Archive for October, 2008
Getting Ready For What’s Next
Steve Ramsey
As EHS professionals faced with managing in the most brutal economic times any of us have ever known, I thought I’d kick off my posts with some practical thoughts on how to deal with what’s inevitably facing us.
You know what’s coming: budget and resource fights. You are going to be asked to “cut 10%” or “do more w/less” etc. After looking for the few discretionary things in your already meager budget you can postpone with out doing real damage, you push back. But how? Here are 3 practical approaches I would offer:
- Explain the difference between “nice to do” and “have to do”. The laws didn’t change and the regulators/enforcers aren’t declaring a compliance holiday. Now is the time zealous budget cutters wielding budget axes get companies in trouble. Use external and internal examples to show that compliance isn’t discretionary and bad things do happen when companies cut needed resources.
- Make the EHS productivity case. Find cost out opportunities (e. g. energy efficiency treasure hunts; waste reduction; lower I&I rates etc). EHS is not just “cost in”.
- Wrap what you do in the sacred banner of the day whether it’s sustainability initiatives or making sure you have REACH and ROHS right so you can avoid bans on your products or complying with a Consent Decree or compliance order.
“Not a team player” isn’t a label anybody wants. But now is the time EHS leaders and leadership are most important. It’s when we keep our bosses from doing the “stupid thing”. Sometimes EHS is a victim of its own success (something I’d like to explore in future blogs). Now is not the time to let that happen.
So, dish your techniques for keeping your budget and the places you found costs to take out that helped your case. Share your strategies and your concerns. In the EHS world both misery and success love company.
How “Sustainable” Is Your EHS Program?
Frank Brandauer
For the last couple years it seemed like all we heard about was Sustainability, everything from Sustainable Businesses, to Sustainable Products and Sustainable Energy. Based on the last couple weeks it appears the one thing that we do not have is a Sustainable Economy.
Given the severity of the economic meltdown and the inevitable fallout in terms of spending, resource cuts and layoffs the real question is “how sustainable is your EHS program?”
Is your program robust enough to survive without significant failures (releases, fatalities, violations, fines) or has it been “leaned” out to the point that you are already in trouble?
Can you rely on the strength and integration of your EHS Management Systems to see you through these hard times? While everyone’s answers will be different, I believe that we all have more in common than we may suspect.
If it turns out that you will need a fallback position, where do you draw the line? Something tells me that we will see a resurgence in talk about the importance of regulatory compliance and worker safety, two areas that are in reality the foundation of any sustainability program.
It’s time to start thinking about how to respond to questions like “How do you know that you are actually in compliance?” and you might want to also revisit your incident reporting and audit systems.
Truth is, we’ve been through tough economic times before—the problem is that I’m worried that it’s never been this severe before. Because of this, I think, if there’s every a time to get real, inventory your resources, and determine what is important and how you are going to deliver it, it’s now.
Does Your Work Suck?
Alex Pollock
Last week as I visited the business section of a bookstore in the Detroit Airport, two books caught my attention: “Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It” and “Love the Work, Hate the Job.”
As I read them it appears that the authors are calling for dramatic change in our workplace culture which suggests to me that the Corporate Executive mantra that “Employees are our greatest asset” is wearing thin. In fact, studies from the Gallup organization reveal that only 30% of US workers are “engaged at work (with similar gloomy statistics in other parts of the world).
I hope that these stats are not representative of the EHS profession but I fear they may be.
The book “12: The Elements of Great Managing” offers a wonderful reminder of the traits of a great workplace:
- I know what’s expected of me at work
- I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
- At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
- In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
- My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
- There is someone at work who encourages my development.
- At work my opinions seem to count.
- The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
- My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
- I have a best friend at work.
- In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
- This last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow at work.
The creation of great workplaces is essential to attract and retain the EHS talent we need. If we get this workplace culture right numerous benefits emerge: employee satisfaction, employee retention, superior safety performance to name a few.
Are these traits dominant in your workplace? If not, why not? What’s holding us back? What’s our message for “leaders”? What should “followers” be doing? We have a professional legacy for excellence to safeguard and creating a workplace culture that fully utilizes the talents of all people seems to me to be a key success indicator. Do you agree with me that we should be concerned about this greater lack of employee engagement and satisfaction and how it might be impacting the EHS profession?
Where is Corporate Sustainability amidst the “Wall Street meltdown”?
Carol Singer Neuvelt, Executive Director, NAEM
The professionals who are responsible for environmental, health and safety (EHS) regulatory compliance in their companies and institutions have been enjoying a lot of attention the last few years as a result of the focus on climate change and the emerging recognition by the “C suite” of the need to address sustainability as a business strategy.
EHS functions have been expanding to drive, influence and implement corporate sustainability strategies, but will the newly energized focus on corporate stewardship be thwarted by the melt down on Wall Street?
From where I sit, it’s hard to tell. On one hand, an increasing number of our member companies recently reported that they have some type of sustainability initiative underway, yet more and more of our professionals are also telling me that their companies have frozen budgets, reduced staffing, and stopped all non-essential travel.
Will sustainability be lumped under the “non-essential” category as the ripple effects of the Wall Street meltdown and a slowing global economy play out over the next few months and beyond? Or will CEO’s embrace corporate sustainability even more tightly as they look for ways to drive competitive brand value and cut costs through better resource management? What’s going on in your company in these areas?
I would be eager to hear how you, your company and your sustainability programs are being impacted by the current financial crisis.
