The main cause of inertia on sustainability issues isn't material or intellectual - it's emotional. Most people just don't take action (of any kind) unless they feel it will impact them directly. So how can you help your coworkers locate that sense of purpose? Tell 'em a great story, says communications expert John Marshall Roberts.

People don’t take environmental action for one very simple reason: at a gut level, they don’t feel that the environmental crisis urgently affects them. No amount of reasoning with them, or trying to hypnotize them with high-minded jargon about “fostering sustainable value chains” or “leveraging the triple bottom line” is going to change this fact. Why not? Because the so-called triple bottom line (people, profits and planet) is actually missing the most important ingredient for motivating people to actually change their day-to-day behaviors: a sense of purpose.

A true sense of purpose is that unbending commitment to do anything - whatever it takes - to make sure that a person (or project, or company, or cause) is properly taken care of. When people operate from this sort of commitment, they literally cannot be stopped.

Of course, most people don’t respond on an emotional level to abstract ideas about purpose; instead, they respond to the feeling that having a clear purpose gives them deep in their bones. So how do we instill such a sense of purpose in our coworkers? Historically, transformational leaders have used storytelling to artfully communicate purpose to others.

Here are the four essential principles for crafting a compelling “story” to convey your sustainability message. (If they’ve worked for great leaders and orators throughout history, they’re bound to do the trick with the folks in the purchasing department, too.)

Principle #1: Create an Enemy

A great bad-guy always gets the hero moving. Look at your particular organization or industry. Who or what can serve as a great bad guy for your cause? Is the competition using green-washing to make inroads to your customer base? Are you falling behind because you are dragging your feet on a few potentially high-profile sustainable projects? Are you just plain out-of-the-loop because of a complacent or stagnant culture? Whatever it is, name it. Label it. Make it vivid and concrete. You have just given your co-workers a great source of motivating green antagonism to rally against.

Principle #2: Envision a Pleasurable Heaven (“The Carrot”)

Most people don’t like stories without a glimmer of hope and the promise of a happy ending. Looking at your situation, what is the best possible outcome that might come from everyone doing the right thing now? Will your company become a highly regarded sustainability leader in your industry? Will the employees in your department receive recognition and merit bonuses for outstanding workplace savings and innovation? Will everyone in the company feel a sense of fulfillment, security and satisfaction for making a difference while exceeding all financial goals? Whatever stands out, weave it together into a tapestry that portrays an emotionally compelling vision of a prosperous, sustainable future.

Principle #3: Provide a Painful Hell (“The Stick”)

Nothing gets people hopping quicker than the chance to avoid pain. Looking at your situation, what is the credible worst-case scenario that might happen if your story’s heroes (you and your coworkers) don’t emerge victorious against the ‘enemy’? Will profits decrease to the point where raises and bonuses are compromised? Will the competition steal key clients from you? Will company morale continue to suffocate under a blanket of boredom and stagnancy? Whatever you envision, tie it all together to paint a vivid picture of an unpleasant future-reality that is inevitable should your urgent call to action go unheeded.

Principle #4: Invite Your Hero to Action

Now that the first act of your sustainability myth is properly set up, it’s time to get the story moving. In your particular work-sphere, what specific sustainability projects deserve immediate attention? In what ways are co-workers being inattentive to the environmental bottom-line? What small changes today might lead to big breakthroughs down the road? Call your coworkers to specific, measurable action on behalf of the universal principles that are driving your quest. With the other story elements already in place, your fellow heroes will rise to the occasion. Even better, their actions will feel like a personally meaningful opportunity for self-expression and leadership, rather than a forced mandate from the higher-ups. This is the best thing about purposeful behavior - it drives from the primal core of the human spirit. And, in addition to being effective, it usually feels like fun.

Let’s face it: When push comes to shove, people will always make up their own minds about what matters to them and what doesn’t. It would be foolish to suggest otherwise. But great leaders understand that within every employee - within every human being - lies a deep longing to be a part of something bigger, and to make a positive difference on a larger scale. With the right communication tools at our disposal, we can access this universal longing and help those around us embrace the "better angels" of their nature in the service of every bottom line.

__________

John Marshall Roberts is strategic communications consultant at Evenson Design Group, a sustainable branding, messaging, and design firm based in Los Angeles. He is author of the forthcoming book Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries. Find more information on his blog.