By Brian Flax

[Editor's note: GreenAndProfitable.com, one of my own sites, also offers workshops on going green, and on succeeding as a green business.

Going green and becoming eco-conscious is no longer a goal for just our personal lives. Many businesses now require their employees to consider the environment in their day-to-day business practices. The problem? Not everyone is eco-conscious, and it may be the last thing on the mind of your employees when they're stressed with deadlines and swamped with work.

If your goal is to get your employees in the green mindset regarding things that they do around the office, your best bet is to enroll them in a workshop. These workshops can help explain the benefits of being eco-conscious at the office, and how it can affect their lives and the company's image.

Let's take a look at how environmental workshops can help your employees go green around the office and at home.

Finding a Workshop

Your first step to enrolling your employees in green workshops is to find a consultant or company that offers workshops in your area. Experience Green is an example of an organization based out of Hilton Head, South Carolina, that focuses on promoting business practices that "influence the triple bottom line - people, planet, and prosperity."

Experience Green's workshops focus on helping your business save money through resource-use efficiency, implementing eco-friendly activities in both business processes and individual routines, and improving the quality of your employees' lives by promoting healthy living.

There are many companies and consultants like Experience Green that provide workshops. Conduct research and find out what's offered in your area. Once you've found an organization that meshes well with your company culture, think about setting up a free workshop for your employees. Although it may cost you money in the beginning, the savings you'll experience once your employees are on the green page will outweigh the initial cost.

Workshops and Courses to Consider

Focus on workshops that will benefit all of your business's employees, including managers, owners, and executives. If your goal is to have your entire office become more eco-conscious, ensure you include everyone in the training and development process.

Green Strides Consulting is another organization, based out of New York, that provides green and eco-conscious workshops for a variety of businesses. Their workshops include: 

• Your Roadmap to a Greener Organization and a Sustainable World
• Get Going, Get Green! 10 Steps to a Greener Office
• Flip the Switch - Turning on the Power of Human Behavior to Green Your Organization

It's important to set the goals you expect to achieve by including your employees, managers, and executives in eco-conscious workshops. If you're attempting to reduce the cost of using non-renewable resources, pick a workshop that focuses on those issues. If you are more concerned about your employees leading greener lives and your company image as a whole, pick a workshop that focuses on not only the benefits your business will receive, but also the personal benefits to those involved.

If you've never considered the process of going green, pick a workshop that focuses on the basics. Find courses that explore the environmental, societal, and economic benefits of going green - and what they could mean for your business.

Hold Everyone Accountable

Once you've gone through an eco-conscious workshop or course, hold everyone who attends accountable for their actions. Going green across an entire organization can be a lot of work, so you need to make sure that everyone starts doing their part. Don't make the process overly complicated. It can be a learning process for people to start changing their ways - especially when there are habits that must be broken.

Make the changes uniform across the organization and don't just hold employees responsible for implementing them. Owners, executives, and managers should be as much a part of the process as the rest of your staff. Make it easier by giving your employees the tools they need to do so.

Going green and becoming eco-conscious is a process that most likely won't happen overnight. Offering workshops and courses for everyone in your organization is a great way to start fostering change.

Brian Flax is a freelance writer based out of the Washington, D.C., area. He is experienced in a variety of topics, including education, technology, and the best online degree programs. Brian holds a bachelor's degree in entertainment business and a master's degree in education technology from Full Sail University.

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