Since it’s already been more than 2 years since teleworking has become the norm in our western societies, we have had to adapt and for that, our use of digital tools has changed and evolved. We now use many tools, applications and websites to encourage cohesion, productivity, communication, information sharing… The role of the manager in normal times, and even more so in times of crisis, is to make sure that his employees are trained and operational in order to be able to fulfil their missions as well as possible. Alongside this “ship captain” function, the manager can, and in our opinion must, also have a global vision of the positive and negative impacts generated by his company’s activity and management.
Among the essential practices of all companies, we can mention the use of digital technology with a permanent recourse to the Internet, technological tools, emails… And yet today, no one can ignore the fact that our digital activities have a real negative impact on the environment. Indeed, it has been estimated that digital activities are responsible for 4% of greenhouse gases (more than air traffic). At the same time, in France, a Digital Barometer study of November 2019 conducted with the Telecom Regulatory Authority (Arcep), the General Council for the Economy (CGE) and the Digital Agency showed that 62% of French people consider the Internet and technologies as a threat to the environment, 80% would like to be able to reduce the ecological impact of their equipment and 69% would be ready to change their practices.
These figures are rather encouraging and hopeful, but how can we change our practices when we don’t already know what we are doing right or wrong and especially if we don’t know how to do it better or less?
This is precisely why The Good Manager project was developed! To be able to propose new tools, alternative methods, a different approach to our online behaviour so that it is more inclusive, more accessible and less energy consuming. But also and above all to start thinking about the impact and usefulness of our online practices. So that business leaders, managers and all of us can be in a position to know and understand how to optimise our online behaviour. This project is therefore a first step towards digital sobriety in the world of work.
Flyer vector created by teravector – www.freepik.com
Maybe a small step for us but a big step for the planet? Who knows!
What have we been developing in the project?
First of all, users can already check out our eco-designed and accessible project website that gathers the developing resources of the project and the dissemination activities in the 5 languages of the partnership (English, Bulgarian, Spanish, French and Italian).
One of the resources that users can already find on the platform is a European database of projects and professionals that have implemented ‘good practices’ within one or more of these areas: digital inclusion, sustainability of digital services/products, and accessibility of digital services/products. This database is presented in the form of an interactive map and will continue to be enriched throughout the course of the project. You can check it out here: https://thegoodmanager.eu/en/good-practices. The database even allows users to submit a good practice themselves – either their own or another organisation’s!
If this topic interests you and you would like to check out 3 micro-learning modules that we’re developing on eco-design, accessibility and the management of sustainable and inclusive digital projects, then stay tuned by following our project website: https://thegoodmanager.eu/en/ on eco-design, accessibility and management of sustainable and inclusive digital projects.
Website: thegoodmanager.eu
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An Erasmus+ project in collaboration with: Les Apprimeurs (France), NIKANOR LTD (Bulgaria), DOMSPAIN CONSULTING SL (Spain), ISTITUTO DEI SORDI DI TORINO (Italy)