Paralysis By Analysis

Heifer.org is dedicated to solving world hunger. Their organization is not only effective, but they’ve developed a body of intellectual work around philanthropy that’s worth a read, if you’ve never checked them out you should. The organization posts thought pieces under their learning section and one passage really struck me.  I often wonder if the green building sector and more importantly the green building market is stuck in a mode of Paralysis By Analysis (I borrowed the graphic from Heifer.org, thanks). The writers desribe a condition we all know well. We know we should take action...we know how to make things better, but we’re also aware of the risks involved. We calculate the risks at the same time we calculate the benefits.

What if I promise we’ll be LEED Gold certified and we don’t make it?
What if I promise a 40% reduction in energy and we don’t deliver?

Even over at our podcast the very first episode was dedicated to managing client expectations and protecting building pros through professional liability. Our caution can lead to inaction, no one wants to over promise on green results. Cautious soft language dominates our websites and our literature. Statements like...(and I’m not quoting from anyone in particular here)

Gains in efficiency will significantly reduce energy consumption and therefore carbon footprint. 

Tepid. Uninspiring. Why Bother? This language makes our potential clients less enthusiastic about jumping into sustainability.

Couple that kind of language with conflicting reports in the media about the best initiatives in the industry, like LEED and Energy Star. Stories like these only foment cycles of misinformation and lead to further paralysis. Am I saying LEED or Energy Star or any competing standard is perfect? Couse not. What I'm saying is they're making progress. Progress should be something we're all after.

Imagine if we’d had the same kind of caution when it came to proliferating say, the automobile or the PC. What if Henry Ford had promised marginal improvement to our daily lives with the automobile? What if Microsoft’s goal had been to put a computer on 20-30% of the desktops in the world? These companies set bold goals. They had big ambitions larger than profit alone. They wanted to fundamentally change the world, change markets and improve people’s lives. Yes, they also stumble, remember the Ford Pinto? Remember Windows Vista?  Big companies with bold goals sometimes fail, but we must fail forward. Has the building industry created so many barriers to success that we are afraid to set bold goals? Are we afraid to change the world? Are we too afraid too fail forward?

There are some that will say the industry doesn't lack big vision. It lacks a big market. The argument goes something like:

There is no incentive (particularly in this economy) for building owners in the commercial world to take up the cause. They will lease their buildings to businesses and continue to make a profit on their building stock whether or not they improve it for the betterment of their clients, the nation, the globe or whoever.

To those people I would remind them of two things...

First, the buildings that are the most efficient, productive, healthy and well designed i.e. the best buildings will be leased first and at higher rates. Period.

Second, I would also quote the great Henry Ford...

The highest use of capital isn't to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life. 

So how bold should we be...

I can’t speak for the industry, but I can tell you Build2Sustain’s North Star Goal:

To make every commercial space in the United States sustainable.

Northstar goals are big and open ended by nature, but if we don’t start pursuing them...
 
Who will?