Sustainability Corps hits the road
One size does not fit all in the world of employee engagement. This is especially true in companies as large and geographically diverse as Duke Energy. Recognizing this, we took a new approach to our grassroots employee sustainability network in 2012.
The Sustainability Corps provides a way for like-minded employees to get connected, trained and empowered. All Corps members attend a day-long workshop that equips them to adopt sustainable practices at home and at work. Since 2009, more than 240 members have been delivering tangible benefits to the company, including reduced costs and environmental impacts.
But despite its early success, the Corps lacked significant participation from front-line employees working in field locations, such as power plants. To address this gap, the Sustainability Corps hit the road in 2012.
A pilot program brought the workshops to the field and customized the experience for three targeted work groups: distribution system engineers in South Carolina, coal plant operators in the Midwest and warehouse operations personnel throughout our regulated service territories.
The results are encouraging. More than 50 field employees participated in customized workshops, learned about sustainability and tackled 13 separate projects. Besides expanding the network to more employees, we found that the targeted approach engaged local managers and gave work teams a forum to discuss sustainability issues relevant to them.
The success of the pilot reinforces the importance of pushing employee education and engagement beyond the corporate walls. The Sustainability Corps intends to stay on the road in 2013 and continue to build a culture of sustainability throughout the company, regardless of location.