Adopting sustainable business practices involves a strategic and even a cultural change driven by effective leadership, employee buy-in and a good framework of policies. The process does not happen overnight, and it can be overwhelming when you do not set realistic and incremental goals.
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Adopting sustainable business practices involves a strategic and even a cultural change driven by effective leadership, employee buy-in and a good framework of policies. The process does not happen overnight, and it can be overwhelming when you do not set realistic and incremental goals.
As indicated in a recent survey conducted by the Sustainable Spa Association in the UK: “One of the greatest challenges for spa owners is not knowing where to start in their sustainability journey and a lack of education around implementation strategies.”
As we feel compelled to practice sustainability, we may end up adopting one-off, ad hoc greening projects. Unfortunately, these one-off and ad hoc projects tend to stay just that.
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This is where good corporate governance plays a critical role. The term refers to the efforts made to ensure that a business is managed well—that effective processes, procedures and policies are implemented in a way that is accountable and transparent.
The benefits of a good corporate governance system are myriad for a spa business that is committed to sustainability:
- Underpinned by clearly defined sustainability strategies and supporting policies, spas can achieve long-term business success and economic growth;
- Effective stakeholder engagement ensures that spa owners, managers and their support teams understand and are committed to the sustainability goals of the spa;
- There is better control of management and information systems;
- Inefficiencies and mismanagement are minimized;
- A strong brand reputation around green is created;
- The spa business becomes more resilient.
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While there are many corporate governance models that would work well in the spa and wellness industry, the following are key ingredients that serve spas well when they adopt sustainability as a business objective.
Strategy
Set an explicit business strategy immediately when you have made the decision to go green.
This plan of action describes the process that will be followed to achieve long-term sustainability. For example, your spa team might first conduct research to identify which aspects of sustainability should be focussed on initially, and decide when consideration should be given to the remaining ones.
Create a specific plan and supporting policies to meet these goals, and devise a methodology to test its performance over the set goals. At each stage, knowing the overall strategy helps spa teams stay focused on the intended outcomes.
Stakeholder Engagement
The next step is to involve spa employees in the decision-making process, armed with appropriate knowledge of sustainable business practices and an understanding of the challenges and benefits that the proposed new green strategy will have. This transparency helps unify the business.
When emplyees understand the spa’s business strategies and are allowed to monitor its performance, they understand their roles within the larger organisation and ultimately deliver an improved performance. Appoint a sustainability team, with a good mix of people across the executive and non-executive spectrum, to take ownership of the new strategy, set clear goals and manage implementation.
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Engage with your clients, the public and your suppliers, as well, all of whom are important stakeholders in this process and who will be directly affected by your sustainability practices. For example, when you decide to implement packaging reduction measure, your suppliers will have to consider changes within their own businesses, and your clients will need to know if they have to supply their own bags or purchase sustainable bags or packaging.
Policies
Create good policies to provide a framework within which the sustainability team can work. Start with an over-arching sustainability policy and expand to supporting policies such as waste management, green procurement and green cleaning, for example.
Of course, you should also have all the important human resource policies in place. These must cover issues such as performance management, grievances, training, discipline, retrenchment and the like.
Commitment
Business policies are only as effective as their implementation. You can spend years developing a strategy, supporting policies and business practices, but if you do not mobilize your spa team to implement them, your sustainability initiative will fail.
Good corporate governance requires that we exercise discipline and commitment to implement policies, resolutions and strategies.
Reporting and Evaluation
An integral part of the work is to measure the spa’s sustainability performance on a regular basis, then recommend changes and improvements where necessary. Mistakes will be made, but it is only through regular evaluation that those mistakes can be identified and mitigated.
Spa employee and client feedback can supply vital feedback about the effectiveness of your sustainability policies. Using audit tools or involving external advisors to analyze your operations also can help identify ways to improve your spa’s sustainability efficiency and performance.
Lastly, report your sustainability goals, challenges and especially your achievements to your stakeholders annually. If you have made the decision to go green, your clients, employees, investors and suppliers will all be interested in your progress.
You can highlight your progress on your website as part of an annual sustainability report or in regular newsletters. This is a great way to track your sustainability progress and development, and it will improve your decision making in the future.
Set a benchmark, and be an inspiration for your industry as a whole.
Charné le Roux, founder of Greenspa.Africa, opened the first dedicated organic spa in South Africa and is an accredited professional of the Green Building Council of South Africa. Through her leadership and guidance, Greenspa.Africa connects sustainable spas in Africa and helps them implement green business practices. A regular speaker at conferences and trainings, le Roux is also the author of Green Spa Guide and the creator of the Sustainable Spa Practitioner Course.
