Going public too soon sets you up for accusations of green washing. Waiting too long can leave you behind your competitors, losing the first-mover advantage. So how do you decide when you're ready to tell your sustainability story? By Darcy Hitchcock

A number of our clients have been asking when they can, with good conscience, begin promoting their sustainability efforts. It's a tricky call. Before you go public, ask yourself these four questions:

1. Do you have several good stories to tell? The best stories involve slap-your-forehead why-didn't-we-think-of-that insights. Have you taken significant action in major impact areas and can you back your claims up with measurable results?


2. Are you further ahead than your competitors? If several other organizations in your industry are already known for sustainability, you'll need to have an even more compelling story so that your announcement won't just sound like me-too.


3. Is there anything you should be embarrassed about? If you were to take someone on a walk-through of your operation, is there anything they'd point to and say, "If you're serious about sustainability, why are you still doing that?" These can often be relatively insignificant but symbolic things, for example, plastic water bottles, disposable flatware, or recyclable materials in the trash. These may include areas where your firm is most likely to have a positive impact, for example, a financial services firm that doesn't offer its employees a socially responsible pension plan option.


4. Is your organization committed to sustainability? Once you set the expectation, people will expect to see future progress. Past projects will be old news. And your competitors aren't standing still. You'll want to be sure you have enough executive commitment to sustain your sustainability initiative far into the future. This, at a minimum, means having a clear spiel on the business case, why sustainability isn't just the right thing to do but a critical piece of your corporate strategy.

If you can give clear, positive answers to these four questions, start thinking about a public relations strategy. Remember that factual data and observations of a respected third party will be more likely to be trusted than anything you say directly. Be willing to show your warts as well as your successes, demonstrating with resources and action that you are working hard to remove barriers to further progress. Use your commitment not only to help your own brand but also to transform your industry. Ultimately we need sustainability not to be a niche market but instead to be the price of admission standard business practice.

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Darcy Hitchcock is president of AXIS Performance Advisors, Inc., a sustainability consulting firm, and co-founder of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals.