There is a lot of talking about systems thinking, and how it can help to unlock sustainable solutions. 

But because of its very nature, systems thinking is difficult to grasp. 

We are so used to seeking just one solution or one explanation to a problem, but nothing in life (let alone in sustainability) works like that.

I find the Iceberg Model a really good initial approach to systems thinking.

When for instance we are thinking of changing careers (an event), what patterns do we need to put in place to make it happen? It could be changing the way we do things, perhaps in the way we look for work, how often we do it, where we look for it etc.

Underneath, we might discover that the specific actions we take (or we don't take!) are influenced by other factors, perhaps the networks we belong to, the social media platforms we use, and the systems we use. What happens if we expand our thinking to different networks, different social media structures, or different systems?

And, digging deeper, what do we really believe about our quest to find work in sustainability? 

That it's difficult, or that we are not knowledgeable enough, or that because we don't know enough people or we are not charismatic enough it isn't going to happen for us?

How can understanding (and reframing if necessary) our deeply ingrained beliefs and values change the outcomes we want?

Just Google (or Ecosia) "discourses of climate delay" and you'll see how many creatives have put their art at work to illustrate the massive BS excuses we get fed every single day:

The "passing the baton" of responsibility to individuals.

The defeatist doom-ism.

The belittling of activists' efforts and worries...

See below a fab poster I found that summarises them all really well. 

Why is this important for you?

Because if a client (or a family member... I've heard some of these coming from family before!) dishes out (knowingly or unknowingly) one of these excuses not to adopt sustainability, you can respond accordingly - if you do your research beforehand.

If you don't know WHAT to say, please spare a few minutes to watch these two short videos I found on LinkedIn which summarise perfectly the status quo and what we can do:

Al Gore on why there is so little political progress on the climate crisis

George Monbiot on how we can change the system

Have you ever considered at what stage of their sustainability journey your clients or audience are?

When you approach a new client, you might quickly establish whether they have any sustainability/environmental knowledge at all. You might be lucky and they might already have had experience of it and know their stuff.

But today I invite you to consider at which specific stage of their sustainability journey they are right now. 

The stages can be roughly split into three:

🗑️ Rejection / Denial

✅ Compliance / Risk mitigation / Opportunity maximisation

🦋 Proactivity / Transformation

Your mission will be to take them from one stage to the next. This way, your progress will be measurable and the results more obvious.

In the illustration below, which I drew for my book SustainABLE by adapting content from a Cranfield University paper, I also mapped what an organisation need to think about when they go from one stage to the next, e.g. if they are moving towards opportunity maximiser from risk mitigator, they have to start thinking long-term and become increasingly more transparent in their reporting, communications etc.

Well-known marketing facts of the last ten years are that:

• 70-90% of the buyer's journey is complete prior to engaging a vendor (Forrester)
• Consumer engages with 11.4 pieces of content prior to making a purchase (Forrester)
• Consumers are 5x more dependent on content than they were 15 years ago. (Nielsen)

How can we translate these into selling sustainability to your clients or board members?

You have to create valuable content on the advantages of adopting sustainability, specific to your audience. This is aimed at building trust and lowering their scepticism.

The challenge is that you have to educate and entertain them, not just tell them about the services you provide.

And your content has to be on your website, internal newsletters, LinkedIn, social media accounts... 

There are two types of valuable content you can share:

1. You can demonstrate that you are a thought leader and an expert in this field by sharing accessible, jargon-free guides and ideas. And because you'll need to appeal to (most likely) a non-expert audience, go back to basics and think about the wording and language you use.
2. Another powerful influencing type of content will be testimonials and case studies from people you served before. Take the time to create those and share them with your target audience to corroborate not only your expertise but also the results of adopting sustainability. Few people and companies are ready to invest in completely new ideas. 

This kind of content will take away their potential doubts that sustainability is still a risky gamble.

In the sustainability space, we have a tendency to hide behind jargon, and this has never been a good thing for divulgating important concepts.

