Target Conflicts - and how to avoid them

We all want to act environmentally friendly, but that's not the (only) goal of organizations, whether they run for financial profit or not. This means: We run, almost daily, into target conflicts! Should I really opt for the more expensive supplier only because of better environmental data? Or should I design my products more environmentally efficient, even though the market seems not to be ready for this?

In such situations, we need guidance. As a consultant, I always and strongly suggest to use an in-house guidance system. "What's that???" is the most common answer to this suggestion. In fact, that's easy to explain: If you have some really basic hands-on rules on how to deal with target conflicts, then you don't have to go through endless discussions each time such an issue comes up at the horizon.

An example: "We buy locally to avoid transportation and to support local businesses, as long as their overall cost don't exceed the cost of suppliers far away by more then 10 per cent, given comparable products/solutions."

Such simple rules usually take the wind out of the sails of a great deal of daily decisions, where environmental targets seem to be in conflict with economical goals. A workshop, based on practical experience and with the relevant persons involved, is among the best ways to define those rules.

Need help with this? Contact me.