Paul Murray, Environmental Safety and Sustainability Director for Herman Miller, spoke at the Schurz Library on October 9, 2007 on "The Power of One: How You Can Embrace and Communicate the Environmental Ethic." Prior to his presentation, Mr. Murray was interviewed by Dr. Ken Smith of the American Democracy Project blog.
In the interview, Murray, whose job at Herman Miller, involves guiding the company's day-to-day "green" initiatives, shares his unique perspective on the many and varied environmental activities underway on any given day, the dollar value of these actions, and the vital role each individual Herman Miller employee plays. He goes on to discuss how the Herman Miller environmental ethic can be spread to colleges and other workplaces, and shares his thoughts on the Hammes Information Commons, which features Herman Miller furniture.
Special thanks to Jim Yocum and Vincci Kwong for their technical assistance.
The complete presentation
Presentation in parts
How did you become involved in work on sustainability and what do you see as some of the important rewards and challenges of this type of work? [39.031]
How do you think colleges and students should prepare for this type of interdisciplinary work, and what would a strong resume look like? [2:38.9]
How do people keep growing in the workplace? [6:40]
How do we move sustainability from a grudging duty or a fad, into something more widely enduring in the heart of a community or corporation’s values and practices? [7:56]
Is there a way for a corporation to profit not only by selling product, but also by sharing knowledge? [14:32]
Can Herman Miller's choice of participative management practices be used as an example of the differences between a narrow focus on sustainability and a wider cultural focus on a sustainable community? [20:01]
How far and how profound can the corporate culture reach into something like a factory and the stereotypes that we might have about factory work? [23:29]
Is thoughtfulness a clue to the success of your corporation? [26:00]
What can you tell us about change? Sparking change or leading change as a corporation? [27:33]
What's your impression of the Hammes Information Commons? [29:00]
