Technology

Top Skills of an Environmental Manager: Insights from Amazon’s Jordan Kenworthy

Learn how to create a successful stormwater program from start to finish and develop best practices to avoid permit violations.

The amazing Jordan Kenworthy stopped by our latest edition of Coffee & Compliance to share her knowledge from a career spanning building materials, grain producers, consumer products and logistics!

We covered the core skills she has developed over the years and what works, and doesn’t work in an environmental compliance role. From being able to google answers or more likely hit CTRL + F in a PDF to building a reliable network of experts to call with questions, she share her top skills (below).

The Skills in a Top Environmental Manager

  • Curiosity – Be genuinely interested in the processes and operations of the business you work in. Ask the production and operations team how things work, because it builds trust and enables you to better understand how to apply the compliance requirements and what challenges you may face.
  • Googling – You got to be great at find out information and using what you learned in a similar situation to find answers in the next scenario.
  • Networking – Build a resource system of informal advisors and peers to be able to email/call when you have a question. Help each other out.
  • Passion – Similar to #1, love the behind the scenes work you do to support production and key industries
  • Organization – Regulatory requirements have deadlines and many have a strict process, but build your guidebook and know where you can deviate from it.
  • Continuous learning – Grab someone from quality, ops, or safety and learn how they do a task. Be focused on meeting regulations, but learning from others can help you see the other ways to approach and new processes to tackle the compliance challenge
  • Build trust with operations – Don’t talk above them, don’t use acronyms – know your audience and speak with them in a way they understand. People don’t want to ask questions because they don’t fully understand or don’t want to look silly. Have “down to earth” conversations to build rapport.
Have a listen at the podcast episode or check out the video recording of Coffee & Compliance!  


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