RBC Susty Dialogue Series Edition Five

RBC Susty Dialogue Series Edition Five: Event Report

1. INTRODUCTION

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That timeless Peter Drucker quote set the tone – not just for conversation, but for reflection – at the fifth edition of the Susty Dialogue Series, held on May 15th, 2025, at Baraza Media Lab. Hosted by Responsible Business Consulting (RBC), the session brought together over 30 participants – from corporates and SMEs to creatives, sustainability champions, academics, and ecosystem players – all gathering to explore what it truly means to embed a culture of sustainability in business and walk the talk. It wasn’t just about plans or policies – it was about mindset, behavior, and the unseen forces that shape how we lead and live sustainably every day.

Opening the night, Susan Njoroge, Managing Director at RBC and the evening’s moderator, invited attendees to reflect not just on what sustainability looks like, but where it lives within an organization. Referencing the iceberg model of organizational culture, she illustrated how most sustainability efforts focus on outcomes – the visible tip of the iceberg – while the real leverage lies beneath: in the structures that define how things operate, and even deeper, in the beliefs that drive how people think, feel, and act. She emphasized, “When an organization’s members (people) hold shared assumptions, beliefs about the importance of balancing economic efficiency, social equity and environmental accountability,” then, and only then, can sustainability become embedded, authentic, and lasting. Her message was clear: culture isn’t a campaign. It’s the water we swim in. And shaping it takes intention, consistency, and belief.

The panel discussion tied it all together with powerful personal and professional insights. The panelists challenged participants to shift systems, not just symptoms. One of them shared how Safaricom is rethinking leadership through sustainability. Another reminded us that people carry culture – and therefore must be nurtured, not managed.

The evening moved beyond rhetoric into intentional reflection. Participants were grouped around three burning questions

• In what ways can organisations engage employees in building a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility?
• What practices can a small or midsize business undertake to embed a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility?
• What is the one atomic (small) change you can make from tomorrow onwards to shape your organisational culture around sustainability?

These breakout sessions sparked deep, grounded conversations on real action: how to make culture stick, how to move past performative gestures, and how even the smallest shift – a new question in meetings, a changed policy, a team ritual – can nudge organizations toward authenticity.

As conversations flowed and ideas collided, one thing was certain: culture isn’t something we declare. It’s something we live. And when it comes to sustainability, walking the talk means shifting not only what we do, but what we believe. This edition of the Susty Dialogue didn’t just inspire new thinking – it dared everyone in the room to go deeper, start smaller, and lead better.

2. PANEL CONVERSATION

Panellists:

• Evelyne Serro – Senior Manager, Sustainability, Safaricom
• Doris Chelagat Muigei – Talent Strategist, Founder & Principal Consultant, Qazi Works
• Brian Munene – Founder and CEO, Africa Renewables Katalyst
• Moderator: Susan Njoroge, MD Responsible Business Consulting, Senior Associate – CISL

Q: What exactly is organizational culture, and what goes into creating it – whether good or bad?

One of the panellists described organizational culture as something both deeply human and inherently structural. While traditional definitions exist, they noted that culture is often felt more than defined – “the scent that lingers after the soup bowl is finished.” It’s the feeling in a room, the energy exchanged in interactions, the unsaid but collectively known vibe within an office. According to the speaker, culture is not only what people say, but also what people feel when they walk into your environment.

The panellist emphasized that while many businesses invest heavily in strategy, it’s culture that ultimately shapes whether those strategies succeed. In their words, “Culture isn’t just for breakfast – it’s for lunch and dinner too.”

To build or shape organizational culture, they outlined several critical drivers:

• Leadership behavior: What leaders praise, ignore, or punish become the reference point for everyone else.
• Artifacts: These are the visible signals of what the organization values – things like who gets the corner office, who receives recognition, or even what kind of coffee cups are used.
• Rewards and consequences: Promotions, praise, or disciplinary actions shape what is considered acceptable or admirable.
• Hiring choices: Who gets hired – and why – sends a message about the organization’s priorities.

They illustrated this with a story about recruiting for a CEO role in a company where sustainability is a core value. The unspoken test was simple: if the candidate could go ten minutes without mentioning sustainability or farmers, they weren’t the right fit. “We weren’t just hiring for skill,” they said, “we were hiring for belief.”

According to the panellist, shaping culture isn’t about policies – it’s about aligning daily behaviors, beliefs, and decisions with the values you claim to hold. Left unchecked, culture still forms – but likely not the one you want.

Q: What does sustainability culture actually look like in a company – and how can it be built?

A panellist with entrepreneurial experience shared that for founders and new businesses, culture begins from the very first action. Every small decision – from what’s rewarded to what’s tolerated – becomes part of the cultural DNA. “Even if you don’t shape your culture intentionally, it still forms,” they said.

They emphasized that while early-stage businesses may have culture from organically, maturity demands intention. You either shape it consciously or risk being shaped by default behaviors.

They identified several levers to intentionally build a sustainability-aligned culture:

• Leadership modeling: Founders and leaders must live the behaviors they want reflected.
• Artifacts and environment: Symbols, objects, and settings – such as who gets the biggest office or the most attention – subtly communicate what is valued.
• Reward systems: Promotions, bonuses, even who gets informal praise – these reinforce values or erode them.
• Hiring and onboarding: Bringing in people aligned with the sustainability vision helps embed it deeply and early.

To bring this home, the speaker gave another example from their experience recruiting for another company. In the interview process for a senior leadership position, they used a subtle filter: if a candidate didn’t naturally mention sustainability or farmers multiple times in a brief conversation, they likely weren’t the right fit. This wasn’t about keywords – it was about instinct. “If it’s in their language,” they explained, “then it’s in their mindset.”

Ultimately, culture-building is a mosaic – one built day by day, word by word, and habit by habit. Sustainability, they insisted, is not a department. It’s a way of being.

Q: How does sustainability culture show up within Safaricom, and how do you ensure it moves beyond risk and compliance into real organizational practice?

A panellist shared that Safaricom’s approach to sustainability is rooted in purpose – transforming lives. It is not driven by risk or compliance, but by a deep belief in doing what is right. Initially, their sustainability focus leaned toward risk mitigation: building a strong, future-proof business that could withstand leadership or market shifts. But since 2016, the company has shifted toward using sustainability to directly address societal challenges.

• Purpose-Driven Framework: Transforming lives is the anchor for all strategic decisions. Whether direction or leadership changes, this purpose stays central.
• SDG Alignment: In 2016, Safaricom undertook a rigorous process to prioritize 9 out of the 17 SDGs – aligning business impact with global goals.
• Tech for Impact: With a goal to become Africa’s leading purpose-led tech company by 2030, Safaricom is leveraging technology to improve access to health, agriculture, education, and financial inclusion. M-PESA, originally launched to promote financial inclusion, has evolved into a gateway for broader social and economic empowerment.
• Digital Inclusion: Programs like Lipa Mdogo Mdogo allow users to pay KES 20 a day for smartphones, while the East Africa Device Assembly Plant launched in 2023 reduces the cost of smart devices to reach more users.
• Measuring Societal Value: Through a True Value Analysis by KPMG, Safaricom quantifies its societal impact – reporting that in 2023, their social value was 16 times their reported profits.

The panellist emphasized that sustainability at Safaricom is not just embedded in systems – it is a living culture of doing more and doing it meaningfully.

Q: As a young founder building a renewable energy business in Kenya, what kind of culture do you want to create in your organization – and why?

One of the panellists shared that the culture they are building is anchored in the awareness of unintended consequences – the long-term negative outcomes of innovations that were once seen as revolutionary. They reflected on how discoveries like oil and the rise of tech giants such as Microsoft were hailed as groundbreaking, yet have led to serious environmental and systemic consequences. These reflections formed a core conviction: it’s not enough to innovate – we must interrogate the lasting impact of our actions.

They explained that through entrepreneurship training, they were introduced to the concept of unintended consequences early in their journey, along with the “five whys” method, which they use consistently to uncover the deeper reasons behind every business decision. This mindset ensures that their sustainability approach goes beyond surface-level goals.

