2022: 52 out of 4,000 weeks

I’m listening to a book titled “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman.* The premise is that we only live on average 4,000 weeks. Where ones spends her time and where she puts her attention is her life. It’s not something else; it’s not what we wish it were. What we do in these 4,000 weeks is our life.

*For an excellent summary of “Four Thousand Weeks”, read this blog post by The Marginalian.

Another 52 weeks is coming to a close. What did you accomplish? If you really think about this, my guess is you’ll find you did more and accomplished more than you realize. You may also find that you set a goal back in March that’s still unachieved. (I recently realized this about myself when I was looking back through my journals for the year and realized that some of my goals are unmet all these months later. I’m in the process of reevaluating those goals to see which ones will enter 2022 with me.)

As a famous saying goes, we overestimate what we can achieve in a year and underestimate what we can achieve in ten years. Looking at this from a shorter time frame, we overestimate what we can do in a week but underestimate what we can do in year. Time moves on whether we work toward our goals or not.

In Dorie Clark’s new book, The Long Game: How to be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World, she helps the reader move toward their longer term goals. In an interview with Forbes, she states: “Strategic patience recognizes that things often do take a while – in fact, often much longer than we want them to. That being said, we can work toward them assiduously, track our progress, and adjust if it seems like things aren’t developing the way we want (or if another, better option presents itself). It’s being patient so we can pursue long-term goals that are substantial and meaningful, but still steering our own destiny.”

If you need some help identifying your priorities, consider mind mapping. I find it to be a creative way to think about and organize ideas. As I mind map, I see connections between related ideas. As I see more connections to a given idea, I find that idea is a higher priority for me. 

I leave you with these questions: What will you achieve in 2022? What are your priorities for 2022?

Forests and Teams: What do they share?

Why should you take your coaching conversations into nature? Why would you offer nature-based leadership coaching to your teams?

With Nature-Based Leadership Coaching, the coaching conversation takes place in nature. Either the client is in nature and the coach is not, the coach and client are both in nature together, or the coach and client are in nature in different places talking on the phone. A client might go into nature to reflect and then have a coaching call around that experience afterward.

Nature is part of the coaching process. It allows your team members to experience coaching in a new way, away from a screen, outside of the four walls. Away from colleagues. And in a place where our brains can be free from the constant to do list.

We put our assumptions on nature — how it works, what it is, what it means. An example is that some assume nature is about kill or be killed, organisms fighting for finite resources. What we are learning though is that isn’t really what’s happening. We need to look deeper to see what is really going on. I’ve thought of trees as ‘fighting’ for the sunlight; trying to beat each other out of limited nutrients. I found Fantastic Fungi, a documentary about the amazing underground communication between fungi and trees, to be helpful in my understanding of what is really going on underneath the surface in the forest.

What we are starting to understand is that trees share nutrients, they communicate with one another, they thrive off one another, and the forest operates as a single organism. There is symbiosis that we humans can’t see unless we zoom in and study it. Suzanne Simard’s TED Talk explains this. She notes that the more diverse the forest, the more resilient it is. And when information and nutrients are shared between organisms, the more resilient the forest becomes.

Can you look at your team as nourishing you? Could you see your team working together because together you succeed rather than competing for limited resources? By looking at nature in a new light, your team may be able to see themselves and their teammates in a new light, perhaps as a single organism working to build its own resilience.

Gear to get you outdoors

Get out on that hike!

You want to get to a view like this. You want to spend quality time with friends. You want to get the health benefits of being in nature. But you ask: What should I bring on the hike? If this sounds like you, read on.

I get asked these questions a lot so this post is one in a series of posts about gear. And let me tell you, I love outdoor gear! That said, I also admit to wearing hiking pants that are 20 years old, which also speaks to the durability of some outdoor gear. One thing that can seem intimidating is the lingo. I’ve added definitions to help with that.

The basics: water, shoes, the right clothes, map or app.

Water. Hydration packs are the way to go for anything over an hour (if it’s cool outside) or anytime in the heat.

Wait. Hydration pack?

Basically, either a hip back or small backpack that has a bladder that holds water and a hose with nozzle to drink it. The bladder goes into the hydration pack and the hose will come around your shoulder (or waist). Here is a good article on the kinds of packs for different outdoor activities.

Shoes.

When I started hiking, there were just hiking boots. They were big and bulky. Hiking shoe options have since expanded to light hikers, trail runners, boots. Which one you choose depends on the kind of hiking you’ll be doing. If you’re carrying weight, like a heavy backpack, you may want more support. If your trails are rocky, you may want thicker soles. That said, a friend of mine hikes on rocky trails wearing minimalist or barefoot shoes. The bottom line here is to wear something comfortable that has the level of support you prefer. And be sure to break them in before doing any major hikes. Wear them around the house and on short walks to be sure they don’t hurt and won’t create blisters.

Clothing.

Some essential pieces are: windbreaker and/or lightweight rain jacket that doubles as windbreaker; base layers (lightweight, midweight and/or heavy weight depending on your locale and time of year); ear warmers (my ears always get cold!); good socks for the season.

In summer, it’s pretty simple because where I am, it’s hot. A tank top and running shorts should do. You may consider wearing mid calf socks if you will be walking through grasses or brush. I also prefer a lightweight sun shirt and hat. The sun shirt has SPF protection so I don’t get sunburned. In the spring where I live, a rain jacket is pretty essential. I also have rain pants for hiking any distance in the rain. In spring, fall and winter, layers are essential. Base layers for winter (central Virginia winters are not extreme so I go with light to mid-weight layers), a windbreaker, lightweight fleece, ear warmers, gloves, gaiter (has lots of options) and warm socks. You may need more depending on where you are.

Map or app.

I use the app Trailforks because I also mountain bike and it works for both hiking and mountain biking. I also have paper maps of the areas I hike in. It lets me highlight a given trail and see the elevation gain, distance and topography. The bottom line is that you should know where you are going. Many trails are well marked so you don’t get lost. Some are not. If you are new to hiking, consider getting comfortable hiking the former.

The rest.

Of course there are many other items you should consider carrying. Here is what I have in my pack for a short to medium length hike: small first aid kit, Kula cloth, pocket knife, snacks (like a bar, crackers, nuts).

I hope you are able to get out on a hike soon!

Influence & Emotional Intelligence

This post was adapted from a recent presentation given titled Sustainability Professionals: Build Your Influence with Emotional Intelligence.

