We can’t bore our way to sustainability
A couple of weeks ago, I was at one of those parties where you kind of know a lot of people, but don’t know anybody really well. I wandered over to the group I knew the best, where I found a woman holding forth on politics. At the end of her lengthy and self-assured monologue, she declared “And that’s what we all want, isn’t it?”
There was a frosty pause. Everybody looked at their feet. She stared at each person in turn – I’m not sure whether she was waiting for affirmation or daring anybody to disagree. Somebody changed the subject. The chill passed.
Another example. I follow an academic on Twitter who is making increasingly catastrophic predictions of the impacts of climate change. There’s a passive-aggressive slant to his pronouncements, one saying “I’ve been telling the public this for years, but nobody is listening.” Funny that.
The worse thing you can do in any attempt to persuade people is to assume you are right, they are wrong and a stern lecture will put them right. People will change the subject. Unfortunately far too much green communications and engagement starts from this position.
My Green Jujitsu approach flips this through 180°. It says ‘put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Understand their hopes, fears, aspirations and habits. Find the overlap between that and sustainability and start there.
Or to put it bluntly, don’t be a bore.