Their organization’s mission is to eradicate energy poverty, but they emphasized that how they achieve this matters just as much as what they achieve. To build a culture of conscious sustainability, they shared the following approaches:

• Ask deeper questions continuously: Using the five whys, they reflect repeatedly on why a decision is being made, and what the potential ripple effects might be – ensuring clarity of purpose and alignment with their mission.
• Practice impact awareness at all levels: Whether hiring a team member or choosing a physical meeting location, they intentionally ask what consequences might arise from every action – however small.
• Integrate sustainability into daily thinking: Sustainability is not a separate goal or department – it is embedded into daily ideation sessions, operations, and leadership conversations.
• Adopt a posture of ongoing reflection: They believe that awareness leads to culture – and that being aware of the cost, benefit, and trade-offs of every step leads to a living, responsive sustainability culture.
• Reclaim African sustainability values: They firmly believe that sustainability was first practiced in Africa – communities lived it naturally before external systems branded it as outdated. They aim to revive and embody these values with pride and intention.

They concluded by emphasizing that their goal is to build something meant to last – not just in business success, but in integrity. A company that is deeply impactful, deeply conscious, and that does no harm in the pursuit of good.

Q: You previously spoke about elements that shape organizational culture. How can these same elements help prevent unintended consequences in organizations?

One of the panellists responded by first offering a real-life example from their work in cultural transformation. In 2017, they were tasked with leading a culture change process in a bank that had undergone multiple transitions. Upon joining, they encountered three distinct groups within the organization: Orange, Yellow, and Red. These weren’t performance categories – they were deeply rooted micro-cultures, each formed under different leadership eras.

They emphasized that many organizations focus solely on the broad idea of culture, but fail to pay attention to micro-cultures – the pockets of beliefs, behaviors, and identities that form within departments or teams. These subcultures, they warned, are often what silently undermine larger cultural goals and can be the breeding grounds for unintended consequences.

To prevent such outcomes, the panellist recommended two starting points:

1. Understand and engage with micro-cultures

• Micro-cultures exist in every organization – in teams like procurement or sales, where unspoken rules and norms govern behavior.
• These cultural pockets can carry their own assumptions and priorities that may go unnoticed, yet deeply influence how decisions are made.
• The panellist noted that these micro-cultures are powerful enough to bring an entire culture transformation effort to its knees if left unaddressed.
• They stressed the importance of listening beyond the surface – recognizing passive-aggressive dynamics and “the real meetings that happen after the meeting.”
• Sustainability efforts, they explained, must be localized to these small units if they’re to be truly effective.

2. Identify and empower culture carriers

• Culture isn’t built by policies – it is carried by people. According to the panellist, every organization has informal culture carriers – individuals who are passionate, values-driven, and lead by example in the smallest of ways.
• These are not necessarily senior leaders. They are often employees who are guided by personal conviction and everyday discipline: how they eat, how they dispose of trash, how they live mindfully.
• The panellist shared a personal example of how sustainability became deeply personal for them after losing their mother – and nearly losing her sibling – to cancer caused by long-term pesticide exposure on a family farm.
• This personal experience has shaped how they lead, how they question sourcing, and how they manage their team – down to “the micro-habits” that form day-to-day behavior.
• They cautioned against making sustainability appear inaccessible – as though it belongs only to those who are wealthy or “self-actualized.” They shared an interaction with a CEO who redefined sustainability simply by asking how they farmed, explaining that crop rotation and water care was sustainability – reframing the conversation into simple, lived practices.

They concluded by encouraging organizations to break down sustainability language and bring it closer to the people – especially by recognizing those who embody it quietly, every day. True sustainability, they said, isn’t always found in SDG reports – it’s often in the people whose lives have been touched by it, who live it not as a title, but as a choice.

Q: From your experience at Safaricom, how was sustainability embedded into the company’s culture – and how have you ensured that it stays consistent, even when leadership changes?

A panellist shared that at Safaricom, sustainability is not a buzzword or a departmental initiative – it is a daily lived reality. With a workforce of over 6,000 employees, sustainability is seen, touched, and practiced across the business. It is anchored in the organization’s enduring purpose: transforming lives. Regardless of leadership changes, targets, or strategies, this purpose remains the unifying thread.

