November 18, 2025
EHS and sustainability (EHS&S) professionals bring passion for the work, subject matter expertise and a problem-solving mindset to their jobs. However, getting others (such as the Board, C-suite, other functional leaders and all employees) to buy in and become engaged are often outside a technical professional’s comfort zone.
How do you unlock the ability to met these challenges? Through clear, audience-friendly communications, compelling storytelling and the ability to connect with people and ideas. The message and the approach of the messenger are equally important.
Those were among the key takeaways at a session I moderated last month at the EHS and Sustainability Management Forum 25 sponsored by the National Association for Environmental Management (NAEM). The session was titled “Win Over Skeptics and Other Stakeholders with Effective (Internal) Communication.” I had three top-notch panelists – experienced EHS&S professionals who are also strong communicators, storytellers and connectors as a result of lessons learned along the way:
- Alex Crooks, site environmental manager, Applied Materials
- Doug Mazeffa, sustainability director, Lincoln Electric
- Bryan Newton, director, EHS, Yahoo
They provided tips and examples for how to prepare for discussions with key internal stakeholders, engage them during meetings and ensure follow-up moves everyone forward toward a common goal.
Preparing to engage with key internal stakeholders:
- Build mutually beneficial, trust-based relationships with key allies and counterparts before their help is needed to make something happen. Sometimes, it’s best to “communicate through others,” providing the talking points for credible partners to help move an idea forward.
- Develop key messages or an “elevator pitch” in advance and practice your delivery.
- Know the audience – backgrounds, motivations, priorities and preferred ways of working and collaborating.
During discussions or meetings:
- Speak their language, especially thinking about how much technical rigor the audience can handle – technical knowledge and data are often not enough so be prepared with experiential examples (tell a good story).
- Look for opportunities to link a new initiative to a strategy or program that has already been approved and is working.
- Utilize active listening and “read the room” (including body language) to determine if and how to pivot to a different approach for making the case for a change.
- Anticipate the tough questions and objections and have talking points in mind for how to address them.
In the follow-up:
- Follow through on next steps, including keeping the team updated, securing approvals and managing the timeline.
- Share ownership and credit for ideas that work out well, and acknowledge any shortcomings.
- Communicate the ultimate impact, especially “quick wins” and when there is a win-win solution that goes beyond EHS and sustainability benefits.
Want to learn more about how to fine-tune your communication, team building and engagement around sustainability? Contact me at glabar@dix-eaton.com.
