Val Grubb & Associates - The Office Operations Problem-Solvers

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Best Buy’s Women’s Leadership Forum (aka WOLF) previously, and I was excited to be selected to participate in a study on the future of electric vehicles. Eight women in NYC were turned loose on the city streets with our own light blue speedster (check out yours truly below). Our mission: provide feedback to Best Buy on the bike and its viability as a mode of transportation within the city.

Before being approached by Best Buy, I had no idea electric bikes even existed. I was quite familiar with electric car options; however, most of my knowledge was concentrated in the office environment. I was amazed by the wide range of Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) available for consumers. The “sweet spot” for LEVs are trips less than 10 miles, which certainly fits the typical Manhattan lifestyle.

Although I had read numerous articles citing the advantages of an electric bike, I was still a bit nervous about taking to the bike path alongside cabs, delivery trucks and the 16 million people who work in Manhattan on a daily basis. After a few initial starts and stops (I had not been on a bike in 20+ years!), I was off and cruising at speeds up to 20 miles an hour! I felt like I was flying as I zoomed past hearty souls actually pedaling. What freedom! What power! I rode with reckless abandon right up till I found myself on the loop entrance to the West side highway! For anyone who has not been to NYC, that is a REALLY bad place to be! I survived, although not without a lot of horn-honking, squealing tires and colorful adjectives thrown my way.

All the frivolity and fun aside, if you’re looking for ways to increase your
exercise (even just a little), save money on your commute, help the environment and easily find a parking space, it’s worth checking to see if an electric bike will work for you. My bike is priced around $900, although you’ll also need to purchase a helmet and bike lock. The battery (right) takes a few hours to charge, and lasts for eight hours. With the weather turning cold, I won’t be able to use it for much longer; however, it will definitely come in handy to commute to my clients once spring arrives. By using the electric power, I won’t get sweaty and an inflatable helmet won’t mess up my hair either! (BTW, watch the video of the inflatable helmet. It is the craziest thing I have EVER seen!)

Next week: Back to more traditional management skills. We’ll review how you can facilitate a meeting that gets the results you need, without wasting valuable time.

Your organization is eco-conscious: your space is LEED certified, your employees use green benefits and you recycle everything. But…what about the services your organization provides or the products it creates? To be green to the core, you cannot afford to ignore these initiatives:

Evaluate Your Product or Service Lifecycle

Consider the entire lifecycle of your products or services, from extraction to distribution and consumption to waste. The goal is to be green through and through, not just during one phase of development. Pioneer good products or services, rather than less bad ones.

Improve Your Processes

When assessing your carbon footprint, look beyond your four walls to the complete cycle of your product or service, including third-party vendors, suppliers and customers. If you produce a product that a customer purchases only to use and release a ton of CO2 emissions, is it a green product, even if it was sustainably manufactured? Of course, the answer is no.

Employ an Eco-Insider

Consider hiring or contracting with someone to help you navigate the environmental maze. The category has a variety of titles: environmental expert, renewable energy engineer, heath and safety advisor, to name a few. To learn more, simply type “environment” into major recruitment sites or hire a recruitment agency that specializes in the field.

Offset What’s Left

You still need some paper. And you need to travel sometimes. Consider making a donation to the earth in the name of that flight you took last week. You can purchase carbon offset credits for those unavoidable business practices that are less than environmentally friendly. By analyzing your product and service lifecycles and processes, hiring an expert and offsetting the things you can’t avoid, your organization will go beyond the surface — ensuring you’re green throughout.

Your office recycles almost everything and always buys 100% recycled paper. However, you still can’t shake the feeling that your green light could be burning brighter. No problem, you’ve grabbed some low-hanging fruit, so take your time to linger the over the following longer lead items:

Put it in Writing

Ensure the environment a workplace priority by making eco-friendly policies such as a paper reduction official. Communicate your new policies the green way – email or post them on your intranet.

Behold Better Bathrooms

Company bathrooms account for up to 75% of water consumption in most workplaces.  Upgrades can be as simple as fixing leaks and retrofitting low flow fixtures in your existing bathrooms. Even simpler? Post signs to remind employees turn off the faucet.

Offer Eco-friendly Compensation

Extend your eco-commitment to your employee benefits packages by offering socially responsible 401K funds, green transportation subsidies, and paid time off for volunteering. Current employees and future hires will appreciate your dedication to the environment (and the benefits!)

Re-think, Relocate, Renovate

Green options abound when you’re considering a new space, or renovating the one you have. Encourage eco-friendly commuting by installing bike racks, showers and choosing a site close to public transportation. Do away with dark interior paint, and fully or partially retrofit with energy efficient fixtures including motion sensor lights. When shopping for leases, look for LEED certification. When your organization expands its commitment to the environment, consider your carbon footprint beyond basic recycling: Look at broader green initiatives such as policies, employee compensation and office space.

Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on Going Green

It’s an environmental jungle out there. Everyone has something to say about “going green.” Where should the average small or medium-sized business begin? I say reach up and grab some low-hanging-fruit that can immediately reduce your organization’s carbon footprint:

Make Recycling Robust

Place recycling bins everywhere.  Chances are, people won’t go out of their way — so make recycling convenient. And remember that recycling goes beyond paper these days.  Include recycling for plastic, glass, cell phones, batteries, ink cartridges & toners, and electronic equipment.

Think Local

States, cities, municipalities and officebuildings all have different ideas about what can be recycled and how to recycle it.  To make sure your recycling doesn’t go to waste (literally), find out about regulations in your area. And don’t forget to communicate your plan to cleaning personnel!

Be an Informed Buyer

When buying paper, make sure it’s chlorine-free with 80% to 100% recycled content. Many large discount retailers now dedicate sections of their websites to green products.  Purchase non-toxic cleaning products and ditch the plastic utensils —substitute reusable kitchenware such as coffee cups. Green products are often slightly more expensive, so buy in bulk to offset the cost.

Green Your Office — Literally

The EPA estimates that indoor air pollutionis one of the top five environmental public health risks today. By bringing plants into your office, you can naturally purify the air, reduce employee stress and create an inviting space.  DIY is not required: there are plant delivery and maintenance providers for every size and budget.

By implementing robust recycling, ensuring that waste gets to the right place, buying recycled products and detoxing your office with plants, you will be making an important step towards a greener environment — for your office and the world beyond.