Green IT for Dummies®

Chapter 2. Making the Business Case for Green IT

In This Chapter

• Sending the less-is-more green message

• Getting green returns you hadn't really counted on

• Avoiding landfills and other anti-green pitfalls

• Looking at large toward greener futures

Green needs more than executive endorsement; green needs executive leadership. Few changes happen in a business without some element of compulsion, and greening is no exception. However, going green is ultimately a highly inclusive process and carries with it the potential for taking what is a good idea and leveraging it into invigorating corporate culture, brand differentiation, and stronger appeal to potential employees.

If you're the executive responsible for leading the change, look to this chapter for help with talking points as you develop your strategy. If you're in the position of needing to "sell" the green philosophy to your upper management, use this chapter as a starting point as you develop a pitch tailored to your organization's culture and concerns.

Growing Policies for Change

Effective management relies on effective governance, and governance of all kinds relies on policy. Policy defines acceptable and unacceptable behaviors for all kinds of business practices. Chances are your organization already has a lot of policies in place — policies about absenteeism, security, vacations, attire, and so on. Policies not only establish expected behaviors and sanction unwanted behaviors, but they also set a critical tone in corporate culture. ...