Regeneration is suffering the same fate. 

Circularity....Systems thinking....Systems design...Degrowth...

It doesn't help that, in spite of the fact that regeneration is what nature does all the time, we, humans, can often think only in a linear manner. 

If we have a problem, we seek one solution. 

We don't see things as interconnected, because that would multiply the number of possible solutions and consequences and feel overwhelming.

But we need to stop thinking in terms of sustainability (which, by definition, means maintaining the status quo... that didn't get us far, did it?!), and start thinking in terms of regeneration.

And that also means that we have to 

a. understand it ourselves and 

b. communicate it to others.

How?

Let me simplify it for you.

Basically, we need to put in more than we take out, and because everything is interconnected, this will have a knock-on effect on multiple systems.

That's it.

A few examples:

• In sustainability, we talk about getting to net zero as the Holy Grail. In regeneration, we need to get one step further to net positive (absorbing more CO2 and greenhouse gases than we produce). If we do it in all our projects, that's going to benefit the whole planet.
• In sustainability, we focus on mitigating environmental impacts. In regeneration, we need to replenish the environment - restore lost habitats and create new ones. Again, the effect will be felt across multiple systems and locations.
• In sustainability, we think in terms of collaboration. In regeneration, we need to think in terms of interdependency of all systems (in nature as well as in business. Everything we do has a knock-on effect on everything else). This means that we need to co-create the future with the planet and with the original custodians of the ecosystems: animals, indigenous populations and communities.

When you talk to your clients about your next project, be brave. 

Ask more questions, and challenge the status quo.

• Think about how you can identify and take into account the interconnections between systems.
• Think about giving back more than we (collectively) took out. 
• Think about communities and ecosystems as active stakeholders in your project, not just you and your client. 
• Think about not profit, but green growth (i.e. innovative ways to provide a healthy business for your clients, while having a positive impact on people and the planet).

I created the poster below to remind you of the key characteristics of regeneration so that you can have an informed conversation with others. 

What is the solution to the climate crisis? 

Planting more trees? 

Joining Just Stop Oil and throwing soup at paintings? 

Waiting for the silver bullet technology that will save us all by sucking all the CO2 from the atmosphere?

And, if that’s the case, what do we do in the meantime?

One thing is clear by now: there is no silver bullet or one magic solution that will get us out of this mess. But there are several solutions that could help.

Have you come across En-ROADS? 

If not, let me fill you in: this is a fabulous science-based climate scenario simulator in which you can test how successful specific policies and solutions can be at keeping the global average increase in temperature below 1.5 or 2 °C.

Planting as many trees as possible? On its own, it would only lower the average temperature by 0.1 °C. Yes, that's all.

Putting heavy taxes on oil? - 0.2 °C.

Once you start playing with the toggles in the tool and trying out various options, you will realise that only a combination of different solutions and policies can make a significant difference and kickstart real change. 

This means we need Governments, businesses AND individuals to play their part.

En-ROADS is a great tool to use in workshops, for example, to start a dialogue about individual vs. business vs. Government responsibilities.

And, most importantly, it can be very empowering to know and share with others that there are still solutions to a problem that seems impossible to solve, and that we can all play a significant part.

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

WTF is going on in the world right now?

Honestly, between the horrible news coming from Gaza and Ukraine, the latest on the climate crisis (recent floods happened in Italy shows how close to home this is now) and the general negative vibe surrounding us... add the day-to-day commitments we all have to deal with, and I personally feel my mental health is put to the test now more than ever.

So, if you feel like me, what can you do?

How can you build some resilience so that you keep overwhelm, anxiety and other negative feelings at bay?

1. Just hit that PAUSE button.

Take that nap.

Have an early night.

Take the afternoon off work if you can, and do something else, like:

Taking a walk in the crisp autumn daylight, watching a movie, drinking a hot chocolate while reading a light novel.

Stop doom scrolling (aka scrolling social media feeds for hours on end).

Visit an art gallery.

Observe the birds at a local park.

Take pictures.