They outlined several ways the culture of sustainability was built and continues to thrive:

1. Anchor everything to purpose

• The guiding purpose of transforming lives is not confined to foundations or CSR teams – it applies to every role, whether in HR, finance, or front desk.
• Regardless of external pressures or internal shifts, the commitment to show up for communities in meaningful ways has never changed.

2. Integrate sustainability into corporate strategy, not just reporting

• In 2016, as the MDGs phased out and SDGs emerged, Safaricom signed onto the global goals – not just symbolically, but through a painstaking review of all 169 targets to align them with their business model.
• From that process, they prioritized 9 out of 17 SDGs, selecting areas where they could drive the greatest transformation.
• Climate may not appear as a standalone SDG in their top list, but climate-related work is embedded throughout, particularly under innovation, their most significant SDG focus.

3. Apply a top-down, bottom-up embedding approach

• The company adopted a top-down, bottom-up approach to make sure sustainability didn’t remain abstract or siloed.
• It started at the executive level (ESCO), then cascaded across all 10 divisions, where each team was asked to identify which SDG aligned most closely with their day-to-day work.
• For instance, HR might focus on employee wellness (SDG 3) rather than climate, ensuring relevance and ownership.

4. Embed accountability through KPIs

• Every employee has at least one KPI linked to the SDGs, making sustainability remuneration-related and action-oriented – not just something discussed in workshops.
• This ensures personal responsibility at all levels of the organization.

5. Build internal sustainability champions

• Since 2016, Safaricom has identified SDG champions across departments – people passionate about the work, not just by position.
• Champions receive formal training (via a partnership with Strathmore University), and act as data sources and culture ambassadors within their divisions.
• New champions are onboarded over time, while others have remained consistent through the years.

6. Use creative, inclusive engagement tools

• Safaricom runs an annual SDG quiz, a competitive internal event used to assess and boost awareness of both global goals and company-specific priorities.
• This makes sustainability fun, accessible, and embedded into everyday conversations.

7. Evolve strategy while keeping purpose steady

• In 2023, the company refreshed its purpose pillars – consolidating from four to two: planet and people, both enabled by doing the right thing.
• SDGs remain the core implementation framework, and they now use the principle: people first, and reputation before revenue.

They concluded by affirming that leadership can change – but the company’s shared beliefs, values, and systems make sustainability a living culture, not a leadership-dependent agenda. At Safaricom, the principle of shared value drives every sustainability conversation – embedding impact into strategy, operations, and performance.

Q: As a founder of a young business, what role do you see yourself playing in shaping the culture of your organization, and what are you currently doing to define it?

One of the panellists reflected on how, in the early stages of founding their business, they quickly realized that they were the culture. Quoting another speaker, they acknowledged that before there was a team or a co-founder, the values and behaviors they envisioned for the business came solely from within. There was even a moment of humorous self-awareness: “I realized I’m like Webster – shooting for the stars and this is not even a movie.”

They shared several ways that personal belief systems and founder identity have shaped the culture of their company:

 1. The founder becomes the first culture bearer

• Before any team existed, they wrote down ideas about what they hoped the company culture would be.
• Over time, they realized that culture wasn’t theoretical – “I am the team, and if I am the team, then I am the culture.”
• Because sustainability mattered deeply to them personally, they made it their personal purpose – attending Susty Dialogues to internalize it as a way of life. That, in turn, shaped the company’s doctrine.

 2. Shared values with the co-founder shape the business DNA

• They emphasized that the culture of their business is shaped by the fusion of two belief systems – theirs and their co-founder’s.
• Together, they’ve formed a culture by vetting even small actions: “We don’t do things this way because I don’t even do that in my own home.”
• Much of the business has operated from their homes, so habits and integrity at a personal level translate directly into business decisions.

 3. Culture is enforced through ongoing personal accountability

• The co-founders regularly check each other on behavior:
  • “Are you realizing you spend money carelessly?”
  • “Do you see this will affect our being?”
  • “You give away too much information – this affects how people perceive our culture.”
• These conversations happen across all areas – from financial discipline to communication – and are tied to protecting the identity and integrity of the business.

