We recently spent an afternoon with Mary Hurlie, of LeaderScope, talking about … and experiencing the consequences of … different styles of communication. Whether someone wants to receive information through direct, to-the-point conversation or wants to use conversation to first develop an interactive relationship is neither right nor wrong. But recognizing that those styles exist and learning how to flex one’s own style in order to engage comfortably with others is a hallmark of effective communication.
What does this have to do with the environment? Making a difference in the world, being effective at creating positive change requires effective communication. And communication is not just about talking at people; it’s also (and importantly) about listening to people.
Over the decades, environmentalists have become much better at messaging. We reach out to more people in more sophisticated ways with our messages — whether it’s about climate change, socioeconomic inequality, species extinction, and any of the hundreds of other issues before us — than ever before. But we have not become all that good at listening to others. Or, at least, not as good as we need to be.
So that’s what we did. We learned how to become better listeners.
It’s easy if you try … and if you know what to listen for.
