Building a Strong Pollution Prevention Team

Fact Sheet, Minnesota Technical Assistance Program, University of Minnesota

One of a company’s most valuable and often overlooked sources of improvement ideas is its employees. Forming a pollution prevention (P2) team is an effective way to harness the creative potential of employees for solving problems.

Teams may be put together for short-term problem solving. They may find ways to prevent a specific problem, such as avoiding an impending water surcharge or an increase in waste disposal costs. Teams work even better as part of continuous improvement, where the company embraces the idea of allowing everyone within the facility to contribute ideas for improvement on an ongoing basis.

This fact sheet establishes a frame for using a P2 team.

Benefits of Pollution Prevention Teams

A team environment facilitates interactive, creative problem solving. Some advantages of teamwork are:

Innovative thinking. Suspending the corporate hierarchy gives team members a low pressure forum for communication. The team provides the common ground needed for a supportive atmosphere.

Diverse perspectives. New viewpoints can supplement or challenge traditional assumptions.

Keys to future solutions. By using teams for problem solving, companies are better prepared to solve future problems. Team members learn how to implement future changes and how to work with other departments.

Task oriented. Teams simplify managing the problem solving process. Once the goal of the team is known, employees prioritize and work on different aspects of a problem, instead of facing the whole project alone.

Team Composition

Five to seven members make teams manageable and effective. Recruit interested employees from departments such as: environmental, production, management, maintenance, receiving, supervisors and outside suppliers. Consultants involved in operations may be a good fit as well. People who work on the floor are close to day-to-day activities and often have an accurate understanding of processes and their problems. A team should try to represent every level of personnel from every area affected by its activity. People who are enthusiastic and hard-working make the best team members.

In the case of IBM Rochester, the plant manager’s directive to eliminate chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) gave the support needed to make financial and human resources available to the P2 team.

In the case of IBM Rochester, the plant manager’s directive to eliminate chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) gave the support needed to make financial and human resources available to the P2 team.

As the team moves through problems the members should actively consult additional personnel. Keep the central group intact, but be flexible when needed. Finally, the team needs to have the support of someone in top management—such as the plant manager—who can also provide the authority to implement change.

In the case of IBM Rochester, the plant manager’s directive to eliminate chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) gave the support needed to make financial and human resources available to the P2 team.

Facilitate a Productive Meeting

Determine basic goals and priorities in advance, so that everyone knows how to prepare for a meeting. Create a detailed agenda, allotting time for each issue and balanced participation.

Finding time. Teams should meet for no less than one hour every month. Some teams meet as often as two to four times a month. Allowing work time for team meetings shows a company’s commitment to improvement.

Fairview-University Medical Center made team meetings fun and gave incentives when team members problem-solved waste issues before work.

Meeting Roles

In order for meetings to run smoothly, team members must understand their responsibilities.

Team leader: Delegates tasks, presents background and sets the agenda.

Facilitator: Keeps meetings on track. Enforces meeting ground rules. A facilitator can be someone from outside the company, or they can be the team leader.

Technical expert/engineer: Has technical knowledge of the facility and can help devise realistic specifications for proposed changes.

Recorder: Documents brainstorming, discussions and other relevant team activities. Prepares minutes.

Discussion participants: Provide balanced contributions without being overbearing or reluctant to speak.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a critical component of effective teams and meetings. The following rules keep brainstorming sessions productive.

All ideas are valid.
Avoid the creativity stifling temptation to discuss or judge ideas during brainstorming.
Build on the ideas of others.
Write down every idea so that all members can see them.
Each member should offer only one idea at a time.

The P2 team at West Central Turkey, Pelican Rapids, set up weekly water monitoring so they can control water use before it becomes a problem.

Always ask open-ended questions during brainstorming. The following questions need to be addressed in a waste reduction scenario.

What is the waste?
Where is waste created?
Why is waste created?
What can be changed to reduce the waste?

After brainstorming is complete, prioritize problems relative to their impact and complexity. The most effective decisions are made by consensus because they have the team’s full support. A simple way to prioritize a large list is to have each group member vote for their favorite three items. Tasks can be delegated according to each member’s expertise. Team tasks requiring no specific expertise should be assigned on a volunteer basis first. The team leader can assign the remainder. Make sure that no one gets either too much or too little to do.

More complex decision-making tools—such as cause-and-effect diagrams or material/mass balances—may be needed depending on the complexity of the decision making.

Team Evolution

Before reaching its potential, a team grows through certain stages. After forming, a team’s initial energy can dissolve into a time of stress and tension. Members must adjust to working together and take advantage of the team’s collective strengths. As the team adjusts it will start to perform. Some teams take months to get on track, while others develop within a meeting.

At a Land O’ Lakes dairy plant in Woodbury an $86,500 service availability charge (SAC) was avoided by team water reduction efforts.

Celebrate and reward success. Real success is worth celebrating. Recognizing success allows team members to enjoy their accomplishments. Posting results, presenting awards, profit sharing and bonuses all help keep employees motivated.

More Information

MnTAP has a variety of technical assistance services available to help Minnesota companies reduce and manage their industrial waste. If you would like MnTAP assistance call 612/624-1300 or 800/247-0015 from greater Minnesota.

For more information on waste reduction teams, ask MnTAP for the manual Source Reduction Now: How to Implement a Source Reduction Program, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance <www.moea.state.mn.us/berc/srn.cfm>.

Sources Employee Involvement Team, Member Manual, Donald L. Dewar, QCI International, 1991, and The Team Handbook, Peter R. Scholtes, Joiner Associates Inc., 1992.

(11/00-21)