I am different from my family in many ways. To me the most striking difference is in our disparate aptitudes. If you conduct a quick internet search on Buzz Nitschke or Bear Nitschke you will quickly see the athletic prowess of the sports royalty that I am genetically linked to. Both my father and brother played in the baseball minor leagues as catchers. They are both big, coordinated and look like semi-trucks with legs. I remember watching my massive brother, Bear, play a high school game before he was scouted by the pros. A runner on third made the poor choice to try to run down the catcher. My brother, with ball in glove, planted his size thirteen feet and braced for impact. The runner ricocheted off my brother’s shin guards. Not only was the kid out, but he concussed himself.
My abilities are opposite. Whereas in high school both my father and brother lettered in baseball and football, I lettered in Academic Decathlon. Everyone has their own sport. Mine is testing; I like to see how I score. As a “decathlete” I know that my sport is not for everyone. Most people loathe testing, finding their score and being ranked against their peers.
I think dislike for testing and being ranked is why most people look at sustainability program evaluations, ESG reporting, or reporting in general, with extreme aversion. The reality is that testing and reporting are not hard (it is the collecting of data or the studying people detest). People hate the public nature of the scoring and are exhausted (not energized) by the effort it takes to generate the score.
When you know you are going to take a test, you prepare. You learn the material that is going to be covered. You might form a peer group to quiz each other and share notes. And you train. It is not that different from being an athlete and practicing.
Why don’t we approach our sustainability program evaluations with the same rigor and preparation as athletes do when training? What would our scores look like if we did? You are already at least slightly competitive, so why not direct that energy to activity that achieves a better result? Do not just react to an annual assessment like it is a surprise. When most of the reporting is in or almost complete, it is a great time to start your planning for next season. Study, prepare, and dominate the test. I would love to see you “letter” in Energy Star Portfolio Manager or ESG.
