3.18.2011

Reintroducing EHS/S in Your Organization

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will see that there are many exciting advances in our field that go way beyond our compliance and technical roots. With the evolution of CSR, sustainability, and systems thinking, for example, there are many ways EHS/S can contribute and make a difference in organizations, beyond traditional compliance and risk management.  There is a new context evolving; a new EHS/S space is available for capture.

To do this, at some point you will need to think about how you will reintroduce EHS/S.

Let’s face it, the EHS/S department, function, and staff is not always popular. With our background in regulatory compliance and with a technical focus, we can be viewed as enforcers, cops, nags, etc., and we don’t always do a good job in communicating purpose and value. This history needs to be addressed and the evolution from it needs to be demonstrated. Another challenge is that even within a new context for EHS/S, there are very real compliance and risk management requirements that must be met. Even so, there are ways to do this and provide leadership. Read More

4.19.2010

A Multi-Dimensional Perspective for EHS, Building and Leveraging Your EHS Culture

Organizational culture is complex, and according to many experts, not well understood. EHS professionals often think about culture in terms of safety. Yet, while safety is clearly important, the topic of culture is all-encompassing.

An area that I continue to explore is how EHS departments and their professionals can impact overall organizational culture. Said another way, how can you build and leverage your EHS culture?

I recently heard Professor Ed Schein of MIT, regarded as an organizational culture pioneer, speak. The title of his lecture was, “From Managing Organizational Culture to Leading Multicultural Teams.” He discussed the ways in which his thoughts on organizational culture have evolved over the past several decades and reviewed some of the material in the soon-to-be-released 4th edition of his landmark book, Organizational Culture and Leadership.

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3.30.2010

EHS as Leaders in Corporate Responsibility

A recent publication from the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship contains information on the Center’s 2009 survey of 756 small, medium and large companies across the United States. The survey demonstrates the increasing importance of Corporate Citizenship, Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Social Responsibility (CC/CR/CSR) in organizations.

It is important for EHS Professions to track these issues.  I am seeing a growing number of companies where the EHS Function is being functionalized and/or marginalized by CC/CR/CSR efforts.  In these early stages of CC/CR/CSR formulation, there is the potential for diminished influence of the EHS Function.

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