Reply To: Exercise 8: Details, Sustainability, and Financials
#8 24 month cost/revenue spreadsheet Assumptions and Reflections
This scenario of my problem-solution is tailored to Nutrien to specifically generate internal engagement that supports and builds on adjacent programs. I now realize I should build an engagement program model that can be customized to different organization needs, goals and current state of sophistication.
Assumptions
• Need to start small to make it attractive to company and get the ball rolling without generating large costs.
• YEAR 1 Plan: Bite sized pilot scale focused internal sustainability training, awareness, idea generation and development, enough to get people started.
• Offer regular meeting structure in small groups, 1 per quarter, to generate sustainability ambassadors
• Align with adjacent programs within the company such as community volunteering, and with company Initiatives and targets
• Needs a part time program coordinator and subject matter experts to keep it energized
• Access internal company experts to provide training on sustainability principles, understanding of activities, projects, targets, all geared toward participants generating ideas that could be projects in their own department
• Access internal knowledge expertise (in kind)
• Access external Non profit and consulting to hold 1/month overview sessions (paid or donation to cause)
• Will need an idea review and approval mechanism to access internal grant money (current program provides funding but no guidance or support in sustainability principles)
• Attract people from the Nutrien work pool who already want to take action
• Assume all in person sessions happen at Nutrien office (free space)
• Participants attend training sessions on company time, homework is on their time
• YEAR 1 will be a start up with partial costs, Y2 = full year costs.
Reflection
1. Do I understand my project’s operations better?
Yes and no. Better identification of cost and revenue elements but that comes with a realization that much more refinement of estimates is needed.
Better understanding that I need to start smaller and leverage existing programs.
I do have a clearer vision of how far I think I can take this solution if I build a model that includes a master listing of subject matter topics, structures and processes that I can customize to fit the needs of different organizations.
2. How much did I revise the project?
Significantly reduced scope to focus on the awareness and personal activation elements to get people started.
Defined the delivery mechanism much more clearly.
3. Did you find problems and do something about them?
Thought about scanning externally to engage local expertise rather than relying on internal which there isn’t much of.
Conversations I’ve had identified many problems I wasn’t thinking of so I think I came to this part of the process with a robust understanding of the key elements.
Timing is always a problem in a start up project so I’ve started to sequence the timing of costs and want to build a content structure next to further define what has to happen first and what can happen later.
4. How did this exercise change my motivation to talk to others?
Need to talk to a lot more people to fill in the many gaps at this stage.