In this article, you will discover our thoughts on: 

“How do we build a highly capable sustainability team?”

This is inspired by a problem statement shared and explored at the latest Sodexo Community of Practice gathering. One element I love about being in community is that we can collaborate to share knowledge and what is co-created in one group can be shared with others. 

The Community of Practice is an inclusive and diverse community of changemakers across sectors and roles. Some just starting out, others with a lifetime of experience to share. All leaning in, sharing support, and learning together.

👇🏽 Watch the video below to find out more what we do and what we achieve through this community  

There's no perfect sustainability team setup

Sustainability is still relatively new and evolving in many organisations, there’s no standard team model - unlike marketing or sales with clear roles and paths. There’s no one size fits all…every team will look different as they figure out what works best for their organisation and purpose. Still, there are core capabilities, key skills and ways to integrate a team effectively into an organisation that are common and that we can share.

Hire well, build better teams

If we want high-performing sustainability teams, we have to get better at hiring for the reality of the role - not just the label, and being involved in the process. That means looking beyond traditional CVs and prioritising people who are adaptable and agile: from “talking to a minister, to writing a tweet, to walking a farm.” It also means finding people that are undeniably passionate about the part of the problem they are solving.

Clear career paths

There’s often no obvious career ladders that exist in other functions. That makes it harder to plan for succession and easier to lose talent - and it’s a risk. When people can’t see their next step, they stall or leave. To build consistent teams, we need to show what growth looks like, and support paths to get there.

Mentoring is material to making it

One way to build capability is intentional mentoring - not just top-down, but peer-to-peer, cross-functional, and embedded into how teams grow together. Nestle has a great reverse mentoring program, supporting senior leaders with younger sustainability professionals. 

Be honest, be clear, and set expectations early

Team members want to know where they stand. When leaders are upfront - about goals, expectations, and feedback - it builds trust and makes it easier to focus on what really matters. Several participants said clarity from their leaders was one of the biggest things that helped them grow and succeed.

Great teams achieve their goals with prioritisation 

Getting clear on priorities, projects and highest value problems to solve is paramount. Burnout is real in our world and having boundaries and managing our time effectively helps to achieve our goals and still feel whole. 

At FuturePlanet we are pioneering effective process to help individuals and teams focus on what matters most, and collaborate with others to save time on solving challenges common to many. 

Great teams prioritise processes

The most effective teams take time to define effective collaborative processes and align them with existing processes in an organisation. Making sure that they fit for how an organisation currently operates, and evolving it where necessary. Process is the power behind transformation. When it’s built well, it acts as a shared framework and a common language: something everyone can move within, build on, and refer back to when things get complex.

Clear structure and regular rhythms help teams thrive

Having a regular governance and consistent engagement - like regular stand-ups, tactical meetings, quarterly offsites and one-to-ones - can be a game-changer. It creates a shared rhythm and helps people feel more connected and supported and move through problems together. 

Great teams thrive in complexity

Complexity is the space that we act in. Great teams are calm in the face of the challenges and keep their perspectives well positioned so that their energy can be clean and their efforts empathetic and effective. Sometimes this means creating space to share support and help sense make. 

Great teams speak the language of others

Not everyone connects with climate or nature goals, but they do understand revenue disruption, business continuity, and operational downtime. When you frame sustainability challenges as risks to revenue, operations, or supply chain, your message lands faster and deeper.

Achieve more with AI

Effective teams embrace technology and AI is a game changer that will increase capabilities and knowledge and save time for teams often slowed down by the complexities of the challenge. At FuturePlanet we have embedded it through our team, and we now are in planning to help the teams and organisations that we work with.

High-performing teams connect across silos

High-performing sustainability teams work with all functions - risk, procurement, social value, community - and thrive on collaboration, sharing data and insights to strengthen delivery. They act as catalysts, empowering others and embedding sustainability throughout the business and value chain.

Great teams thrive in communities

When the journey feels challenging and tough, being with supportive people in a safe space where you feel supported makes everything feel achievable. Being in community helps teams save time in finding solutions, it is a space where knowledge can be shared and problems solved. And when we unite great teams in a collaborative community that is when we can really start to achieve our audacious goals. 

Connect with your peers, share stories, receive support and more

Join our Community of Action

We are intentionally welcoming individuals and team whom we can support through a community of peers to: 

❤️ Feel energised, supported and a sense of belonging
🙌 Save time and discover solutions to your sustainability challenges
🤓 Share and receive knowledge and insights on impact themes
⚡ Collaborate to create and scale the tools for transformation

If you would like to explore joining the community - please apply here. 

The Future Planet community of action is vetted and intentionally curated to include: 

• Professionals from across functions and sectors in medium and large organisations 
• Purposeful pioneers and leaders of innovative solutions, and
• Policy influencers 

Individuals and teams are from organisations including Asda, Estee Lauder, Capgemini Invent Nestle, Sodexo, Suez and many more.