Step Three: Forming the Green Team

With support from all the necessary parties secured, the next step is to put a team in place to carry the program through to implementation.

Purpose of the Green Team

A team approach allows the work to be distributed among several people and enables people from all over the office or building to contribute to the success of the program. The green team will be responsible for many of the tasks involved in planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining the program.

Selecting Team Members

By far, the most important consideration when putting together the team is to have each department or tenant that will be affected by the program represented (if practical). If you are in a multi-tenant building, try to have representation from both the tenants and the building management (ideally, the property manager should be a member of the team). It is also important to include representatives from the largest tenants in the building.

The size of your team will depend on the size of your office or building and the scope of your program. Team members can be volunteers or appointed. In either case, it is important that members be enthusiastic about the program and able to commit time to the effort. To increase motivation and interest, it is important for all involved to receive periodic recognition for their efforts.

Green Team Leader

The Green Team needs a point person who is energetically committed to the program. Likely candidates include the facilities manager, environmental manager, or an employee who has championed a previous environmental program or effort. If possible, the duties of team leader should be incorporated into the person’s job description.

The team leader should have a strong commitment to the goals of the program, organizational experience, and good communication skills.

Green Team Assistants

Depending on the size of your office or building, you may need to designate program assistants to help answer questions and monitor the program. Program assistants should have good rapport with their co-workers or the building’s tenants, good communication skills, a commitment to the program’s goals, and a thorough understanding of how the program works. They are usually members of the Green Team.

Responsibilities

Green Team Members

• Working with tenants and management to set measurable short- and long-term goals for the program
• Gathering and analyzing information relevant to the design and implementation of the program
• Promoting the program to employees and tenants and informing them about how they can participate in the effort
• Monitoring the progress of the program
• Periodically reporting to management, tenants, and employees about the status of the program

Green Team Leader

• Answering questions about the program
• Creating promotional and educational campaigns
• Encouraging participation
• Scheduling team meetings
• Tracking and recording the progress of the program
• Acting as liaison among company management, employees, tenants, and building managers (where applicable)

Green Team Assistants

Green team assistants are responsible for helping the team leader implement the program and conduct educational activities. They should be as familiar with the program as the team leader and be able to answer questions about it. They will also serve as program boosters, helping maintain interest and high participation levels. One assistant for each division or floor, or for every 25-50 employees, is optimal. The U.S. EPA suggests one assistant for every 50-100 employees, depending on organizational structure, office layout, the receptiveness of the employees, and other considerations. Assistants are not the “recycling police.” Their role is to encourage participation in your environmental program — not enforce it.

Next Steps

Once your team has been established, it should meet regularly to choose a module, develop a plan, and begin implementation. The time it will take the Green Team to plan, implement, and monitor a module depends on the size of the office or building and the type of activity (e.g., waste reduction, energy or water conservation, purchasing). The savings realized through a successful environmental program will likely return the investment of time and resources at this stage.