The Climate Crisis: Transforming Information into Action

1
The Climate CrisisTransforming Information into
Action

• Mary Lynn Manns
• UNC Asheville
• Department of Management Accountancy
• November 5, 2009

2
Change!

• Leading change is hard just ask anyone who has
  tried.

• Manns Rising, Fearless Change Patterns for
  Introducing New Ideas, 2005

3
This presentation

• is the outcome of a Social Science Climate
  Studies Fellowship (NCDC NEMAC)
• provides insight into persuading people to take
  actions that will have a positive effect on
  climate
• General public
• Policy makers
• Other decision makers

4
Warm up

• Why do people resist change?

5
This is not a simple issue

• A collective action problem
• Social Interdependence vs. Social Independence
• Large opposing goals
• Failure in group decision-making
• Thinking in logical (rather than emotional)
  arguments
• A system issue
• Treat underlying causes rather than symptoms
• Understand the beliefs, challenges, assumptions,
  values that created the problem

6
Mistakes climate change leaders may make

• Just the facts, maam
• I know a lot so Im going to tell you everything
  I know
• The decision-makers will come to us for
  information and inspiration
• Lets stick with slides and reports that is what
  we do best
• We can persuade them with a one-time really cool
  event
• Technologies and policies are the complete answer

7
Change

• Is motivated by
• a tension between current state and desired state
• a belief in the ability to change
• How do you create tension and the belief in an
  ability to change?
• Is a process, not an event
• knowledge persuasion decision
  implementation confirmation (Rogers)
• How do you move people through this process?...

8
Force them

• But this is not sustainable
• People need reasons not directives
• Laws rewards treat symptoms, not the underlying
  causes
• What is needed?... a fundamental change in
  thinking and behaving
• How do we get people to think and behave
  differently?...

9
Provide lots of facts

• Its a start, but
• The facts are not conclusive and come from
  competing sources
• An overload of information can bury the key
  message
• Facts are easily dismissed or challenged
• The facts provide only knowledge
• knowledge persuasion decision
  implementation confirmation
• So how do you persuade? How do you prompt action?

10
Get a well dressed talking head to deliver the
facts

• But ask yourself if this person can
• create a relationship with the audience
• be credible and trustworthy
• relate to the concerns of the audience
• use language the audience can understand
• be memorable
• tap into the emotions of the audience
• Tap into emotions
• How do you do that?...

11
Create fear

• Fear captures attention, but
• It can be too frightening to contemplate, so
• People will use coping mechanisms deny or
  rationalize
• It can create a sense of learned helplessness
• Preventive innovations have a low rate of
  adoption
• Facts, Force, Fear dont work. Is there another
  F word that does?...

12
Feelings

• Our emotions drive our decisions and then we
  justify with logic and reason.
• Behavior change happens mostly by speaking to a
  peoples feelings. (John Kotter)

13
Climate change leaders agree

• Above all, the history of climate change shows
  that perceptions of the issues are by no means
  driven only or even primarily by facts,
  evidence and rational argument. Images,
  narratives, relationships and values matter at
  least as much.
• Climate Change The State of the Debate, Center
  on International Cooperation, 2007

14
General Lessons

• Facts, Fear, Force do not sustain action
• Facts are the first step provide awareness
• Fear can be rationalized dismissed
• Force treats symptoms but does not fundamentally
  change behavior
• Persuasion calls for an appeal to emotion rather
  than to logic
• Cause your audience to feel something

15
Recall the decision process
knowledge persuasion decision
implementation confirmation The mental
activity at knowledge is cognitive (knowing)
persuasion is affective (feeling)
16
Knowledge present the relevant facts

• Goal Audience will believe you and be willing
  to be persuaded
• Stress a simple, concrete message Just Enough
• What is the core?
• Make it relevant Tailor Made
• Consider the value drivers of the group
• Be credible
• Hometown Story, External Validation, Big Jolt

