An uncommon view, “Nothing we do is sustainable”

21 Nov An uncommon view, “Nothing we do is sustainable”

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Patagonia’s email subject line proclaimed, “Nothing we do is sustainable.” Talk about a home truth. In five words. One of the most environmentally minded companies on the planet—they made the planet their only shareholder—upped the ante on all the greenwashed wannabes out there. Inside the email was a link to their latest progress report, which ran through the ‘messy’ and ‘sometimes painful’ reality of their mission.

Patagonia has always held an uncommonly nuanced view of what it means to do business. And for their accomplishments, they spend a chunk of their report talking about how, despite all their effort and progress, unsustainable choices are an inescapable fact of making anything. One of their design principles is ‘do as little harm as possible’.

I’m often surprised when people haven’t heard of Patagonia. But not everyone has a wardrobe of outdoor apparel. Nor follows the moves of a unicorn company (as in rare, not get rich fast) who push what matters most into every nook and cranny.

I call them a unicorn because sustainability today has morphed into well-established jargon. Slapped onto anything even remotely ‘green’ as a claim and way to offset other choices. It is so relentlessly applied as a badge of every questionable environmental impact, we forget there is a broader meaning.

Like so many other hijacked words (looking at you, purpose), it is wrapped in a cloak of goodness. But simply put, sustainable means remaining viable. That’s it. And what it takes to remain viable is no small or green thing.

An organisation sustains itself by accumulating value in the brand. When that store overflows, there’s plenty on hand to help smooth the launch of new products and improve customer service. Boost the back office or streamline your operations. Hire new staff and enhance conditions for those you already have. All things you’ll need to do if you want to be around more than a minute.

On the flip side, there are also lots of ways organisations become unviable. Sometimes it’s a short, sharp drop. And other times choices creep towards the edge unnoticed.

Hiding in plain sight and least sustainable of all are broken promises. We trip over them daily. Faulty products or services. Late deliveries. Missed meetings and deadlines. But whether the promise was made to customers, staff, suppliers or investors. Break them too often and you’re on a sure path to irrelevance. And when no one cares, you can’t sell what you make. Can’t find people to make it. Can’t source materials for it. And can’t attract investors to fund it—all unsustainable results.

Lurking in broken promises, fluffy or fabricated expectations are more kindling for the unviable fire. When I don’t know what to expect, there’s no gap. I simply fill it with what I think should happen. But there’s a rub. You won’t know what that is until you fail to meet it. And you will fail. Because those expectations are a mishmash of what others have done and what I’d like to happen. None of which have anything to do with how you’re wired to deliver. Sure, there’s stuff you ought to do. But can you? is a different question.

Rounding out the unviability trio of promises and expectations are unclear priorities. Here is where the rubber not only doesn’t meet the road, it veers off into the nearest ditch. And what I mean by clear is more than words. Although as a culprit, it’s a good place to start. Cue my confused dog face if you tell me to ‘maximise value creation and drive efficiency across teams’.

But meandering, jargon-riddled sentences are a symptom. The cause is a lack of clarity. Absent any deep work to understand what you’re saying, murky meaning becomes the default, and any chance of progress the casualty.

Remaining viable also requires staying steadfast. Even when people aim the fire hose of doubt your way. Recent Patagonia social media posts featured snippets of emails and messages from people criticising the company’s intent. Rather than dismissing the messages, it doubled down and shared how progress is a path, not a mountain top.

And perhaps the best lesson of all—the idea sustainability is not a destination. Where maintaining a steady pace of progress over years and decades takes uncommon commitment. One step, one choice, one promise at a time.

Which goes beyond the often empty mantra of sustainability (even when talking about the environment). It demands you think about what that looks like for you. What to keep and what to change. What promises you’re making. How to set clear expectations and priorities. All while keeping the faith in what matters most.

So as a prompt for progress and staying viable. Perhaps consider, how are you not sustainable?

Thanks for reading.