Sit down and sketch people passing by.

Spot beauty and notice it. There is abundant beauty and stillness around you, you just need to capture it.

And once you do, you get down from the hamster wheel for a moment and breathe.

You manage to, even if only briefly, expand your life and consciousness and perhaps you are able to see things from a different perspective.

2. Try this great little tool that helps build up resilience.

It's called the Four "S" of Resilience.

To develop your resilience, sit down with pen and paper and brainstorm the following:

SUPPORT: 

Who/what can you depend on at a time of crisis? 

My suggestion would be to try and choose healthy options here. As much as a bottle of Chianti sounds appealing to take the edge off times of stress, it might not be the healthiest supporting tool in the long run.

STRATEGIES: 

What strategies can you put in place or do you already use to keep you going? 

Ditto as above.

Think about healthy strategies that have worked in the past at a difficult time that can work again. 

Things like regular exercise, a nutritious diet, talking to a trusted friend, putting in place a routine or an accountability buddy to keep you focused on your goals. Taking a mental health day.

SAGACITY (i.e. Wisdom and Insight): 

Do you have a favourite phrase that feels supportive when you are overwhelmed? 

Sometimes I use "Just Do It" (Nike's words, not mine) when I don't feel motivated but I must do something, or "This Too Shall Pass" if I'm going through a bad patch. Seeing things as temporary can help enormously.  

Sometimes I try and find the funny side of things.

SOLUTION-SEEKING: 

What behaviours do you show that can help? 

You might want to brainstorm ten possible solutions to the issue you are facing. Seek the help of a coach. Talk to your boss or to your team to address any underlining tensions. Look at the learnings and the silver lining of a crappy situation. 

Keep your positive problem-solver hat on and see what options do you have to address the issues.

3. Techniques to lower your stress levels and anxiety.

At trying times, we need to find ways not to spiral into chaos and despair. 

Here are some mindset shifts and techniques you can consider to reframe the situation. 

I suggest you journal the ideas that you find most helpful, or just take yourself on an outdoor walk and ponder them.

THE CIRCLE OF CONTROL

I spoke about this in a previous edition of the newsletter, but it's worth repeating.

Think about what you can control and change if needed in your current situation: mainly, your thoughts and your actions.

There will be things you can influence: your feelings, which are a consequence of your thoughts; your body; and other people's thinking and behaviour.

Everything else is outside your sphere of control or influence.

Realising this can help make peace with the fact that there is much we cannot do - and getting anxious about it won't change things.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY

Bathing in negativity will not help the way you feel, and your energy levels, making it even more difficult to take positive action. 

Take a break at least once a week and surround yourself with people and places you love, and positive news (for instance, take a look at this, aptly named, Positive News magazine). If you can, avoid the toxicity and aggressiveness of some social media platforms altogether.

LEARN TO BREATHE

Any breathing exercise is good for you, but one is proven to reduce anxiety instantly and calm your nervous system. 

It's easy to learn, free and always available to you: the physiological sigh.

Listen to Dr Humberman's explanation and instructions:

Ever noticed how sometimes we REALLY want something that we don't need (fancy shoes, tech, new Tesla, anyone?!) we buy it, then justify the purchase to others with all these logical arguments that are effectively... made up?!

Ever noticed how we really care about the environment, then do something against our principles - and, again justify it in a million ways to keep our conscience from yelling in disdain?

Bottom line is... human beings are irrational. And emotional. Even those hardened-up CEOs who have seen it all.

We act according to some irrational logic (?!) that, to some extent, is actually predictable. I'm going to cover only a couple of principles here (but there are many more) that you can use to your advantage in your next sustainability conversation.

1. We are social animals and anchor our decisions on comparison to others

Even when it doesn't make sense to us. We constantly compare what we do and have with other people's actions and possessions - even if we don't realise it. 

So, if you want to put a little "sustainability anchor" in someone's mind, show them how others have acted sustainably before, and have done it well. In business, case studies of similar businesses that have made sustainability part of their strategy work well.