When you think of leadership, do you ever think of the intersections it has with emotional intelligence and influence? Honestly, leadership is something that can be present in anything you do. When thinking about the qualities that make someone a good leader, you may think of the usual things: good communication, flexibility, willingness, clear focus, a plan, for example. Anyone can be a leader and demonstrate these skills, which all relate to emotional intelligence even if they are not always explicitly referred to as such! Do you ever consider how a leader may influence others? Have you ever considered some skills that may be helpful in expanding your influence in your work? Whether that be in a practice, program, or task that you are working on. Influence refers to the ability to work together with others towards a common goal or vision. By definition, emotional intelligence is “a set of emotional and social skills that are used in effective and meaningful ways.” This is taking into account your own feelings, emotions, and changing mindset, as well as those from other people. Emotional intelligence is the common denominator to good leadership and influence! Keeping in mind the circle in the image included above, it is important to note that emotional intelligence also relates to well-being. Although we aren’t focusing on it in greater detail here, it is important to note that well-being is key for sustainability leaders to maintain the momentum for the work that they do. 

You may be thinking, how would I determine my emotional intelligence? There are tools for that! You can check out some online resources to get a better understanding of how this works for you. Of course, these are soft skills that you can always build upon by yourself and based on the feedback that other people give you. Feedback is a good thing to seek out from people who you trust and who will provide you honest feedback. When trying to better yourself, you are not necessarily looking for the nicest friend, boss, or coworker. You want someone that will suggest things you need to work on rather than telling you that your leadership and emotional skills are great and do not need work. Look for someone that will respond to you in a kind and respectable manner, of course.

Knowing who you are emotionally brings about a level of self awareness, which is also referred to as the building block of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is very important when considering how to bring about long term, positive change in whatever you are doing. A good leader can learn, grow, and  be influenced by others, in addition to influencing people's actions, thoughts, and ideas! Trust is required and must be maintained in order for influence to work as it should. INFLUENCE STARTS WITH YOU!

Keeping emotional intelligence in mind allows for:

• self- awareness (all about YOU—being aware of your feelings, your values, your purpose, what motivates you)

• empathy (recognizing, caring about, and understanding the views of others—their why, thought processes, reasons)

• self-expression— (sharing how you feel without taking away from the thoughts/feelings of another person, how you communicate with others in a way that allows them to gain trust in you)

Collaborating, adapting, and connecting.  These three things are important aspects of sustainability leadership, as highlighted in Leadership for Sustainability by R. Bruce Hull, David Robertson, and Michael Mortimer. For each of these, emotional intelligence is particularly useful. 

• Collaboration is important because you are often working with other people. This can be seen in the work you are doing like developing new programs, policies, protocols, for example. Emotional intelligence, particularly empathy, self-awareness, and self-expression, is important for collaboration. They all help a person determine how they interact with other people which is very useful in collaborating.

• Being open and resilient to change creates an understanding that not all things will go according to plan, and that is okay. Adaptability is a skill that some may not think about often. Take a moment to think about the past year and a half. Although not easy, the world as a collective had to adapt to ongoing changes and I am sure that this also happened in your personal life as well! What we all knew to be normal was disrupted and our routine was shaken up a bit. Having a mindset of adaptability is extremely important, yet tough because we are creatures of habit and order and expect things to go as planned. Emotional intelligence supports resilience particularly stress tolerance, flexibility, and optimism. Without knowing these things about your own emotional intelligence, change and being adaptable may be a little more challenging.

• Making and forming connections is key to building relationships with others. Having a good relationship with the people, groups, or organizations you are working with creates a healthy working environment. This connection piece can be seen in one of two ways—connecting people together or with resources. Both have value and can be helpful regardless of what you are working on. The emotional intelligence skill of interpersonal relationships is especially relevant here.  Interpersonal relationships and skills are very important when establishing and maintaining trust with the people you are connecting with.

In sustainability work, everything is interconnected--there are always many moving parts. In order to be effective in whatever you are doing, it is good to understand the emotions, talents, and needs of everyone to make sure that everyone is in the place they need to be to work toward the common goal. Ensuring that everyone’s strengths are being leveraged creates an environment that is productive. 

How can you enhance your emotional intelligence, influence and leadership this week?

1. For self awareness, write down the strongest emotion you experienced this week and some thoughts about how you felt. What did you feel? What brought about this feeling? Create a space for yourself to reflect and really give this a try. This will bring you closer to your emotions and a step closer to strengthening your emotional intelligence.

2. Self expression is pretty similar to self awareness but they have their distinctions. To practice self expression, consider being transparent and outwardly sharing how you feel rather than just keeping it to yourself. Do you have an opinion on something that other people do not share? Of course you do. Having different viewpoints and opinions on topics makes people unique and can bring about great conversation. You can learn and grow from people as long as everyone’s feelings and emotions are respected. Self expression allows you to stick up for yourself and your opinions without taking away from the feelings of others. Have you ever scrolled on social media and saw a post or comment thread about something you were passionate about? Were you nervous to respond to the post out of fear that you will be judged for your thinking or anything? The next time this happens I challenge you to express your thoughts on the post. This can be difficult, but will get you into the mindset to start expressing how you feel about certain things. It is also important to note that in order for this to be the most effective, you have to know how and when it is a good time to express your emotions. 

3. For empathy, talk to a friend about something you know they have a different opinion on.  Listen and understand their “why”.  This could be something as simple as what’s better, the beach or the mountains! Oftentimes, we hear what people are saying but are not actively listening to what is being said. Really think about the other person's feelings, thought processes, and emotions. This will be a good tool to always go back to.

4. Another exercise to do to practice empathy is to try not to be too judgemental or critical. Everyone has their own biases, but when practicing empathy it is important to recognize them and set them aside the best you can. Doing this really will allow for you to understand where the other person is coming from. This can be practiced in everyday life such as during conversations, in the workplace, or with family, for example.

Blog written by guest blogger Tyrah Cobb-Davis, a current master’s student at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) pursuing a degree in Geography and Environmental Systems. She is a trainee in the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Applied Research in the Environment (ICARE) program, a program that strives to engage the local community in environmental research and bring more diversity to the environmental field. More information about her can be found on LinkedIn. 

Traveling across America and appreciating home

My family and I took a road trip recently. Like many, I was desperate to go somewhere. I’d been to Colorado several times but not with my children. It would be a great experience for them, I thought. So we packed our minivan and headed west with 6 bikes, two kids and a dog. We took photos through the window when we didn’t have time to stop completely. Other times, we extended our three day drive so that we could be at the site, read the signs and learn of the history.

I fully acknowledge the privilege I have to do this, to take time away from work, to take an actual vacation. I hope that those who need a vacation are able to take one, whether at home or away, to refresh your mind and spirit. If you can, spend some time in Nature even if you can’t get away from work long enough to call it a true vacation. Nature is healing in many ways.

We drove through the midwest and carried on through Kansas, getting off the interstate and traveling nearly solo through the vast farms. I kept a sharp eye out for pronghorn antelope and was able to spot a few. They are the fastest land animal in North America but they aren’t jumpers like deer so they tend to go under fences. We also stopped at Prairie Dog State Park and saw a prairie dog colony. According to the info sign, there were at one time 5 billion prairie dogs in the US. They are critical to the grasslands habitat as many species rely on prairie dogs for shelter and food, including jackrabbits, toads, rattlesnakes, hawks, coyotes and ferrets, according to WWF.

We entered Colorado, Denver, and then the mountains. The air was cool and the bugs were few. A welcome change from Virginia. We rode bikes, hiked, visited some local establishments and met up with friends. The kids were impressed by the height of the mountains.

We visited bike parks with incredible vistas on the lifts. We headed to New Mexico and explored the Angel Fire area. Horseback riding was a huge hit and took us up to a meadow with the most beautiful wild flowers!

We saw deserts, mountains, wetlands. We saw blue skies, thunderstorms and gray skies. We saw cities and small towns and capitols. We saw petroleum refineries, wind turbines, nuclear power plants and solar farms. We saw dry creek beds and gushing rivers. We visited the UFO Watchtower and Great Sand Dunes National Park.

We watched Fourth of July fireworks from the road in Oklahoma. We visited Central High School in Little Rock, a National Historic Site, and learned more about the tremendous Civil Rights events that took place there and the courage of the Little Rock Nine students who risked their lives to effect change. According to the NPS website, “In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the epicenter of confrontation and a catalyst for change as the fundamental test for the United States to enforce African American civil rights following Brown v. Board of Education.” “Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus directly questioned the sanctity of the federal court system and the authority of the United States Supreme Court's desegregation ruling while nine African American high school students sought an education at the all-white Little Rock Central High School.

The controversy in Little Rock was the first fundamental test of the United States resolve to enforce African-American civil rights in the face of massive southern defiance during the period following the Brown v. Board of Education decisions. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower was compelled by white mob violence to use federal troops to ensure the rights of African American children to attend the previously all-white school, he became the first president since the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to use federal troops in support of African American civil rights.”

Looking forward to home

We tried new things and we confirmed our love for home. As much as it is nice to leave, it is nice to return home. I am grateful for that and aware that there are many who cannot return home, now or ever. Perhaps you can create a new home. I wish you strength and love in that journey.

Emotional intelligence for well-being & leadership

I recently presented to the Environmental Law Institute’s Emerging Leaders Initiative about the connection between emotional intelligence, your well-being, preventing burnout and leadership capacity. You can see the slide deck here.

Emotional Intelligence, Well-being, Burnout Prevention and Leadership

All of these are relevant in the remote work era just as they were when we worked in the office. Some of them may be more relevant now (e.g., burnout prevention, alignment with your purpose, doing what's meaningful to you) and how you lead may need adjustment (e.g., communicating and connecting with colleagues virtually).

Emotional intelligence is defined as a set of emotional and social skills that influence the way we perceive and express ourselves, develop and maintain social relationships, cope with challenges, and use emotional information in an effective and meaningful way. 

EI is like the hub of the wheel. To do the work you want to do and have the impact you want to have, you need well-being and capacity to lead. EI helps you with that. EI relates to how well you handle stress. It relates to your wellbeing, to the strength of your relationships, all of which relates to your leadership. EI can help you identify your purpose and find meaning in your work because you know yourself better and you can communicate with your employer about your needs. And knowing yourself and your emotions can give you a heads up that you are close to burnout and it's time to make change and advocate for yourself. 

Well-being

Wellbeing is the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity and includes:

• Good mental health

• High life satisfaction

• A sense of meaning or purpose

• Ability to manage stress

--Davis, Tchiki, Psychology Today, January 2, 2019. What Is Well-Being? Definition, Types, and Well-Being Skills

There is a correlation between four specific EI skills and your wellbeing.

1. Self-regard: Ability to respect and accept yourself, strengths, weaknesses and all. For wellbeing, this includes believing in yourself and living according to your values.

2. Optimism. Ability to to look at the brighter side of life and maintain a positive attitude even in the face  of adversity (while not being naive). For wellbeing, it includes ability to recover from setbacks and claim a happy state.

3. Interpersonal Relationships. Ability to establish and maintain mutually satisfying relationships that include trust and compassion. For wellbeing, these relationships serve as a buffer from negative events. 

4. Self-Actualization. Ability to realize your potential capacities. For wellbeing, this includes willingness to learn and grow on a journey aligned with personal values.

Purpose and Meaning

When it comes to purpose, the idea is similar to values. If you are not working in line with your purpose or living according to your purpose, it could impact how you lead because you might not feel authentic. I could also impact your wellbeing.

Connecting EI to purpose and meaning: if you know yourself better through EI, then you can sense when you are not in alignment with your purpose. You may feel uncomfortable and EI can help you notice this. You will feel more empowered to make changes that put you in alignment.

Leadership Capacity

What distinguishes outstanding leaders from average ones? Emotional self-awareness and stress management.

Emotional self-awareness is the ability to recognize your feelings, differentiate them, know why you are feeling these feelings, and recognize the impact your feelings have on others around you. 

Stress-management refers to the ability to manage your emotions, particularly in stressful situations, and maintain a positive outlook despite setbacks. 

Other EI skills that are particularly important for leadership are: social awareness and empathy, interpersonal relationships, effective communication and self-expression.

• Social awareness is your ability to recognize others’ emotions and the dynamics in play within your organization, to "read the room".

• Empathy goes hand in hand with social awareness. Empathic leaders strive to understand their colleagues’ feelings and perspectives, which enables them to communicate and collaborate more effectively.

• Interpersonal relationships: no leader accomplishes great things on their own. 

• Effective communication and self-expression: how you communicate and how you express yourself are critical leadership skills. 

Burnout Prevention

Burnout occurs when the demands we face on the job outstrip the resources we have to meet them. Because it is more serious than job stress, the best solution is prevention.

