Year-Long Sustainability Executive Council Workshop Program

Facilitator’s Agenda for Workshop 3

Workshops / Workshop objective
Workshop 1.Sustainability Megatrends Changing Retail / Define the most major changes occurring in retail and your function
Workshop 2. Innovation is Required / Council should see that innovation is a necessity to remain successful. Identify ideas and apply a SWOT and a sustainability lens to innovation ideas
This workshop / Workshop 3. Making it Work / Develop an action plan to begin implementing the ideas
Workshop 4. Taking Innovation to Your Departments / Council members will have tools and action plans to promote this process within their departments

Workshop 3:Making it Work.

Program and Workshop 3Background

Program background: This year-long workshop program is a facilitated innovation process that leverages tools developed by RILA, our industry association. The objective is to open a space for innovation (Workshop 1), then provide a structured process to identify innovations (Workshop 2) and plan roll-outs for those innovations (Workshop 3). It will leverage your specific business expertise and will conclude with tools that can be brought to your teams.

There are two options for the focus of Workshops 2 and 3. Select the option most relevant to your objectives and the Council’s interests:

  • Option 1: Identify innovations relevant to your business function. Each Council member will generate two business ideas that are specifically targeted at their business function, or their area of expertise.
  • Option 2: Identify enterprise-wide innovations. The Council will brainstorm two business ideas that leverage their collective expertise and influence. Examples include new services (e.g. product take-back, repair), new products (e.g. a line of health & wellness products), new brand marketing platforms, or more.

Workshop objective:Develop an action plan to begin implementing the ideas generated in Workshop 2.

Desired outcome:Each participant will have a stepwise plan to begin implementing their ideas.

Before the workshop: Review the summary of the ideas generated in Workshop 2. Re-send that summary to the Council members to refresh their memories before the workshop if appropriate. Print one copy of the one-page exercise form for every Council member. Provide post-it notes.

Pre-assignment:Discuss two ideas generated in Workshop 2 with 3-5 internal business partners who are relevant to those ideas.

After the workshop: briefly summarize the next steps that were identified by the Council members. Within a week, send this summary via email or other method and ask the Council members to discuss report back to you with:

  • Updates on their progress
  • Issues they are encountering
  • Opportunities for you to help push their efforts

Workshop 3 agenda

Council introductions5 min

Each Council member should briefly re-introduce thetwobusiness ideas that they generated in Workshop 2. Document the ideas on post-its and place them on the wall as the Council is completing their introductions.

Program and workshop introduction5 min

Workshop facilitator will re-introduce the Council to the year-long programand then the objective for this thirdworkshop.

Exercise 40 min

  1. Present each member’s respective post-it notes to them.
  2. (15 min) For their two ideas, have each member individually complete the template form provided.
  3. (15 min) Each member reports their next steps to the group. Identify opportunities for members to support one another.
  4. (10 min) Collectively identify opportunities to keep track of progress and held accountable. For example, it could be to delegate responsibilities to Council members’ direct reports; develop Working Groups to pursue specific ideas; organize periodic meetings; etc. Also, use this time to decide on possibility of meeting with company’s senior team to present the ideas generated through this workshop process. This is a good way to get face-time with the company’s senior-most leaders and to help them understand how sustainability aligns with the business’s priorities. Facilitator should capture a summary of the conversation.

Sustainability program updates10 min

Facilitator can use this time to provide a brief update or next steps on the company’s sustainability program.

Adjourn

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead