Applying Vision, Team Work and

1
P2 - More Than Technical Solutions
Applying Vision, Team Work and Creative
Problem-Solving to Implement P2 and Achieve
Sustainability
C2P2 Roundtable - St. Johns, Newfoundland June
7, 2001
By Colin McKean, Global Environmental Management
Systems Ltd. Victoria, BC
2
Central Thesis One important barrier to P2 is
the inability of organizations to 1) generate a
vision of environmental sustainability 2) work
collaboratively in teams towards vision 3) use
problem solving processes to foster creativity
Recent National Report Supports Thesis PMs
advisory council on science and technology
concluded Canadians Lack Soft Skills.
Executives pointed to persistent shortages in
management and essential skills, especially
teamwork and oral and written communications
Stepping Up Skills and Opportunities in the
Knowledge Economy
3
P2 creates opportunities for change toward
sustainability however, the more radical the P2
Option, the more difficult to develop and
implement
Sustainability
P2 Option 3
Radical
P2 Option 2
P2 Option 1
Benefits
Change
Conservative
Difficulty Perceived Risk
4
To help overcome the resistance to radical P2
Options at the operational level, three
important soft skills are needed in a P2
Program
Shared Vision Ideal future state for the
organizations that is consistent with the
principles of environmental sustainability.
Team Work Use of cross-functional teams to
develop and implement P2 solutions.
Creative Problems Solving Mechanisms to
challenge paradigms and think outside the box.
Note Leadership is a barrier at the Executive
Level
5
Vision

• Definition from the Greek To See.
• Describes where you want to be - not your
  mission.
• Approaches
• Conservative embraces mediocrity.
• Aggressive describes sustainability and ideal
  future state for the organization.
• Examples
• Link to Environmental Policy, Objectives, Targets

6
Role of Vision in Basic Planning Structure
Current State Assessment - Environmental Aspects
Vision that embraces Sustainability
Creative Tension
P2 key mechanism to bridge tension
For an excellent article on vision, see Peter
Senges book entitled The Fifth Discipline and
the chapter on Personal Mastery
7
Team Work

• Definition work collaboratively toward common
  goal
• We all have different Team Personalities
• Analytical (e.g., Spok)
• Control (e.g., any MP - just watch Question
  Period)
• People (e.g., nurses)
• Creative (e.g., Robin Williams)
• Apollo Teams
• Successful teams - mix - everyone contributes
• Most common team problems
• no common goal (vision)
• inability to communicate - especially creative
  people
• no structured process that promotes creativity.

R. Meredith Belbin, 1981.Management Teams -
Why They Succeed or Fail
8
Communications in Teams

• Different personalities have difficulty
  understanding each other.
• Recognize differences and ask questions.
• Conflict should be managed not avoided.
• Outbursts of emotion creates opportunities .
• Two Styles
• Dialogue promotes collaboration (win/win)
• Debate promotes competition (win/loose)

9
Creative Problem-Solving

• Structured process to foster creativity
  dialogue
• Basic Structure - Simple Planning Model
• Define problem - quantify if possible
• Develop objectives consistent with vision
• Brainstorm P2 Solutions - this is the creative
  step
• Evaluate ideas with respect to objectives
• Choose and implement
• Monitor
• Determine effectiveness
• P2 Planning and ISO 14001 have elements of the
  creative problem-solving process

10
Creative Problem-Solving

• Common problems
• teams do not define and agree on the problem
• will not agree on P2 solution.
• Use root cause analysis, 5 Whys etc
• teams do not brainstorm - creative step
• let the creative people create radical P2
  Solutions that embrace sustainability
• use creative techniques to foster creativity
• team members propose and defend their solutions.
  
• This dynamic sets up debate - not dialogue -
• Establish evaluation criteria based on principles
  of sustainability.

11
Conclusion

• We need radical P2 solutions to achieve
  sustainability
• Use soft skills to develop radical P2
  solutions
• Soft Skills includes
• a vision that articulates sustainability and
  forms a creative tension with the current state
• x-functional teams - dialogue can be taught
• creative problem-solving to achieve win/win
  solutions.