Burnout is the purview of the employer. This is because the causes and the best solutions to burnout are related to your work environment. According to a survey of 7,500 full-time employees by Gallup, the top five reasons for burnout are:

• Unfair treatment at work

• Unmanageable workload

• Lack of role clarity

• Lack of communication & support from manager

• Unreasonable time pressure

As you can see, these are within the control of the employer. But employees can take steps to prevent burnout using EI. By understanding your emotions, you can identify when you're starting to burn out before it happens. And using your empathy, you can sense when others are on the verge, too. With that information, you can have conversations with leaders in your organization about preventing burnout. And as a leader, empathy is important to connect with others and understand what your team needs.

According to responses during the presentation, most in attendance found that they either had too much work, too little communication with their supervisor and colleagues, or both and this was impacting their wellbeing. Not everyone felt that they could have conversations with their bosses about this. For those reading this who are in leadership roles, please reach out to your people. Ask them how they are and find out what they need. And then act on what you learn. Asking how someone is and then doing nothing about it is hollow. They need to hear from you. They need to know that you care. Flex those EI muscles!

Build Trusting Teams

A week or so ago, I attended a webinar, Build Trusting Teams, a Simon Sinek, Inc. event. (There are more of these coming up.)

Here are some choice nuggets:

• It is hard to build trust when waters are rough. It’s better to do it when waters are calm so that when we need it, we have it.

• You can’t make anyone trust you. You can only behave in a way that allows people to choose to trust you. 

• Trust is a feeling we get. And it’s an active choice that we have to make. 

• All we can do is show up in a way that encourages people to trust us. 

• Trust needs to be built, maintained and repaired. To repair it, must show consistency to desire to repair it. If you know you’ve broken trust, humility and willingness to say that you know you broke trust and here’s how I did it (if you know) and you want to fix it. 

Feedback

• Get in the habit of having feedback conversations. Then people don’t fear it as much. 

• How to deliver and accept feedback. FBI. Feeling. Behavior. Impact. (This is similar to SBI: situation, behavior, impact that I learned about in my sustainability masters program.) What is the feeling, specific behavior, impact of the behavior.

Ask better questions

• Monitor the types of questions we are asking ourselves. Because our brains will come up with an answer. So are we asking the right questions. Ask more empowering questions. Ask more generative or building questions. “how can I improve ….” What ways can I implement new habits to get better at ….” 

• The quality of our lives is correlated to the quality of questions we ask ourselves. 

Culture

• Live the culture. Culture = values + behavior

• Strength of culture is the degree to which values are lived. Articulate values as verbs or action phrases.

Wellness Retreat in the Mountains

With everyone fully vaccinated, we headed to the mountains for a much-needed wellness retreat. We expressed gratitude, moved through Qoya with our amazing instructor Laura Farmer, and I led the group through Nature Roaming™.

Getting ready to Nature Roam™! I’m explaining the three parts (Roam (silently, with intention in mind), Connect (journaling on what you saw—connecting the dots; and connecting with each other through sharing), Grow (what to do after this event; how to continue learning).

Did I mention that it’s spring in Virginia! The flowers are in bloom!

Lots of journaling and reflecting happening along the trail

Canadian Wood Betony

We captured the moment after a glorious hike and reflection. (And one of us spotted a black bear!)

Happy 51st Earth Day!

Happy 51st Earth Day!!

I wrote the following post for a nonprofit I volunteer with: Camp Kum-Ba-Yah in central Virginia. Camp KBY has been around for over 70 years and serves children and families all around our city and surrounding counties. The board of directors is currently working on a future vision for the organization, one that will take us into the next several decades, creating a space where children, families and people of all ages can find themselves in community with nature and each other.

This year’s Earth Day theme is Restore Our Earth™. The earth needs restoring. Our community needs restoring as well. At Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, we believe that being outdoors in nature is key to the restoration of our children, families, and community after a year in isolation. 

One thing coronavirus made crystal clear to me is the interconnectedness of humans and nature. This is not something I denied before; it’s just something that I didn’t think about as much as I should have. I understand the connection between humans and climate change. I understand the importance of systems, food chains, and biodiversity. Camp Kum-Ba-Yah provides programs for schools and summer campers to help them understand this importance as well. The interconnectedness I feel now is almost primal. We NEED to be outdoors, in nature. We NEED it for our wellbeing, for our mental health, to restore ourselves. 

The United Nations understood this interconnectedness well when it established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. According to the UN, the SDGs “recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.” 

I want to believe that when coronavirus subsides and we re-emerge from our spaces, we will move slowly and be thoughtful. We will not be as wasteful as before, not as annoyed by the insects or weeds in our yard. That we will not seek cheap gas but will advocate for cleaner means of transportation and fuel. We will help restore our earth. Let’s also restore ourselves. 

We welcome everyone to KBY to enjoy our woods from dawn until dusk. Come visit Kinderwoods, our outdoor play space for young children. Walk the trails along the creek, sit under the tree canopy. Adopt a garden plot and cultivate with our Give and Grow Garden program. Visit our website for information about visiting and how you can get involved. Come to our woods and restore yourself!

5 ways to Restore Ourselves Outdoors

1.     Walk, don’t drive, to your friend’s house/the store/post office and calculate the greenhouse gases you didn’t put into the environment using this calculator. 

2.     Plant one vegetable in your garden or windowsill or front stoop or join our Grow and Give Garden program. 

3.     Get at least 20 minutes of fresh air each day for a week (and beyond!).

4.     Take a ‘play’ break and play a game outside [Playing helps the brain, as does movement, as does being in nature. The more we play outside, the more we appreciate nature and its role in our lives.]

5.     Go for a walk with a friend instead of going out for dinner or drinks. 

Your Personal Brand: Why it’s important - How you can grow it

Below are resources on personal branding I compiled when researching for a client. My client wants to ensure that she conveys her personal brand to her new supervisor and team when she moves to a new position. A friend also asked how she could be known for what she wants to be known for. This compilation is useful to those who already know or have a strong sense of what their personal brand is and is also useful to those seeking to identify their brand.

Why is your personal brand important? In Tips on Creating and Growing Your Personal Brand, Laura Lake, says it well: “It’s something no one can take away from you, and it can follow you throughout your career. It’s a leadership requirement that lets people know who you are and what you stand for.” 

How to Define Your Personal Brand in 5 Simple Steps, Ryan Erskine

Before starting to generate lots of content online to distinguish your personal brand, identify your goals. Otherwise, all that work could be a wasted opportunity. 

“Determining your own story arc will be crucial to crafting a brand narrative that your audience will relate to and remember. Your brand narrative will come naturally if you ask yourself the right questions: What obstacles have I overcome? What desirable goals have I reached or am in the process of reaching? How have I changed for the better?”