 4. Culture is not imposed – it’s lived and observed

• New team members are not oriented through handbooks or formal policies.
• Instead, they join an existing rhythm: “You join my team, and you will see how we live.”
• The culture is embedded through practice, and it’s easy to spot people who either fit or don’t fit – “There’s an identity of ‘you’re really one of us’ – and if you’re not, it’s difficult to align.”

 5. Systems reinforce behavior and evolve the culture

• As more people join, they don’t try to enforce a structure on them. Rather, the team organically integrates into systems that reflect shared values.
• These systems – reviewed regularly – help implement and improve culture over time.
• Their final thought echoed a continuous loop of growth: “If sustainability matters to Munene, then I must make it matter to me – that’s how we grow.”

Questions from the audience:

Q: What would be the baseline for measuring what is material for a small SME compared to a larger business like Safaricom?
How do SMEs determine what sustainability means for them and how should they report it?

Answer:

One of the panellists explained that regardless of company size, the baseline for starting sustainability work – especially in identifying material topics – should begin with assessing:

• Impact to people
• Impact to the planet
• Impact to the economy

For example, a renewable energy SME should naturally consider the environment as a core material area. By evaluating the stakeholder ecosystem, small businesses can begin to map their most relevant topics.

They noted that reporting has become complex due to multiple overlapping standards – creating what they called a “cherry soup of standards.” However, a major positive shift is underway to harmonize global frameworks. In Kenya, a good reference point is the ISTAC roadmap launched in 2023, which aligns sustainability and financial reporting.

Key points include:

• Public interest entities (large organizations) must comply by 2027
• SMEs must comply by 2029
• Full assurance of sustainability data is required by 2032

SMEs should begin by reviewing the ISTAC (Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee) roadmap, which promotes consistency and comparability while aligning with Kenya’s financial reporting standards.

The panellist also acknowledged the continued use of GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) but emphasized that ISTAC and similar efforts are gradually building toward one unified African framework.

Q: How do you determine what’s material in terms of sustainability when you’re a small or growing business? What questions should be asked?

Answer:

Another panellist built on the previous answer, advising SMEs to ask themselves key practical questions:

• What inputs does your business depend on (e.g., water, electricity, food)?
• Will these inputs still be available in 10 years?
• What risks could climate change or scarcity introduce to your operations?
• What value are you offering to people, and why should they pay for it?

They emphasized that what is material today may change in 2–5 years depending on business growth or strategic shifts. It’s important for founders to reassess material matters periodically, especially after significant organizational changes.

They also encouraged SMEs to reflect on their practices and values, suggesting they align with the four UNGC (UN Global Compact) principles:

• Labour – Fair treatment and decent work conditions
• Human rights – Even paying household staff fairly counts
• Environment – Resource use, waste, and emissions
• Anti-corruption – Ethical business conduct

These four pillars provide a simple but solid foundation for building responsible and sustainable businesses, even for those just starting out.

Q: At Safaricom, how do you ensure that employees actually live out sustainability beyond office hours?
How do you avoid a situation where staff only act sustainably at work and not in real life?

Answer:

A Safaricom representative admitted this is difficult to measure. They don’t use surveillance tools or smart sensors to monitor behavior outside the office. However, they do focus on building culture and leveraging touchpoints that reinforce sustainability inside the organization.

Examples include:

• Branded waste bins across offices, which serve as daily conversation starters
• Ongoing training and internal communication on responsible behavior
• Employee volunteerism, where staff can apply for funding (up to KES 100,000) for personal or community-based projects
• Storytelling and visibility – Internal communications teams spotlight staff engaged in purpose-driven work beyond their roles

While they can’t control off-duty behavior, these tools foster awareness and help internalize sustainability values.

Q: Big companies can also be wasteful just by nature – how does Safaricom manage internal wastefulness and promote cost consciousness?

Answer:

The panellist explained that Safaricom has made cost leadership an “alive conversation” across the company. Staff are encouraged to treat the company’s money as if it were their own. Questions like “If this was your last coin, would you spend it this way?” are used to guide budget decisions.

