyler Kanczuzewski

As a Sustainability, Conservation, Solar, Circular Economy, Reinventing Waste, and Eco-Steward, Tyler is passionate about making a positive impact on others, endlessly learning, and helping the world think more about stewardship and sustainability for Mother Earth.

 
“Let’s enjoy life and what the planet offers us, but do it in harmony with nature!”