Principles & Practices of “Integral Sustainability” – Part 1

by Nick Sarillo

In the last decade, “green” has gone mainstream. This is good news not only for the planet, but also for business. Consumers want to make more sustainable lifestyle choices—whether it’s for hybrid cars, non-toxic cleaning supplies, or organic groceries. By serving this growing market, smart, forward-thinking businesses are innovating ways to grow and make a profit while contributing to solving our world’s big challenges.

For us, “sustainability” means more than our stewardship of natural resources. We take the sustainability of our human resources just as seriously. In fact, our concept of sustainability includes both external-focused practices such as recycling and internal, human practices such as personal development training.

By combining an exterior/natural and an interior/human focus, we arrive at an integrated—or “integral” (meaning balanced and whole)—concept of sustainability.

While conventional sustainability aims to improve the health of the environment, our “integral sustainability” also addresses the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of our workplace and team members.

For example:

Through our “safe space” communication program, we encourage the healthy resolution of conflicts, while creating crucial feedback loops for management.

Through our career-training program, we empower our team members economically by teaching key leadership skills. (This includes our acclaimed “trust and track” system for nurturing peak performance and purpose-aligned behaviors.)

And through our integral transformative practice (ITP) program, we create regular opportunities to explore awareness-training exercises such as meditation.

Thus, as we’re helping sustain our planet, we’re also sustaining our people. And it’s setting us apart from our competition in a serious way.