Examples shared:

• Reduced overuse of branded items like T-shirts for tree planting; the panellist said she’s used the same shirt for years
• Teams are expected to work within strict budget envelopes and justify every expense
• There’s a visible culture shift from abundance to responsibility, and this is being reinforced in both team behavior and leadership decisions

Q: As a founder of a small business, how can I scale while protecting my core values and avoiding the same culture dilution seen in big companies?

Answer:

A founder in the audience reflected that SMEs have the unique advantage of curating culture early. They encouraged others to:

• Build a team around people who already understand and believe in sustainability – “You’re completing a puzzle, not starting from scratch.”
• Avoid onboarding people who need to be taught from scratch about sustainability values
• Protect identity by growing with people who align naturally, thus preserving company culture at scale

3: REFLECTIONS FROM THE PANEL DISCUSSION

Susan:

Today’s conversation was both grounding and energizing. It reminded us that culture is not crafted in strategy documents – it’s lived, observed, and felt in the day-to-day rhythms of an organization. We’ve heard that sustainability isn’t just something we “do,” but something we “are.” It’s not an isolated department; it’s how we treat our people, how we manage our resources, and how we make decisions – even the invisible ones.

From the very personal story shared on unintended consequences, to Safaricom’s structural embedding of SDGs into corporate strategy, it’s clear that sustainability is a mindset, not a mandate. We also heard from founders navigating their own journeys – that in the absence of large systems, the founder is the culture. Every action, belief, and even spending habit becomes a building block of the organization’s identity.

One reflection I carry forward is this: culture is shaped most powerfully when no one is watching. It’s in the waste bin choices, the language we use when correcting a colleague, the courage to call out behaviors, and the consistency to do the right thing – not because it’s enforced, but because it’s who we are.

We’ve also acknowledged the tension: big companies face the risk of performative sustainability, and small businesses risk burnout when trying to embed values deeply with limited resources. But across the spectrum, what stood out is the power of intentionality – and how clarity of purpose, when shared and practiced, can transcend leadership transitions, scale, or size.

As we head into our breakout groups, I invite you to reflect not just on what your organization does – but on what it permits, promotes, and protects. The three questions from our panellists are not just prompts; they are mirrors.

4. BREAKOUTS PLENARY FEEDBACK SESSIONS

Group 1 Breakout Session: In what ways can organisations engage employees in building a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility?”

They tackled this question and shared the following insights:

1. Employees can give anonymous feedback
   Allow staff to share ideas or concerns about sustainability without revealing their identity-it helps everyone feel safe and heard.
2. Induction or training
   Teach new and current employees the basic sustainable rules and have someone responsible for making sure they’re followed.
3. Let employees see the bonus of being sustainable
   Show them how being sustainable can benefit them personally-like saving money, better health, or recognition.
4. Having employees own it
   Let employees create and lead sustainability efforts so they feel like it belongs to them, not just something imposed by management.
5. Encourage a positive culture
   Celebrate and reward small efforts-appreciation builds a habit and keeps the momentum going.
6. Bring employees together
   Involve everyone when making the sustainability rules. People support what they help create.
7. Add appraisals
   Include simple sustainability goals in performance reviews-like using a bike or reducing paper waste-and reward those who try.
8. Show negative effects
   Share real examples of how unsustainable practices harm businesses and the environment, and how small actions make a difference.
9. Benchmark other companies
   Look at companies already doing well in sustainability and learn from what’s working for them.
10. Invest in the future
    Support the younger generation to be responsible-this could be through school outreach or education programs.
11. Simplify the SDGs
    Break down the Sustainable Development Goals into simple language that the common mwananchi or employee can understand and apply at work or home.

Group 2 Breakout Session: What practices can a small, mid-size business undertake to embed a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility?

