Skill Set

I recently did some "digital housekeeping" (a.k.a. deleting the avalanche of unread emails that collects almost overnight in one's inbox) and found some interesting stuff amid the dregs of e-waste. One of the interesting gems was a paper by the International Society of Sustainability Professionals called The Sustainability Professional: 2010 Competency Survey Report. Key findings of the report included that the top challenges of sustainability professionals were:

1. Establishing the value of sustainability


2. Dealing with issues related to climate change


3. Building support among stakeholders


4. Financing sustainability activities

Not really anything different, then, between sustainability professionals and sustainable meeting/event professionals in terms of key challenges. We are part of the brotherhood -- or sisterhood, as anyone in the events industry knows that about 80% of us are women. The top-ranking hard skills needed by sustainability professionals were listed as:

1. Strategic Planning
2. Systems thinking
3. Project management
   

Now, sustainable meetings/events professionals have number three down, no problem...but what about items 1 and 2? How good are many of us, really, when it comes to strategic thinking and systems thinking? How many of you are --right now -- scratching your head and wondering what exactly is meant by "systems thinking"? This might be an opportunity for improvement.

The top soft skills were:

1. Communication with stakeholder
2. Problem solving
3. Inspiring and motivating others

One thing is certain; we are good communicators. But do we communicate with the right people to ensure that our events are living proof of sustainability, and that they create sustainable transformation in our attendees, our organization, and our communities? Do our events help to inspire others to create sustainable change? And are we as adept as we could be at feeding solutions forward to be better at problem solving in the future?

The report also mentioned a white paper produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development. They listed the tools, skills and beliefs for sustainability professionals. Using this as inspiration, I created my own list for sustainable event professionals:

Tools:

1. APEX/ASTM Green Meetings Standards (measurement, logistics)
2. ISO 20121 sustainability in event management (management)
3. Global Reporting Initiative event sector supplement (reporting)
4. Personal networks
5. Social media (like Facebook or Twitter)
6. Green Meeting Industry Council
7. Country-specific standards, like Canada's Z2010

Hard Skills:

1. Project management (building on a core skill)
2. Operational excellence
3. Knowledge management
4. Network management
5. Supply chain management
6. Financial analysis/budgeting
7. Technology savvy

Soft Skills/Belief Systems

1. Inspiring and motivating others
2. Ethics
3. Respect for environment and community
4. Influencing strategy
5. Understanding the value of face-to-face
6. Knowing meetings transform human relationships and communities

Sustainable event professionals have an opportunity to create transformational change in our communities. Let's make it happen.