Reinventing Your Personal Brand by Dorie Clark (author of Reinventing You)

“The key is not to explain your transition in terms of your own interests (“I was bored with my job and decided to try something else,” or “I’m on a personal journey to find the real me”) but to focus on the value your prior experience brings. 

Consider it “search engine optimization” for your life: The more connections you make, and the more value and content you regularly add to the stream, the more likely it is that your new brand will be known, recognized, and sought out.” 

14 Personal Branding Tips To Help You Grow Your Influence, by Forbes Coaches Council

“Make sure you are adding value to others if you want to be influential. Self-promotion without value creation negatively impacts your influence.”

“Plant, create and bloom where you work now. Create content for your company's newsletter. Volunteer to write for an industry-aligned publication. Drive up your brand where you work. Create value where you are allowing your personal and professional brand to thrive simultaneously. Instead of just looking at shiny ideas outside of work, find ways to align your personal brand with your organization.”

6 Tips for Perfecting Your Personal Brand, by Jill Bowers

“One of the most important steps in maintaining your personal brand is to stay consistent. Anytime you do anything online, you should consider how it contributes to your personal brand, said Matt Brady, founder and former CEO of career consultancy Path2Hired. This means that every time you write an article, post an update on social media or interact with your audience, you should think about the overall message you're trying to convey. Keeping your brand consistent helps you build a strong brand that others will begin to recognize, Brady said.”

Mindset about winter & tips on winter hiking

When I was younger, I abhorred winter. It was dark and dull to me. I wasn’t born skiing so this statement probably sounds surprising to those who were. Skiing just wasn’t an option for me then. I would get depressed and would impatiently wait for spring. Once I realized that it’s not just about gear and clothing, it’s also about mindset, I was able to enjoy winter.

Changing your mindset can have big impacts in your life. Winter is just one example. Instead of dreading winter (and thus not enjoying fall to the fullest), I appreciate the opportunities that winter brings, including the landscape laid bare, reduced crowds, a bug-free hike, the smell of the crisp air. Group hikes with friends, solo hikes for solitude, and vistas uncovered also help me see winter as something to cherish rather than something to ‘wait out’.

How can you change your mindset about winter (if you're like me and don’t have snow sports all around!)? What story are you telling about winter? About going outside in winter? How would telling a different story change the way you think about winter?

If you would like to read tips on winter hiking, check out this article from REI. My number one tip is layers, layers, layers! Layers are critical so that you can add or remove as you get warm (hiking up the hill or mountain) and chilled (at the overlook, on the hike downhill). I always wear a base layer and a windproof jacket (depending on temperature, you may need a parka) as two essential layers. I add more depending on the temperature, which doesn’t get too low in central Virginia.

Environmental lawyers give tips on career transitions

There is something you might find more difficult than the legal problems you face every day: deciding when and whether to make a career change. The breadth of experience within the Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources is astounding, and no matter where you are in your career, there are others who’ve been in your shoes and have made successful transitions. These are their tips.

Types of career transitions

There are two main types of career transitions that environmental, energy, and natural resources lawyers make: (1) changing sectors—e.g., private firm to government and (2) moving from law to non-law, e.g., consultancy, policy, academia. This article mainly consists of tips from lawyers who have practiced law in different sectors.

Twenty tips from Section lawyers

There are some themes in these tips, which are in the lawyers’ own words: your network is critically important, be kind to yourself and also push yourself, things may turn out differently than you expected, and take the time to understand the culture of your new organization.

Susan Floyd, senior counsel with a utility company:

1. The skills and abilities you acquired in your previous position have led you to this new position. Consequently, continue to hone and develop those skills and abilities so you do not lose any “muscle memory” in those areas.

2. You will start the new position excited and ready to get things done and prove that you were the “right” hire—so stop, breathe, and take the time to get to know the culture of the entity where you now work and to understand the communication preferences of those that you are working with in your new position.

3. Be kind to yourself—remind yourself of how you have grown, what you have learned and why you wake up every day and do what you do. Reflect on your strengths while being open to where and how you can continue to grow and learn. Take every opportunity to push yourself at crossroads. By continually reflecting and reminding yourself of what is important to you, you will avoid doing things without thought and direction.

Juge Gregg, law firm; government (DOJ); in-house at a large tech firm:

1. Don’t pick a destination; pick a next step. Think about your next step and what gets you most excited about it. Don’t take a job you don’t want to do because you think it will get you where you want to be.

2. Keep your eyes open. Maybe you are not “ready” to move, but keep your eyes open for opportunities.

3. Build and maintain your network. Stay in touch with colleagues. Former colleagues and Section colleagues can help you with your career moves, preparing for interviews, etc.

Stacey Halliday, law firm and government (EPA) experience; military spouse working overseas:

1. Map out scenarios for your transition, with an ideal outcome and a few alternatives that incorporate your upper and lower limits (including salary, benefits, etc.).

2. Identify dedicated sponsors to inform your options and invest in supporting your transition—be as transparent as possible with these sponsors to ensure that they are fully informed of the dynamics at play.

3. Don’t be afraid to take a little (informed) risk to challenge yourself, build resilience, spark progress, develop new professional muscles, and—in the best cases—surprise yourself.

Brenda Mallory, law firm; government; NGO:

1. It rarely works out exactly the way you imagined. Sometimes that’s good; sometimes, not so much. It’s helpful to recognize this going in; you’ll spend less time focused on your disappointment. You have to go into each new situation prepared to make the best of whatever it offers.

2. When transitioning for the first time from private firm to government or NGO, don’t underestimate the cultural differences between those various communities. The culture affects how you interact, get things done, the career path, and opportunities, just to name a few. You should try to explore those differences as part of considering options but recognize that many things won’t be obvious until you’re on board. Be prepared to adjust.

3. The personal strengths and qualities that got you to where you are will get you through the transition. Personal resilience is key to whatever you do. You work on building it early and then tap into it during whatever life challenges you face. Navigating your way through transitions is no different. You just have to remember to go back to whatever are the “basics” for you.

Roger Martella, government (DOJ and EPA); law firm; in-house counsel:

1. Surround yourself with people who can give you advice and who have your back. Your network is important for finding opportunities, seeking advice, and helping you prepare for a new role.

2. While it’s important to have a network to reach out to for support and advice, ultimately, you should trust your own judgment and listen to your inner voice on what’s the best decision for you based on your personal goals. You’ll always be most successful when you’re doing something that you’re passionate about personally.