They reflected deeply on this and highlighted the following practical approaches:

1. Go back to the basics
   Revisit the small, everyday decisions: Who are we hiring? What kind of cups are we using? Where do we source our furniture? Culture is built through our day-to-day decisions.
2. Prioritise inclusive sourcing
   Make deliberate efforts to source products or services from women, youth, and disadvantaged groups.
3. Leverage internal skills
   If hiring a sustainability manager isn’t feasible, tap into the existing skills of team members and include sustainability as part of their routine roles.
4. Incentivise without money
   Motivate teams using non-monetary rewards. For example, offer upskilling or training opportunities to employees who consistently practice sustainability.
5. Track your actions
   Measure what you’re doing. Seeing progress helps teams stay motivated and push for more impact.
6. Make sustainability make business sense
   Focus on creating measurable impact and align your sustainability efforts with the organisation’s business goals.
7. Simplify the language
   Avoid jargon. Break down sustainability concepts into everyday language that all employees can understand and relate to.

Group 3 Breakout Session: What is the one atomic (small) change you can make from tomorrow onwards to shape your organisational culture around sustainability?

They shared the following reflective and action-driven ideas:

1. Start with people
   Sustainability begins with individual action. Ask yourself, “What am I doing to shape our culture of sustainability?”
2. Demystify sustainability
   Break it down-what does sustainability really mean in your daily work and behavior?
3. Communicate and collaborate
   Promote teamwork and open communication around sustainable habits, e.g. reminding teammates not to leave lights on unnecessarily.
4. Offer sustainability training
   Equip staff with the knowledge and tools to understand and live out sustainability at work and at home.
5. Adopt a mindset shift
   Sustainability is about how we think. Are we re-evaluating our lifestyle and daily decisions to align with sustainable living?
6. Be a role model
   Lead by example. Let your actions speak sustainability before your words do.
7. Nip misinformation early
   Stop harmful narratives, gossip, or misleading information before it spreads and affects the culture.
8. Address toxic behavior
   Reflect on your influence: are you contributing positively or creating a toxic work environment that undermines sustainability?
9. Integrate sustainability into leadership communication
   Ensure senior leaders talk about sustainability in real, visible ways-not just in reports, but in everyday conversations.
10. Reverse mentorship
    Let junior staff mentor seniors on new ideas, especially around sustainability, innovation, and digital behavior.
11. Own the sustainability story
    Everyone in the organisation should believe in and embody the mission-just as Safaricom’s staff rally behind their shared sustainability narrative.
12. Communicate sustainability clearly
    The way management speaks about sustainability sets the tone. Make sure it’s consistent, relatable, and actionable.

5. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ‘RBC SUSTY DIALOGUE SERIES’ EVENT FIVE

The conversation ended with a question that lingers in every hallway: “Does Kenya have a culture of treating people well?” The answer? Yes and no. While we’re known for our warmth and generosity, we also normalise hustle culture, burnout, and inequity. But there is hope. We are learning, iterating, and moving forward. And in that learning, there’s an invitation-to be honest, to fail fast, and to rise better.

This fifth edition of the RBC Susty Dialogue Series was anything but business as usual. With the theme “Embedding a Culture of Sustainability in Business – Walking the Talk”, the evening pushed past buzzwords and policy to explore how culture truly lives in organizations. What does it take to embed sustainability so deeply that it outlives leadership changes, strategies, or trends? That was the heartbeat of this session.

From startups to corporates, all voices at the table echoed a common truth: culture is not a memo or a poster on the wall. It’s shaped in meetings, reflected in who gets hired, sustained in what gets celebrated, and-most importantly-felt in the behaviors and beliefs of people. Susan Njoroge, the evening’s moderator, set the tone by challenging participants to consider where sustainability really lives in an organization. “Culture,” she reminded us, “isn’t a campaign. It’s the water we swim in.” Below are the key takeaways from the conversation:

• Sustainability Culture Is Built, Not Stated

Embedding sustainability into business is not about having the right strategy-it’s about shaping the right culture. Culture is formed by the behaviors we reward, the habits we tolerate, and the values we model every day. Building a culture of sustainability means aligning what we believe with how we behave-especially when no one is watching. It’s in the quiet choices: how we treat people, how we spend, what we prioritise. Culture is what lingers long after the policies are forgotten.

• Purpose Must Outlive Leadership

Sustainability must be deeply anchored in a business’s purpose-not in its people. When the purpose is clear, sustainability continues even as leadership changes. Embedding it into organisational strategy, team KPIs, and daily operations ensures that sustainability becomes part of the company’s DNA. This is how purpose-led organisations survive transition and thrive long term.

