February/March 2009
Sustainability Strategy
C O N T E N T S
Executive Director's Corner: Crossing The Potomoc
LEED: Fort Carson Building Awarded First Army LEED Gold
Neighborhood Development: LEED Neighborhood Development in Colorado
Recyling News: Some Thoughts on Recycling Old Office Furnishings
Sustainable Development: Creating a Sustainable Future
Getting Green Done: Forgive Me Father, I Don't Have the Money
Sustainable Strategy: Creating Effective Collaboration and Leadership Tactics
Executive Director's Corner: Major Speaker Announced for May Conference
Metro Branch Update: Denver Metro Branch is Looking for Volunteers
VISION
Promote responsibility for Colorado's environmental legacy.
MISSION
Advance and promote sustainable planning, design, construction and operation of the built environment through education, improving industry guidelines, policy advocacy, and information and resource sharing.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dana Kose, Chair
Universal Development Company
Jim Bradburn, Vice Chair, Chair Elect
RMH Group
Megan Christensen, Secretary
US LendLease Communities
Sebastian De Atucha, Treasurer
3BY
Clay Benson, Director at Large
Mortenson Construction
Mike Lowell, Director, Advocacy
US GSA
Bobby Molinary, Director, Membership
Julie Edwards, Director, Education
Oz Architecture
Matt Arabasz, Director, Northern Colorado Branch
RB+B Architects, Inc.
Joshua Radoff, Director, Resource Development, and Communications
YRG Sustainability Consultants
Bethany Trumble, Director, Southern Colorado Branch
Farnsworth Group, Inc.
Liz Sharrer, Director, Metro Branch
Holland & Hart
Mike Kolesar, Director, Emerging Green Builders
Facilities Engineering Associates
Deb Kleinman, Executive Director
USGBC Colorado Chapter
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at dgloffreda@msn.com
Creating Effective Collaboration and Leadership Tactics
Renewables, Sustainables and the Path to Profits
By Tracy Houston, Chairman of the Board, iCAST
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To be strategic in an era of resource transition takes a new way of thinking in order to execute successfully. What is certain is that in a changing environment it is not as important to have a fixed definition, as it is to have a progressive translation of industry specific issues and events. This can be a difficult transition in leadership skills for those who are comfortable in an environment of ‘fixity’ where scientific knowledge and logic have been the norm. Leadership skills are particularly pertinent in business sectors where the pace of change creates a rolling environment brought on by technology and stakeholder issues. Change and uncertainty can cause a contracting mentality where decision makers prefer a certain but possibly lower payoff over an uncertain but possibly higher payoff in their strategic choices.
Strategic decisions are never simple to make. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to strategy and stakeholder relations. Each organization’s approach will depend on its particular business and should mesh with its overall strategy. Decision makers need to have strategic intelligence createdaround stakeholder values and concerns to help with anticipatory issues management and contextual intelligence. Thisinformation will lead to development of clear strategic intent.Strategic intent encompasses a relationship model that minimizes risk and assists in creating risk intelligence.
The pace and breadth of change today requires a new set of tools in order for decision makers to synthesize data into a coherent picture. Incorporating a deliberate framework for stakeholder relations into the strategic planning process provides the flexibility and agility to anticipate opportunities or problems for the organization. In today’ world it is more likely that a company will be outperformed strategically than tactically. Most organizations do pretty well with what they are doing today. It is what tomorrow looks like where more skill and wisdom is needed. Decision makers in the energy world today are looking to reposition themselves for risk and reward. Some companies will be winners and others losers in the transition.
Please join us on May 6th and 7th at the US Green Building Council Colorado Chapter's Denver Conference for a robust discussion on how to encourage the executive management team of your business to plan for the renewable and sustainable decisions that surely lie down the road for us all.
TRACY E. HOUSTON - president of Board Resource Services is a Denver-based board advisory consultant whose practice focuses on leadership, strategy and risk management. She can be reached at tehouston@earthlink.net or 303.520.5235.
Copyright © 2009 By Tracy E. Houston. All rights reserved.
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