ABSTRACT
The Environmental Steering Group of senior managers steers the environmental program by developing, implementing, and maintaining an Environmental Management System. The Environmental Steering Group consists of the organizational senior managers who are responsible for developing and then directing the implementation of the environmental policy. Membership should include senior managers from the major functional areas or companies within the organization. The team should include members who have direct knowledge of the processes that produce wastes or other harmful emissions, as well as technical advisors. Typical functions represented on this team include facility maintenance, operations, procurement, safety and health professionals, manufacturing, public affairs, and perhaps an attorney. The team leader should be from the appropriate level for the company. The primary skills a leader needs are not technical skills, but rather organizational and communication skills. Facilitators assist the team leader by focusing on the team dynamics; their main role is in how decisions are made vs. what decisions are made.