Jonathan Nwagbaraocha, internal transition at a large workplace technology company to EHSS counsel:

1. Relationships matter: Get to know the team you are counseling because this is important when trying to establish an open and candid line of communication. The team you want to counsel needs to know the type of person you are, and it is equally important for you to understand the processes, policies, and decisions that the team is dealing with.

2. Give yourself a break: Any job transition requires you to recharge/recalibrate/refresh. Find the opportunity to have a week or more break before you start a new position.

Lauran Sturm, large law firm; state environmental department:

1. Be prepared for the financial impacts of moving to government. You’re probably already aware of the discrepancies in salary, bonus structure, and pension/401K arrangement, but there are other perks that you may be accustomed to in firm life that you’re less likely to find in government.

2. Be aware of potential time-management changes. Depending on your level in the firm, you may be spending a lot of time on business development activities in the evenings. While your schedule should free up in that regard when you move to government, you may find that your days quickly fill up with various committee or client meetings, meaning less desk-time. It may take some time to learn how to balance the meeting expectations with your actual day-to-day work.

Jennifer Wills, EPA lawyer to professional coach:

1. If possible, try the other career as a side hustle for a little bit. You may learn some ways to become more successful when you finally make the switch. You may find that you don’t want to make the switch after all!

2. Undertake formal training if the transition is significant—not necessarily a master’s degree; there could be a certificate or online course or two to learn more about the new job/career and build your credentials.

©2020. Published in Trends, Vol. 52, No. 1, Sept/Oct 2020, by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association or the copyright holder.

Are you ready for a career pivot?

Career change. Career transition. Career pivot. Call it what you like; many of us are making changes in our careers—voluntarily or otherwise. And if you’re not making changes now, you should be thinking about what your next move could be, or developing skills to stay relevant in today’s changing workplace.

In this post, I share three books related to career changing and finding what’s right for you. Each book takes a slightly different approach, but there are some common themes among them, along with creative activities.

1. Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, by Jenny Blake

2. Designing Your Life, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans (also authors of Designing Your Work Life, which is on my reading list)

3. Reinventing You, by Dorie Clark

The idea of reinventing oneself isn’t how I think about making a career transition. We are who we are; we have strengths and experiences, and we can build on those. We can further develop our skills and build upon our foundation, but we are the person we are. As Jenny Blake suggests in Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, pivoting is like basketball, where one foot remains in position while the rest of your body turns. You remain at the center.

Many of my clients come to me from a place of discontent with their current careers and a readiness to move forward with something more meaningful, particularly in the sustainability space. Sustainability is broad and varied, so it can feel overwhelming. Although considering a career transition may be outside your comfort zone, you may feel more resolute if you think deeply about why you want to make an impact in the world. What is guiding you? The answers might include your values and a purpose statement. You can reflect on these and feel more grounded as you enter the exploratory phase of your career transition.

As you read these books, keep these points in mind:

• Start with who you are and where you are: Each book has its own approach to this. For instance, Designing Your Lifeincludes “Good Time” Journaling (journal about what you enjoy doing) and Reinventing You suggests you discover how others perceive you by conducting personal 360 interviews. Finally, Pivot walks through exercises, such as mind mapping, to identify your values, principles, and strengths.

• Learn about what’s possible and identify whether it’s right for you: Networking and interviewing individuals can help you discover what a career is really like. Every book stresses the importance of talking with others about their careers. Networking cannot be overstated for career development in general. CLiGS blog posts also stress it here and here, and alumni of the program discuss the importance of networking in their careers, for example Molly Brown’s story here.

• Try out some possibilities without fully committing to the change: Each book has its own term for trying out a career path before making a change: “prototype experiences” (Designing Your Life), “test-drive” (Reinventing You), “pilot” (Pivot). Each suggests apprenticing, volunteering, and shadowing as ways to do this.

Designing Your Life asserts that there are multiple great lives we could each live, and you get to choose which one to live next. This means there can be more than one great career for each of us. I love this idea, and have lived it myself. I had been an attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for over a decade. I didn’t want to work for the government anymore, and I didn’t want to be an attorney anymore. So, about twelve years ago, I decided I wanted to start a small organic farm. I took a course on starting a farm business. I apprenticed on a farm. I volunteered for small farm member-based organizations. What I learned is that living on a farm is a family endeavor, and not having the entire family on board meant that I needed to consider a different pivot, a different “great life.”

The Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability and the Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program helped me with the pivot I ultimately made. At the time I was going through the program (2016), I wanted to work for a corporation that was doing good sustainability work. I got an interview with a very prominent company, but the location was not where I wanted to move my family. So, I went back to the drawing board to figure out what I could do from my small town in central Virginia. I hired a career coach. I took a class on entrepreneurship. I developed a process for working through career transitions. While working part-time with the EPA, I started my coaching business and started working with clients who were seeking personal and professional growth, including career transitions. Now I coach XMNR students seeking career transitions, self discovery, and professional development. I continue to hone my coaching skills. I completed a 140+ hour International Coach Federation accredited course through George Mason University. I am now working toward ICF certification, and I’ve developed a method for coaching individuals outdoors that provides a unique approach to coaching and the coaching experience.

I hope that you find one or more of these books helpful in working through your career transition. I’m happy to talk with you about personal and professional growth, and preparing for and embracing change. You can find me at www.jwillscoaching.com.

*Originally published at https://cligs.vt.edu/blog/are-you-ready-for-a-career-pivot-.html

5 Simple Tips for Holiday Networking

I’ve heard some version of this story many times: Someone I know from my tennis/sewing/mountaineering club told me about a job at company X, and it’s perfect for me. She connected me with the hiring manager, who reviewed my application. I got the job!

Whether you are someone who loves networking or someone who loathes it, the reality is that networking is essential for your career. You need it for moving a program forward in your current role, or for moving your career forward into another role. 

This time of year offers plenty of opportunities for making connections that are easy to overlook. Traveling to visit family? Networking can happen on a plane! Deciding among too many holiday party invitations? Accept them all! Any and all of these social gatherings can be excellent networking opportunities, if you approach them in the right frame of mind.

Basic tips for expanding your network while enjoying canapes: 

1. Find jobs through people, not postings By some estimates, up to 80 percent of jobs are not posted on job websites. This is why your network is so important. 

That doesn’t mean job sites should be ignored, however. You can use them to get a sense of keywords for your resume and LinkedIn profile; you can improve your understanding of the qualifications typically sought for certain roles; and you can identify hiring trends in different sectors. 

