Planning and organising an environmental dialogue
4 How to specify objectives for the environmental dialogue
| 4.1 | Judge when dialogue is the solution |
| 4.2 | Draw up the dialogue objectives as messages |
| 4.3 | Specify when the dialogue objectives must be fulfilled |
It is difficult for a company to judge whether it is spending time and money usefully if
it has not specified objectives for the environmental dialogue. Despite this, many
companies fail to set out what they intend to achieve with the dialogue on environmental
matters, going instead straight on to choosing the means of communication. The short cut
quickly becomes a long detour, as it is difficult to choose the right means without
objectives.
Dialogue objectives are a short description of the main environmental messages from your company that selected stakeholders are to receive within a precise period of time. If you specify dialogue objectives you can judge later whether the dialogue has fulfilled them or not. You do that by finding out if the stakeholder in question has received and accepted the message within the allocated time. Realistic dialogue objectives make it easier for you to choose the right tool for the dialogue. Some means suit short messages, while others are good for providing large quantities of environmental information.
You can use the schedule when setting objectives for the environmental dialogue. You begin with the information on the stakeholders' wishes and the company's proposals from the schedule in the previous chapter. Hint 4.1 will help you decide what results the dialogue can help you achieve. Enter the expected results in the schedule. Then, using hints 4.2 and 4.3, you can write the objectives in the last column.
Stakeholders |
Stakeholder's wishes |
Our proposals to the stakeholder |
Expected results |
Dialogue objectives |
Existing customers |
The customer wants products from us that carry the Swan eco-label. |
(We cannot inform the customer before the next board meeting.) |
(None before the board has reached a decision) |
(None) |
Selected customers |
|
We suggest a trial period in which they can test the advantages and disadvantages of a return scheme for packaging. |
Acceptance of a trial period by three customers before July 1. |
We must inform these customers between March 1 and July 1about the advantages of the return scheme, the trial period and the price. |
Suppliers of key products |
The supplier proposes cooperation on less environmentally harmful products. |
We ask the supplier to wait until we have held meetings with our customers. |
We expect the supplier to repeat the offer. |
We must inform the supplier about the meetings with our customers before November 1. |
All suppliers that meet our environmental requirements |
|
We invite the suppliers to discuss with us how they can comply with our environmental policy. |
A meeting with the 5 principal suppliers before December 1. |
We must inform our suppliers before September 1 about our environmental policy and invite them to a meeting to discuss how they can comply with it. |
Neighbours |
Neighbours will not accept noise at night from delivery of goods to our premises. |
We ask our neighbours to be patient with us for the six months it will take to reorganise our transport system. |
No complaints about noise after March 1. |
We must inform our neighbours before March 1 that we are reorganising our transport system but that this may take up to six months. |
4.1 Judge when dialogue is the solution
The environmental dialogue must help to produce the results that are the whole purpose of the company's cooperation with the different stakeholders. The following are examples of the results a company may wish to achieve:
 | retain selected customers |
| increased turnover distributed on different customer groups |
| purchasing more less environmentally harmful products and services |
| developing less environmentally harmful products and services |
| reducing the number of environmental complaints from neighbours and environmental groups |
| environmental permits and the like from regulatory authorities. |
Dialogue and information are not always the right solution. There is often a greater need for technical improvements, product development and training of employees than for external dialogue. For example, customers may say that they are interested in buying less environmentally harmful products, but if the company's environmental performance is poorer than that of its competitors, information will not be enough. And if the management wants fewer neighbours complaining about environmental problems, the company must reduce the emissions that are the cause of the complaints.
In other cases, dialogue may prove to be the right solution, but the means used by the company have not been the right ones, so the desired results are not achieved. Here, the solution is still dialogue, but using other means.
4.2 draw up the dialogue objectives as messages
You must draw up one or more dialogue objectives for the results you think the environmental dialogue will help to achieve. The dialogue objectives are a description of the most important messages that specific stakeholders must receive and accept during the dialogue, that is, when the messages must be received and when you expect the stakeholders to begin taking the action proposed in the messages.
The dialogue objectives must be formulated so precisely that they can be measured. You can then later find out whether the message has been received, understood and accepted by the stakeholders within the time you have specified. Formulate your dialogue objectives carefully and precisely. Each of them must be formulated in not more than three sentences.
The dialogue objective's messages can be both environmental information to the stakeholders and proposals, which the company would like the stakeholders to follow. The proposals may vary greatly. Some examples are given below:
| urging the customers to continue buying the company's products because the company has reduced its environmental impact |
| asking the customers to tell the company about their needs in the environmental area |
| informing suppliers about the environmental requirements the company makes concerning the materials, products and services it purchases from them |
| activities planned by the company to reduce environmental problems. |
Use your knowledge concerning stakeholders' wishes when formulating your dialogue objectives. The stakeholders will naturally be most interested in proposals that fully or partially meet their wishes. They will therefore be ready to respond to messages that describe how proposals meet their wishes. Therefore, the more precisely you know the stakeholders' wishes, the more precise you can make your objectives. That makes it more likely that you will achieve them.
4.3 Specify when the dialogue objectives must be fulfilled
When deciding when the objectives must be fulfilled, you must take account of the stakeholders' situation and needs. The objectives are likely to be achieved more quickly if the stakeholder in question himself thinks that he needs the company's proposal than if he does not.
Some types of dialogue objectives cannot be achieved unless other dialogue objectives are achieved first. For example, it may be difficult for the customers to decide on a proposal from you if you have not provided them with sufficient information in good time. Foresee the process and ensure that the objectives are fulfilled in the right order. Remember that an exchange of information usually precedes decisions on cooperation.
You must also ensure that the objectives for one stakeholder are adapted to those for other stakeholders. For example, it is the environmental dialogue with the company's customers that determines the time and sequence of the dialogue with suppliers and others. It is therefore a good idea to ensure in advance that the suppliers can guarantee necessary supplies before the company starts marketing new, environmentally correct solutions to the customers.
The last thing you must take into account when preparing a schedule for the dialogue objectives is other communication competing for the same recipients' attention. The competition can be direct, as at fairs, for example, where there are many other stands, or in a newspaper, where an article or advertisement from the company must fight for attention. You must also take account of low attention on the part of the recipient during busy periods, holidays and similar.