Step 5.2 Recognize success and communicate results
The step is relevant to steps 4.2.1, 4.2.2 and 4.5.3 of the ISO 50001-2011 standard.
Critical to successful implementation of an energy management system (EnMS) is ongoing communication across the organization and reporting on progress and accomplishments to management. Both of these support ongoing management commitment and employee buy-in to your EnMS efforts. This is a good time to take stock of progress and lessons learned, and to celebrate your success. You have just completed a management review and you are moving to drive energy management and energy performance improvement actions into daily operations.
Recognizing successes and ongoing communication about the EnMS and your energy management goals and expectations keeps the workforce informed and also reinforces that management is committed to this initiative and it is not a “flavor of the day that will soon pass away.” Sharing the accomplishments is a follow-on to the communication that was initiated in Step 1.8 and continued in Step 3.4.2 and Step 3.4.3. The management representative and/or members of the energy team, with input from top management, should compile the information.
Select some of the key items presented in the management review (Step 5.1) to update the workforce on the progress that has been made up to this point. Key items could include:
A review of the value of EnMS implementation to the organization
Significant energy uses
what they are
where they are
what processes are affected
Summaries of the action plans to achieve the objectives and targets
EnPIs and how they will be tracked and progress communicated
Decisions and other outcomes of the management review conducted in Step 5.1
A description of what to expect next
Consider other accomplishments as well. Identify positive impacts on energy team members as a result of their involvement in the efforts to date and highlight particularly outstanding contributions by individual team members. Also point out any tangible improvements in energy awareness and positive energy behaviors among employees, including participating in the EnMS suggestion system.
This is also the time to identify, consider and communicate any lessons learned as part of EnMS development and implementation to this point. Consider whether changes are needed in your approach to managing your EnMS. Some key questions the energy team and management could discuss include:
What is working well?
What isn’t working well?
Have there been any unexpected challenges? If so, how were they addressed and was it effective?
Were there any unexpected benefits?
Do you need to make any changes moving forward?
Sharing with the workforce some of the lessons learned during EnMS implementation conveys openness and transparency and can make the process “more real” to them and provide another basis for their continued interest and support.
Although the management representative with members of the energy team may take the lead in pulling together this information, the actual communication should be done by top management. The visible involvement of management sets a good example and management’s recognition of a job well done promotes participation in the system.
This communication can be done in a variety of ways. Consult Step 3.4.3 for ideas. Live or “in-person” events such as an employee luncheon or one-day energy fair can be particularly effective. If resources are available, consider the use of novelties or other tokens of recognition such as t-shirts, ball-caps, kitchen magnets and the like. Regardless of the format of the information or the communication mechanism used, the goal is to recognize the progress made and the successes achieved by the energy team and supporting personnel and enhance workforce energy awareness.
See Steps 3.4.2 and 3.4.3 for additional information related to awareness and communication.