2. Don’t overwork the networking It wasn’t the mountaineering club acquaintance who worked at company X; she knew someone there. And it wasn’t the career-seeker’s acquaintance who was a member of the local sustainability association; she shared a common hobby with someone who was.

It seems rather random, and you may be wondering how you can strategically build your network when you don’t know where you’ll meet an acquaintance with connections in your career field. They could be anywhere! In this case, do what you love and see who you meet. 

To build your network, joining associations or local organizations that relate to your field, or a field you’re interested in, is a good place to start. Simply reaching out to individuals for coffee is also an option. When you do that, keep in mind that networking is give-and-take. Offer a relevant article or piece of information when you reach out to someone. Maybe you’ve read an article they wrote and you have thoughts about it you want to share, or maybe you are in a similar industry and you have insights to offer. 

3. Think beyond formal networking formats Consider all those holiday parties and whom you might meet there. Perhaps it’s someone you haven’t seen in a few years, or someone you’ve never met before. You’ve probably heard of Mark Granovetter’s paper titled The Strength of Weak Ties (American Journal of Sociology, Vol.78, No.6 (May, 1973)). The idea is that you are more likely to get information from weak ties in your network than from close ties. This is because the people with close ties to you have similar networks as you and similar information. Hence, the need to broaden your network to learn about new positions and trends in your industry or other industries. For additional information on this concept, read Why Every Employee Should Be Building Weak Ties at Work. 

In the Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR)program at the Virginia Tech Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (CLiGS), students build their network in several ways. They create a “network map” to evaluate their network. They learn about informational interviewing and add to their network in that way. I

4. Advocate for yourself  CLiGS’ current Program Coordinator wasn’t initially hired when she applied for the position. She was still interested in CLiGS, though, and when she saw that the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and CLiGS were co-hosting a happy hour in Washington, D.C., she mentioned her interest in working for CLiGS in her RSVP email. I sent that email to the faculty in the program who have hiring authority. As CLiGS faculty are a close-knit group, her name was already familiar to the head of the program when she met with them a few days after the happy hour. Coincidentally, the first person hired for the job left the Center shortly after that happy hour, so the position was open again. She kept the connection and she got the job. 

5. Show up and listen Listening is a vital component to networking and relationship building. There are many articles about the different levels of listening, which range from distinguishing 3 levels to 8 levels depending on the source. I recently learned about Levels 1, 2 and 3 listening in a book called Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives. Level 1 listening is when the focus is on yourself, on how the words the other person is saying relate to you. Level 1 listening has a role, especially when getting to know someone. For example, you want to find things in common, or you listen for something the other person says that relates to you and then you share a story about yourself. Level 2 listening gets deeper: you are hearing what the other person is saying without thinking about your next question or statement. Level 3 listening is a deeper level of listening where the listener uses all of his or her senses. To build relationships, you need more Level 2 and 3 listening.

Networking is important to your career. Think of it as relationship building, if that helps. Remember that when networking, you should do what works for you. If one-on-one is better for you, reach out for coffee or a meeting. If you like groups, go to an association networking event or conference. Do both! Then let people know what you’re interested in doing as a next career move, and be sure to listen—really listen—to the other person. You may walk away with a whole new appreciation for the person and for the idea of networking.

Seven “soft skills” to stay professionally relevant

According to a jobs report  by the World Economic Forum, the future of the workforce will require interpersonal and leadership skills (e.g., empathy, collaboration), and this is as true for global sustainability professionals as it is for other careers. The report emphasizes that “‘Human’ skills such as creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion, and negotiation will likewise retain or increase their value, as will attention to detail, resilience, flexibility and complex problem-solving. Emotional intelligence, leadership and social influence, as well as service orientation, also see an outsized increase in demand relative to their current prominence.”

These “soft skills” will help any professional and especially sustainability professionals to be successful in their careers, now and in the future. Students in the Virginia Tech Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability Executive Master of Natural Resources program hone their soft skills in a variety of ways—building and maintaining effective teams; resolving conflicts to mutual benefit; learning techniques for cross-sector negotiations; applying social theory insights to sustainability challenges, and more.

A Harvard Business Review article titled “7 Skills That Aren’t About to Be Automated,” describes seven “soft skills” employees should have to be competitive in the future. While the article is about skills that cannot be automated in the foreseeable future, these are very relevant skills to sustainability professionals. We review each of these soft skills below, as it applies to our field:

1. Communication, particularly storytelling and persuasive communication Communication is the bedrock skill for sustainability professionals. You will need to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders, some who understand sustainability and some who don’t. Sustainability professionals must be able to persuade others of the importance of sustainability or of taking certain action or changing behavior. While not mentioned in the HBR article, this EHS careers article mentions the importance of public speaking and persuasion. Public speaking is another skill sustainability professionals could use to persuade.

2. Content or expertise about a given topic and communicating your understanding of the topic Although not a soft skill, sustainability professionals should have at least one area of expertise, whether that’s “sustainability” itself or a specific aspect of sustainability such as circular economy, life-cycle analysis, reporting, or some other area expertise.

3. Context and the ability to modify your presentation based on your audience It almost goes without saying that this is critically important to sustainability job seekers. Employers will want to know that you have the context necessary to effectively present your position throughout the enterprise and outside it as well.

4. Emotional competence Understanding the emotions of your colleagues and stakeholders about a given situation can be useful when presenting your case for forward movement. Storytelling is very important in evoking emotions to lead to your preferred action.

5. Teaching Understanding the skills and knowledge gaps of people in your organization and how those individuals relate to the needs of the organization will give you, as manager, the ability to focus teaching on those gaps. As a sustainability professional, you will be teaching throughout your organization and across organizations about what sustainability is, why it’s important and how to move in the direction of sustainable development.

6. Networks Being able to access a vast network of people is important when moving into a new position or seeking new employment. Most jobs come from your extended network rather than from job postings. We discuss approaches to networking during career coaching sessions, available to all our students.

7. Strong moral values While the article explains that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robots are incapable of moral judgment, having strong moral values and ethics is essential for us as humans. For the sustainability professional, it is important because there will be many times in your career when you must make a judgment and having those values to fall back on will help you make the call. As a job seeker, being able to articulate those values will help you show a future employer your trustworthiness, integrity, and professionalism.

Another set of soft skills that we contend is important for sustainability leaders now and in the future, and ones that will further protect them from automation involves cross-cultural competencies and a global mindset. Sustainability professionals must understand the challenges and opportunities of multinational corporations as well as develop that part of one’s leadership repertoire related to diversity and cultural appreciation. That’s why all our students have an opportunity to collaborate with sustainability organizations around the world during the Global Study program modules.