2. The brain LOVES novelty and emotional arousal 

Next time you deliver your pitch, use something new or unusual that catches your audience's attention RIGHT AT THE START - think about the structure of any good TED talk. Choose an entertaining and/or (even better) emotional story which can be the hook, "the door handle" to the rest of your presentation. With this double-whammy of memorability and interest, you'll be halfway through selling your ideas to others.

If you want to influence others to adopt sustainability, the first thing you probably do is to prepare your argument: you might fill a PowerPoint with facts and data, and think about potential objections. 

However, 35 years since the first IPCC report warned us about climate change, nothing significant has changed. 

Facts and data on their own do not change behaviour. Fact (excuse the pun).

So what does?

Influencing others is not a modern problem.

In fact, the Greek philosopher Aristotle talked about persuading others in his Rhetoric.

He didn't just say: "Oh guys, make sure you have all your facts right (logos)" (in his own words, of course).

He also said: 

"Make sure you are credible (ethos)" and

"Make sure you provoke emotion (pathos)".

Being credible in modern words might means you are authentic and trustworthy - not necessarily that you have all the qualifications and have written books on the topic. Being credible is key to building a rapport with others so they trust you and listen to you.

And with concern to provoking emotions... 

Tell a joke! 

Share a story or a case study that resonates.  

Understand who you got in front of you by asking questions and listening attentively to the answers, then respond to their needs with a bespoke solution.

Next time you are in a meeting, think about old Uncle Aristotle and change the way you approach your clients!

But why mention it here?

Because, whether you think it's brilliant or cringe, there are three reasons why I love it:

1. It's a fantastic way to communicate sustainability. 

Who reads sustainability reports? A handful of specialist people. 

This video has been seen over 4 million times and counting (4 MILLION!!) and sparked a lot of debate.

Apple has found a way to communicate its annual report in an engaging way that reaches way more people than going down the traditional technical report route. 

It uses storytelling and critical tension in a clever way that makes you want to watch the whole video (notice how they aren't saying "Look at us, we are brilliant" directly; in fact, they pre-empt our own doubts and cynicism in Mother Nature's lines). 

2. Facts are integrated into the story, they are not the whole story like in a report. 

The video takes us on a journey which includes facts and figures - you can nit-pick and use the term greenwashing for some of the claims, like the new carbon-neutral product - but still, brilliantly anti-boring communication.

3. Apple makes sustainability key to its strategy, and this is shown by the presence of Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, in the video. 

Maybe not as brilliant an actor as Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer (Mother Nature), but he literally put his face into it. 

He didn't delegate it to his Chief Sustainability Officer. 

Also, Mother Nature is a key stakeholder, not an afterthought.

This video wants to signal that sustainability is Apple's business as usual now.

So, next time you have to put together a report (even without Apple's budget), think outside the box. 

How can you tell a story, instead of just dishing out facts and figures?

Could it be illustrated, instead of just text? 

How can you demonstrate that sustainability is key to your company's strategy and how can you make the Planet your key stakeholder?

Empathy is a fundamental trait of a great leader. 

Why? 

Because it makes it possible to "read" the very specific wiring of other people's brains. It makes it possible to walk a mile in their shoes, understand how they feel, what they need and ultimately, how you can help them and inspire them to change.

Often technical people think they just have to show the facts for others to change their behaviours or adopt their solutions. Or that they have to show off their technical knowledge with impressive-sounding big words to be credible.

But if you want to lead in sustainability, gone are the days of preaching and just exposing the facts. If that was enough, we wouldn't be in the mess we are right now, since we have known about climate change for decades.

Try changing your attitude before the next meeting with a new client: become curious about them as people, and try to feel what your clients want and feel - even if your principles and values are heading in opposite directions. 

How?

Just stop thinking about yourself and think like they are thinking. 

Listen more than you are speaking. 

Ask yourself (and them): what would make a difference to them?

What do they need and what do they want?

How can you help them get to their targets while keeping the Earth in mind?