Archive for January, 2009
The Dawning of a New Era?
Frank Brandauer
It would seem that this time the “economic” sky really is falling. The majority of Companies and their EHS programs have been severely impacted by the economy. It is anyone’s guess how severely and how long our programs will be affected.
Some, including Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer, are now suggesting that it is not about an “economic restart” but about and an “economic reset”. The next economic cycle may require that we adjust to a long period of fundamentally lower consumption and slow growth.
For most, right now the emphasis is on dealing with the need to provide fundamental EHS coverage with frozen budgets and reduced resources. Difficult as this may be, it is time to start to consider how we will meet and hopefully shape expectations in this new, and perhaps more sustainable, environment.
The only thing clear to me is that we, as a profession, need to network more than ever to find and share new solutions and approaches. How do you see this developing? How can NAEM function as a cost effective vehicle for this process?
Since you can’t travel, you might as well join in the discussion.
Leadership & Employee Engagement: An Overlooked Opportunity to Save Money?
What is the true cost of bad leadership and unengaged employees? In economic crunch times, perhaps this is an area where we can invest in good leaders and ultimately save significantly by retaining good talent and fostering a productive engaged workforce.
Obama appointments: A return to science? But what will they mean for industry?
Many are touting Obama’s Environmental appointments as a return to science-based decisions making, but little is being said about how those appointed will work with industry to achieve ambitious environmental goals.
