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Diana González

Five things I would never do as an environmental manager in an industry.

Updated: Jan 18, 2023



Many of you have surely seen this trend on Social Networks, mainly on TIKTOK. The five things I would never do as: and mention the area in which you have expertise. I don't do Tiktoks (yet), but having more than twenty years in the field, I couldn't resist writing this post that I hope will be useful. It would seem untrue that these things happen, but believe me it is quite common and they are many times they origin a cascade of legal problems that can cost a lot of damage.


1. I would never start a new work or activity without first analyzing its potential environmental impacts and having obtained the corresponding permits and authorizations.

"It is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission" is the motto that still prevails in the minds of those who are more inclined to do what's urgent than what is important and start either a new task, an expansion or a change in their industrial processes without taking into account the steps that must be complied on environmental matters well in advance.


2. I would never initiate an environmental procedure without knowing in depth its implications. Sometimes it is thought that it is very simple to start this type of procedure and that it is enough to fill out some form and entrust it to personnel who are not fully trained or who have not fully understood the nature of the project and the responsibility it entails. This sometimes translates into the issuance of permits that do not correspond to the project, that are made before non-competent authorities or requesting a type of authorization that is not the right one. Reversing these mistakes can be very expensive and take more time than you think.


3. Not continuously training my collaborators.

Continuous training will always be necessary to prevent problems, but it is important that this training is delivered with at least these two requirements:


(a) That the trainer be an expert in the application of the subject matter and...


(b) That he/she transmits his/her knowledge in a structured and adequate way for an adult audience, diagnosing what is missing, evaluating what was learned and motivating deeper learning.


4. Confusing having a good communication channel with having good communication.

I am referring particularly to the communication between the corporate and the plant.

There are companies where there is a world of distance between the plants and their corporate. In these cases, the plants perceive the corporate as a very distant figure in relation to what they face on a daily basis. The result: lack of reports or half-hearted reports of what is actually happening in the plant, feeling of a lack of support from corporate and therefore fear of reporting problems or mistakes, lack of control, resistance, opposition to decisions, etc. Creating a communication environment requires strategic and well-planned work.


5. Not having a clear and well permeated environmental culture in each and every one of the collaborators of my company.


There are many tools that help to reflect the environmental culture in the company, among which we find international certifications, certifications or recognitions by the authorities, as well as speeches, development and descriptions of the environmental policy. All these efforts are very positive and have proven favorable results, but it is also known that they are not enough. Processes are made for systems, not for conscience; environmental values must be clearly assimilated and even more, manifestly lived by all those who are part of your company.


These are just a few things that come to mind and that I would never do as a manager, CEO, or person in charge of a company regarding the environmental issue, but we all know that there are many more mistakes that are lived daily in this practice. I invite you to reflect on the ones you remember and how you could prevent them.

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