Role of the Environmental Manager in the Workplace Moderator: Joe Rosenbeck

Charge Should the environmental managers in the workplace be viewed as “change agents” who lead the workplace beyond compliance and ultimately toward sustainability? If so, how can they acts as change agents? How can they lead beyond compliance

Environmental, health and safety managers in the workplace are change agents who lead the workplace beyond compliance and ultimately towards sustainability. Change agent- A person whose presence or thought processes cause a change from the traditional way of handling or thinking about a problem. Business Dictionary. Dictionary of Business Terms. Copyright © 2000 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.Barron's Educational Series, Inc

How? Learn the business -From corporate to the floor

Know and use EHS management systems (institutionalize) –Vision and Mission statement –Goals & objectives –Performance measures –Evaluation and assessments –Business & operational controls –Corporate EHS reporting –Etc.

Make the business case –Identify opportunities, impact the bottom line –Incorporate quality tools –Lean thinking –Six sigma –Total quality

Understand the organizational structure (formal and informal, politics) Use risk based thinking Use consensus building? Relationship building Become a proactive educator –Management, employees

Facilitate employee involvement Craft your job Identify and use best practices Network with other industries (external benchmarking) Internal benchmarking

Identify low hanging fruit (build a track record) Be a salesman Identify stakeholders and know your audience Professional development / continuous learning

Skills & Knowledge Certification Formal education Professional training Communication Salesmanship

Traits Tenacity Passion Handle and work under pressure Leadership Credibility (build a tract record) Willingness to share knowledge and experience internally and externally (where appropriate?) Effective communicator

Influencing Factors? Not everyone or workplace is on the same page Industry location Size of company Government agencies Suppliers ISO

Influencing factors cont’ Vendors Community Market Position in the organization- EHS Mgr –Corporate –Plant –Etc.

Influencing factors cont’ Consensus standards Industry organizations –American Chemical Council –American Furniture Manufacturers Organization –Etc. –GEMI- Global Environmental Management Initiative –BSR- Business for Social Responsibility –Etc.

Steps Forward / Recommendations Further develop and refine this information –Use blog & other symposiums for feedback –Surveys –Develop a white paper or work product that can be published & disseminated –Incorporate into EHS curriculum (nationally)

Recommendations for Workshop -Opening exercise to frame workshop to get everyone on the same page –More specific guidance for workshop facilitators more focus ground rules and expectations for the workshops appropriate mix of guidance and participation handout summary and questions to focus workshop discussion appropriate mix of students and professionals –Better facilitation of pre-symposium activities encourage online discussion participation

Recommendations cont’ –One group per room –Laptop power- visual- need screen –Evaluate length of the workshops vs. focus –Draft results of the workshops before the second day- (students and facilitators) Would allow more time for participants to attend more that one summary session –Too much in one day- too long on day one

Workshop Positives Intent of symposium is right on target International presence Student and professional mix Provided motivation and inspiration Social & professional networking Size was appropriate Size of the workshops was good (10)

Participants Dan Hayes Heather King Rebecca Lathrop John Vana Aromake Afiegbe Joe Rosenbeck Terese Churchill