The Climate Crisis: Turning Information into Action

1
The Climate CrisisTurning Information into
Action

• Mary Lynn Manns
• UNC Asheville
• Department of Management Accountancy
• Chocolate Friday October 2008

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
This is not a simple issue

• A collective action problem
• Social Interdependence vs. Social Independence
• Large opposing goals
• A system issue
• Treat underlying causes rather than symptoms
• Understand the beliefs, challenges, assumptions,
  values that created the problem

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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

6
Change

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

7
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?...

8
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 I persuade?...

9
Get a well dressed talking head to deliver the
facts

• Ask yourself if this person can
• relate to the concerns of the audience
• use language the audience can understand
• be credible in the eyes of the audience
• create a relationship with the audience
• be memorable
• tap into the emotions of the audience
• Tap into emotions
• How do I do that?...

10
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?...

11
Feelings

• People will forget what you said, forget what you
  did, but not forget how you made them feel. (Maya
  Angelou)
• We make emotional decisions and then justify with
  logic and reason.
• Behavior change happens mostly by speaking to a
  peoples feelings. (John Kotter)

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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

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Some 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

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Turning Information into Action

• Providing information
• Credible presenter
• Self-knowledge
• Relevant benefit compatible with concerns
• Unexpected
• Anchor and Twist
• Simple, concrete key message
• Vision and potential strategies (not just
  problems)
• Scenario planning
• Memorable
• Meaningful stories (micro to macro)
• A sense of urgency

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Turning Information into Actioncontinued

• 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

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Turning Information into Action -Ideas from
people attending this presentation.

• Presenter show s/he is emotionally attached to
  topic
• 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)
• 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
• Find ways to start conversations on equal ground
• Appeal to peoples spirituality or deeper value
  systems

17
Ive given you information, but have I persuaded
you to take action?

• Mary Lynn Manns
• UNC Asheville
• Department of Management Accountancy
• For more information and comments
• manns_at_unca.edu