To summarize, employers seek well-rounded, generalists as well as specialists. Employees should have strong interpersonal and leadership skills. Whether you are on the hiring or job-seeking side of this equation, it’s crucial to understanding the significance of these soft and—very human—skills for the future of work.

Sustainability books for your career search

As a coach specializing in the sustainability field, I often talk to people who are looking for advice on find a meaningful career where they can make a difference for the future of our planet. Many of these conversations are with the graduate students at the Virginia Tech Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (CLiGS), where I consult, and where I earned my Executive Master’s and developed a deeper understanding of sustainability issues and careers. 

There are lots of books related to green careers and sustainability—how to get a job in a sustainability field, applying sustainability principles to business, etc. And there are books dedicated to a particular sustainability subject (e.g., plastics, climate, food). This post is about career books. Below are recommendations of four books, with summaries to help you decide which one you want to read first.

Profession and Purpose: A resource guide for MBA careers in sustainability, by Katie Kross (2009; 2017 update)

Profession and Purpose, while geared toward MBA students and graduates, can be useful to non-MBAs as well. It includes information and tips on different career paths in fields such as corporate social responsibility, consulting, energy, real estate, NGOs, and investing. For each of these fields, Ms. Kross includes keywords that you can use in your job searches, a list of potential employers, skills needed, examples of actual roles at specific companies, and key resources. She then explains what the career paths might entail and includes tips on how to go about the job search. For each career path she includes a profile of an MBA alum who has acquired a job in that particular career, or multiple profiles. An entire section of the book is focused on job search resources, including advice on how to identify sustainable companies, news and blog websites, job posting websites, books, and events. 

The book includes two frameworks to narrow your job search: 

1. By functional discipline: Whether you are interested in strategy, finance and accounting, marketing, operations, supply chain, or general management, this book includes a chart outlining disciplines and the potential sustainability careers within each. It also includes a table of actual positions at organizations in each discipline, which can serve as a helpful guide to navigating organizational structures. 

2) By organization and role: Once you identify the functional discipline(s) that interest you the most, think about the role and type of organization where you’d apply those skills. Ms. Kross provides a useful matrix with four quadrants: traditional roles in traditional companies/organizations; sustainability roles in traditional companies/organizations; traditional roles in sustainability-focused companies/organizations; and sustainability roles in sustainability-focused companies/organizations. 

Tailoring the Green Suit: Empowering yourself for an executive career in the new green economy, by Dan Smolen (2011)

Even if you’re not at the executive level, it offers information you may find useful, such as the history of the green economy and how to incorporate environmentally preferable practices in your personal life.

As with other sustainability careers books, Tailoring the Green Suit starts by defining what a green job is. For the purposes of this book, it is a job at a company that has a positive impact on the triple bottom line, that has good corporate governance practices, and that encourages green business training and education, among other qualities. The author breaks these jobs into “obvious green business executive jobs” (those with direct impact on the environment or a company’s environmental policy, such as sustainability officers, environmental engineers, environmental attorneys, climatologists, renewable energy managers, environmental scientists, or urban planners, to name a few) and “not-so-obvious green business executive jobs” (jobs at companies that at first glance may not seem to be green, but that have sustainability practices in place that positively impact the triple bottom line).

Mr. Smolen sets out steps for moving into a new career, including getting an advanced degree, updating your resume, and working with an executive recruiter. He also touches on personal branding and expertise, including speaking and writing about green business topics, mentoring others, and taking steps in your personal life to be more green. He provides ideas for executives to establish their green cred within their current businesses, such as by developing sustainability programs and encouraging environmentally-friendly commuting options. The book finishes with a chapter on starting your own green business with a handful of suggestions to get you thinking.

Sustainability at Work: Careers that make a difference, by Marilyn Waite (2017)

This book provides in-depth information on important aspects of sustainability and sustainable development. It also helps those who want to know how they can incorporate sustainability considerations into their current (or future) role. Ms. Waite’s book is organized by sector (e.g., health care, law, economics, education). She describes each sector, the different roles within each sector, and how to incorporate sustainability considerations into those roles. Ms. Waite evaluates careers in each sector using her SURF framework: considerations related to supply chain, users, internal and external relationships, and future generations. 

Ms. Waite clearly has done significant research. She has traveled to distant parts of the globe to meet with and interview people in sustainability careers, whose stories she includes in the book. She shows her research at the end of each chapter with a thorough list of resources and references. She also includes practical tips for professionals in each sector, including reference guides to be familiar with, professional networks to join, conferences to attend, and publications to read and contribute to. She also educates the reader on sustainability terminology, frameworks, standards, and guidelines.

Sustainability Jobs: The complete guide to landing your dream job, by Kevin Wilhelm (2016)

This is a very practical how-to-get-a-career-in-sustainability book. It has six sections, some with accompanying worksheets. 

Who are you and what you want. This chapter covers your inventory of needs and wants, your networks, and identifying your next step. It helps you think through ways of getting experience, in your current position or through volunteering, that will make you more competitive in the job market.

Exploring your options. This covers how to create your own position and how to make the business case for sustainability. Mr. Whilhelm’s approach is to inventory your skills and then layer sustainability on top of that. For instance, if you are in finance: What relevant skills do you have? Then, consider how to bring your expertise to the sustainability realm. Businesses need finance, legal, marketing, etc. specialists, and if you understand sustainability you can differentiate yourself.

Target your job search. Narrow the job search by eliminating possibilities and really focusing your search. This section also covers setting a schedule and timeline for your search. It includes developing a list of companies and positions that are right for you, by creating keywords for job searching, finding companies that interest you and following them, and finding contacts at those companies. Finally, it advises figuring out what skills you may lack and developing a plan to get them.

Tailor your resume. This section provides tips, and examples of a good resume, a bad resume, and a bad cover letter. Some tips worth mentioning: List only up to six skills, and make sure those are your best ones. Put relevant experience at the top, even if it’s not the most recent. The top third of your resume is most important. Three or four bullets for each position on your resume is enough.

Execution. Networking is how to get it done. This section is the longest of the book, which makes sense given that most jobs are not posted publicly and instead come from someone in your network.

Interviewing and informational interviews. This section includes a checklist for preparing for an interview, and how to address tough questions such as explaining your weaknesses or non-paid work experience.

Finally, the book includes resources, including a list of books to read and advice from individuals in sustainability careers.

Whether you read one or all of these books, each provides useful insights into the variety of careers related to sustainability, and considerations for getting one of those positions.