• Unintended Consequences Must Be Anticipated

Building a sustainable business demands asking hard questions-not just about what we do, but what ripple effects our actions may cause. Every idea, hire, or decision must be evaluated through the lens of long-term impact. Avoiding unintended consequences means continuously questioning “why,” again and again, until we uncover the truth beneath every assumption.

• Micro-Cultures Shape Organisational Health

Organisations are not monoliths-they are ecosystems of micro-cultures. Every department, team, or branch carries its own set of beliefs, habits, and informal rules. These micro-cultures often determine the real success or failure of company-wide sustainability goals. Leaders must pay attention to the quiet corners-procurement, sales, operations-and ensure alignment across the board.

• Simplifying Sustainability Language Is Key

Sustainability shouldn’t feel out of reach. The language we use must be simple, human, and accessible. Employees at every level should be able to see themselves in the conversation. Breaking down the SDGs into relatable, everyday behaviors fosters a sense of ownership and understanding. When sustainability is demystified, it becomes something everyone can live-not just something the “experts” do.

• Reverse Mentorship Can Drive Culture Change

Younger employees often carry fresh ideas and strong values around sustainability. Creating safe spaces for junior staff to mentor senior leaders fosters shared learning and breaks down hierarchies. Reverse mentorship isn’t about age-it’s about openness. Organisations that embrace this build more adaptable, inclusive, and future-facing cultures.

• Founders Must Embody the Culture They Wish to See

In MSMEs and startups, founders are the culture. How they speak, spend, show up, and handle feedback becomes the model for the entire team. If sustainability matters to the founder, it must first be practiced at home before it can be expected in business. Culture cannot be forced-it must be lived, and that begins with leadership alignment at a personal level.

• Onboarding Should Reflect Culture, Not Just Tasks

New employees shouldn’t just receive a job description-they should be immersed in a way of life. Instead of orientation manuals, let them experience sustainability through how the team works, thinks, and makes decisions. This approach helps teams retain authenticity and build cohesion as they grow.

• It’s Possible to Scale Without Compromising Values

Scaling a business doesn’t have to dilute its culture. Organisations must be intentional about hiring people who align with their purpose and values from the beginning. Embedding sustainability into recruitment, appraisal, and training ensures that values grow alongside profit.

• Monitoring Employee Behavior Beyond the Office Is Complex-but Culture Helps

While businesses can’t track every off-duty behavior, strong internal culture leaves a lasting influence. Creating a work environment where sustainability is celebrated and practiced daily increases the chances that employees will carry those values home. Real culture shapes people-even when no one’s watching.

• Cost Leadership and Sustainability Are Connected

Sustainability is not just about planting trees-it’s about how we use resources every day. Shifting from abundance to stewardship means treating company budgets like personal wallets. Practices like reusing branded materials, reducing unnecessary costs, and encouraging responsible consumption help embed sustainable thinking into financial decisions.

• Materiality Must Be Contextualised for SMEs

Small businesses must evaluate what matters most in their context. Impact on people, planet, and the economy should guide sustainability focus areas. Businesses should also embrace emerging reporting frameworks like those from ISSB and ISPA to guide their compliance journey, without being overwhelmed by complexity.

• Sustainability Begins with Self-Awareness

Sustainability isn’t just policy-it’s personal. It shows up in how we manage waste, treat domestic workers, or spend money. A truly sustainable culture starts with individual reflection, then spreads through example. HR practices, governance frameworks, and leadership expectations must reflect this deeper commitment.

Susan gifted each panellist a copy of Who Moved My Cheese . This timeless book on mindset and change, captures the importance of letting go of fear, embracing change, and continuously seeking new opportunities—core attitudes necessary for cultivating a resilient organizational culture and growth-oriented mindset. It helps readers recognize their own resistance to change and provides insight into how cultural transformation begins with personal transformation.

This dialogue left us with a simple truth: sustainability is not a job title-it’s a way of showing up. It’s in how we spend money, treat people, run meetings, and question our assumptions. And whether we’re a team of two or two thousand, the work starts with us.

Let’s keep walking the talk. Together.

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