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Here are some other strategies that can help win over upper management:

• Keep contacts updated It’s important to have a personal relationship with
management to be able to communicate how these programs are contributing to
corporate value. If upper management is engaged, it’s easier to sell your projects.
• Talk to the investor relations staff Meet regularly with your investor relations staff
and explain the value of energy management, not only to the company’s bottom line,
but also to socially responsible investors and the company’s overall reputation. For
that matter, make sure your internal HR and communications departments are aware
of what your company is accomplishing. Although we all know how much consumers
are interested in buying from a company that is doing right by the environment,
employees will enjoy working for a company they know is environmentally
responsible.
• Gain recognition for your “wins” If you are participating in a program such as
LEED, for example, when you achieve goals in the program, you can communicate
these “wins” to senior management, employees, customers, and investors.

SMART Goals
Most executives have heard about SMART goals. This concept is something that should be
applied to your green goals. It is a mechanism that helps you set and achieve certain goals.
SMART is an acronym for

SMART Goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

• Specific A goal should be precise and put in terms people can relate to. Rather
than “We’re going to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” a specific goal states
the following: “We are going to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent
by the end of next year, and this is like taking x number of cars off the road.”
• Measurable Develop concrete criteria for measuring progress toward a goal. By
measuring progress, you stay on track, achieve milestones, and maintain motivation
to keep moving forward. PART V
• Attainable When you identify your goals, you think of ways to achieve them. You
identify previously overlooked opportunities and identify new ones.
• Realistic Although it’s laudable to have a goal such as “We’re going to have zero
impact on the environment by the end of the quarter,” it’s just not realistic, and
you’re setting yourself up for failure. Set high goals, to be sure, but do a reality
check and make sure they’re something you can actually achieve.
• Timely You need to have a timeline in mind. There should be a definite date by
which you intend to meet your goals. If you leave things open-ended, or if the end
date is too far out in the future, there’s no sense of urgency to meet the goals, so you
run the real risk of languishing and not getting anything done.