How change is created
As I was writing the last chapter of my book, the Good Communicator, something became evident.
In the "What's Next?" chapter I had to highlight the fundamental problem of real change: we stop at the awareness level, and almost never dip below that surface into the action level.
Let me give you an example:
By now, you have become aware of the fact that you want to change something (your role, perhaps you want to have impactful sustainability conversations, or become an activist): you read this newsletter (thank you!), participate in webinars and keep informed.
The content you consume makes you think about what you are already doing well and what you can do to improve towards that new aspirational identity as a change-maker.
Perhaps these thoughts generate some feelings, like frustration that your interactions with others might not have the impact you’d like yet or a sense of anticipation for what you now know you can do to improve. When you feel strongly about something, it’s a good indication that you have the drive to change.
As you might have experienced before, though, reading a book or joining a webinar rarely changes the way you behave. Books and webinars are wonderful for generating insights and inspiration. But it’s how you put into practice the content and ideas from them that can truly change your life.
From this point onwards, my friend, it’s up to you.
This is where you need to start taking action.
First, you need to commit to change. Think about what you would lose by not investing serious time and energy into yourself and your dreams.
Then, you need to create systems to help you automate decisions and make it easier for you to make your new actions a habit.
For instance, you could plan to change the way you communicate sustainability for more impact using some of the techniques I share in this newsletter in your next meeting, starting from a low-stakes one (perhaps an internal meeting with colleagues you already know).
Then you can plan at least one meeting a week in which you’ll use these techniques until you are confident to use them in every interaction you have.
It’s important to flag up these meetings in your calendar and add an hour of preparation time before them to start with - once you get familiar with them, your prep time will shorten but remember the famous quote commonly attributed to Abraham Lincoln:
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Preparation is a fundamental step to your success as a change-maker and should not be skipped.
Finally, remember to practise at every opportunity. The more you use the techniques, the more confident you'll become. Engage in conversations, give presentations or participate in discussions. Keep a journal of your interactions for a month so that you can learn from them and adjust your communication strategy accordingly.
Once the habit of communicating sustainability in this new way is established, true change will happen because you will then be a Good Communicator.
So, my friend, what are you going to do differently from today to create real change?
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/