During my Industrial Ecology class the other night, the professor talked about the influence of stories in the evolution of social and environmental awareness.
There were Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” which led to a call for meat inspection standards, John Muir’s “The Yosemite,” which inspired the creation of a national park system, and Dian Fossey’s “Gorillas in the Mist,” which rallied support for protecting endangered species.
Each was a story that connected emotionally with people across social, geographic and economic boundaries to inspire understanding and action.
It made me reflect on a discussion I had last week at a G&S event on CSR leadership. The particular exchange focused on the challenges of pursuing sustainability in organizations that are highly decentralized.
How do you get divisions that are at different stages in their journey toward sustainability to embrace and align with a corporate directive?
The answer is to share more stories; stories that will motivate the line worker as well as the division president.
Forget the PowerPoint slides filled with facts and figures. Find an emotional connection that will get them excited.
The outdoor clothier Patagonia provides an excellent example of this with its The Cleanest Line blog. With stories of outdoor adventure, the blog helps crystallize the importance of both the products they sell and their commitment to sustainability without specifically mentioning either.
Stories are powerful motivators. In fact, I think the old saying that starts with “give a man a fish and you’ve fed him for a day” needs to be revised.
Forget about teaching him to fish.
Tell him a good story about the big one that got away and he’ll want to fish for a lifetime.
(Guest contributor Ron Loch is a senior vice president at Gibbs & Soell Public Relations. He leads the firm’s Greentech & Sustainability Practice, collaborating with G&S colleagues specializing in advanced manufacturing and energy, agribusiness and food, consumer lifestyle and building solutions, professional services, and technology and general science.)