Be Green Packaging

Jack Welch Management Institute

People Management – JWI520004JWONL-1178-001

Abstract

Be Green Packaging is doing its part to change the world by creating products that are not only friendly to our environment, but friendly to the customer. Be Green manufactures compostable packaging for consumer goods and ready to eat foods from restaurants and grocery stores. “Be Green Packaging’s business model addresses the international concern of teeming landfills and poor waste management”. Their company goal is to be a worldwide leader in the production and distribution of environmentally friendly packaging materials . Using the McKinsey 7s Model, we will be analyzing Be Green’s management practices by discussing five of the seven factors of the model. This model was created in the 1980’s by a team of people who had a vision. Since the introduction of the model, it has been used by many academics and practitioners and remains one of the most popular strategic planning tools. Be Green uses all of these factors as they restructure their team to create the ideal productive workplace.

Introduction

“Be Green is widely known for its iconic ‘Utility Trays’, which can be found in Whole Foods Markets across the world as well as the innovative packaging it has developed in tandem with Gillette for the Fusion ProGlide Razor”. The company holds a number of environmental and social certifications. Be Green is one of the first of its kind in the industry of compostable packaging.

Being the first does not always make you the best. In the first few years, the internal structure of the company was lacking structure. The owners over the last six months have made great strides to restructure the internal working to create a less chaotic work environment that runs more smoothly. Using the McKinsey 7S Model we will analyze how management is creating a happier healthier work environment by implementing the models framework.

The Alignment of Be Green’s Organization

Strategy

Be Greens main core value is to manufacture high quality industrial food-grade packaging made from annually renewable plant fibers at competitive prices. Their customer strategy is to be thoughtful and. Not only do they strive to be candid with their customer base, they are also candid with their employees. Jack wrote a whole chapter in his book Winning about the importance of being candid. Per Jack, “When you have candor-and you’ll never completely get it, mind you- everything just operates faster and better”. This is true. Management has been very open and honest about the changes taking place in the company, which helps us prepare for what may or may not happen.

Style

There are many different types of leadership style out there today. Prior to the restructure of the company, I would have said Be Green’s leadership style was a cross between autocratic and laissez-faire. They kept all of the information to themselves, did not consult any of the employees and yet were very hands off, leaving no direction for the plant. Since the restructuring of the facility, there has been a complete change in the way management handles situations. They seem to have adapted more of a democratic approach. They listen and work with the staff to establish goals, promote people within the organization and keep everyone informed of matters that affect the staff.

Staff

Staffing was an issue in the beginning. They had a “we will take what we can get” attitude, but the company is using a new hiring style by hiring the right people for the right positions. Since the company is in a very remote part of South Carolina, finding the right talent has been difficult. Bock talks about in his book about how Google front-loaded their people investment, meaning the majority of their time and money went into recruiting. Be Green has taken Google’s approach. They have reached out everywhere to bring in the best people for the positions they need to fill.

Skills

The company’s main shortfall was communication. Management did not communicate with the plant. There were people in positions that did not suit their skill set. The owners and new CEO have worked diligently to make the proper changes to have the doors of communication open. They have replaced the staff that was not pulling their weight with people who care about their career and the company. It has made for a more enjoyable work environment.

Shared Values

A few months ago, I would have said no, the workforce does not understand what the company requires of them to make the business successful. Since the restructuring, this is a different answer now. The entire workforce knows that in order to be the best out there we need to communicate with one another, be polite and candid with our customers and management knows that they need to be open and honest with the employees.

Conclusion

Be Green is an innovative company with a dream of a cleaner planet. When the company first took off there were many mistakes made and the company struggled to survive. It was not until the owners stepped and changed management that the company took a turn for the better. They have done a great job following the McKinsey 7S Model and as long as they continue to do so, they could very well be the best manufacture of compostable packaging around.