17
Knowledge continued

• Capture attention
• Include something unexpected
• Show a relative advantage
• Concentrate on the possibilities
• Small problems Step by Step propose a strategy
• Keep it visible and frequent In Your Space
• Make it memorable
• Next Steps
• People will forget what you said, forget what you
  did, but not forget how you made them feel. (Maya
  Angelou)

18
Persuasion transform information into action

• Goal Audience will form the intended opinion
  and be willing to act on it
• Ask yourself What will cause my audience to
  feel something? Emotional Connection
• Set the stage - relationships
• Trust and credibility will get you a fair hearing
• Learn about the beliefs, attitudes, values
  (rather than create new ones)
• Match problem to concerns Personal Touch

19
Persuasion continued

• Tell meaningful stories
• Talk about people instead of statistics
• Stir up anger about the problem
• Theres nothing like a little rebellion
• Create a sense of ownership and hope
• Match individual skills to small issues in the
  big problem Involve Everyone
• Create a supportive group Group Identity
• Address the fear of the skeptics Fear Less
• Build a sense of urgency Wake-up Call

20
Transforming Information into Action

• Tension between current and desired states
• Consequences of current actions
• Relative advantage
• What does this mean for me?
• Ownership of the problem
• Confidence and hope
• Start small attainable goals
• Success stories that inspire
• Relationships
• mutual trust
• understanding the value drivers
• ongoing support to handle the setbacks

21
Transforming Information into Action -Ideas from
attendees at Chocolate Friday

• Presenter show s/he is emotionally attached to
  topic Evangelist
• Vote for change for an inspirational leader that
  believes in the impact of Climate Change
• Instead of scaring people into passivity,
  motivate for action
• Write sappy Emails to the editor (with stories
  and images that impact feelings) Emotional
  Connection
• Investigate web sites that show the ability to
  save money while feeling good about doing the
  right thing
• Create attachments and support (to get through
  challenging times), e.g. Green roots movements
• Tackle preconceived notions of your target
  audience Myth Buster
• Find ways to start conversations on equal ground
• Appeal to peoples spirituality or deeper value
  systems

22
Transforming Information into Action -Ideas from
A Sustainable Culture class.

• Step outside of your comfort zone.
• Start the support system as an e-forum
• Start a habit to move them towards the direction
  repetition to make it stick
• What needs to shift in the collective? What can
  create a critical mass?
• Find creative ways to frame the problem
  emotional leverage points
• Find effective propaganda to create sense of
  urgency Wake-up Call
• Piggyback on what is going on now (ex/ tie into
  problems in the economy)
• Start where the person is their needs the
  desires, what they think is important Personal
  Touch
• Role modeling
• Share your ideas non-judgmentally with other
  people
• Active listening
• Go after low hanging fruit to collect mass and
  leverage

23
Transforming Information into Action -Ideas from
the National Climatic Data Center.

• Empower your audience to do something
• Adaptive images stories work well
• Be sure to remain impartial
• Dont blast out statistics rather, talk about
  relationships/comparisons
• React within our ability to act
• People want to be shown (images simulations
  rather than only words and numbers)
• Look at tools to perceive what is happening
• Admit the uncertainties dont present it as
  black and white
• Its not a one time thing (a one-time exposure to
  the facts)
• Get to know people to understand their challenges
  what are we hearing constant iteration and
  interaction
• Create partnerships
• Speak as a person instead of as an institution
• Give reasons
• Acknowledge both sides of the arguments - respect
• We need to listen-- Be nice to the people who
  seem to have opposite views invite them in
• Dont refer to them as bad
• How risky am I making the world for my
  grandchildren
• Recognize that it is not a political or rational
  argument
• Understand the value drivers of different groups

24
For more information

• Mary Lynn Manns
• UNC Asheville
• Department of Management Accountancy
• manns_at_unca.edu
• http//www.fearlesschangepatterns.com