The energy saving programs that have been most effective involve senior management, elevate employee awareness, and motivate employees to generate useful ideas. They then implement the ideas. Open Book Management Many have advocated the value of opening up the corporate books so that employees can gain a realistic understanding of the organization's revenue. However, it is equally important that employees see the expense side of the ledger. Armed with this knowledge they will have a much better understanding of what costs need to be reduced as well as the importance of doing so.
Most employees actually have more control of expenses than they do of revenue.
Our research has found that about half of employees feel their departments are run inefficiently. They feel that time, energy and materials are often wasted. Each department should regularly sit down with employees to identify key inefficiencies and potential solutions. For example, cross-organizational studies can provide valuable insights about sufficient staffing levels and how to reduce spending on salaries, raw materials, professional services and supplies. While competitors may be reluctant to divulge this information, professional associations can often generate the data.