Download The Climate Crisis: Turning Information into Action

The Climate Crisis:
Transforming Information into Action
Mary Lynn Manns
UNC Asheville
Department of Management & Accountancy
November 5, 2009
Change!
Leading change is
hard; just ask
anyone who has
tried.
Manns & Rising,
Fearless Change:
Patterns for
Introducing New
Ideas, 2005
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

Warm up…
Why do people resist change?
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
Mistakes climate change leaders
may make…
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Just the facts, ma’am
I know a lot so I’m going to tell you everything I
know
The decision-makers will come to us for
information and inspiration
Let’s 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
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?

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Is a process, not an event
knowledge – persuasion – decision – implementation
– confirmation (Rogers)
How do you move people through this process?...
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?...
Provide lots of facts…
It’s 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?…
Get a well dressed talking head to
deliver the facts…
But ask yourself if this person can…
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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?...
Create fear
Fear captures attention, but…
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
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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 don’t work…. Is there another ‘F’
word that does?...
Feelings…

Our emotions drive our decisions and
then we justify with logic and reason.

Behavior change happens mostly by
speaking to a people’s feelings. (John
Kotter)
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
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

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Persuasion calls for an appeal to
emotion rather than to logic

Cause your audience to feel something
Recall the decision process…
knowledge – persuasion –
decision – implementation – confirmation
The mental activity at…
… knowledge is cognitive (knowing)
… persuasion is affective (feeling)
Knowledge:
present the relevant facts
Goal: Audience will believe you and be willing to be
persuaded

Stress a simple, concrete message Just Enough
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Make it relevant Tailor Made
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What is the core?
Consider the value drivers of the group
Be credible

Hometown Story, External Validation, Big Jolt
Knowledge:
continued
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Capture attention

Include something unexpected

Show a relative advantage
 Concentrate on the possibilities
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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)
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
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Set the stage - relationships
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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
Persuasion:
continued
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Tell meaningful stories
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Stir up anger about the problem
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Talk about people instead of statistics
There’s 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
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Build a sense of urgency Wake-up Call
Transforming Information into Action
Tension between current and desired states
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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
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
•
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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
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
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
Don’t 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 – don’t present it as black and white
It’s 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
Don’t 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
Compromise – seek complementary goals
Recognize where people are getting their information– from the media rather than scientists
People who deliver the message– appeal to emotions
Address the myths
For more information…
Mary Lynn Manns
UNC Asheville
Department of Management & Accountancy
[email protected]
http://www.fearlesschangepatterns.com