For Our Planet Our Future’s latest book club meeting, we picked The Good Communicator by local sustainability executive coach and trainer Virginia Cinquemani. We aptly met on the hottest June day in recorded history, and unfortunately, the high temperatures meant not all readers could join us. But it felt like a fitting time to be discussing a book about persuading more people to put the planet first.
While the book is mostly aimed at sustainability professionals trying to get buy-in from higher-ups with other priorities, its lessons are relevant to anyone who wants to talk about sustainability in the workplace or with friends and family. The book starts with the psychological reasons behind why it’s so hard to get others on board with sustainability. It then touches on the guiding principles of communicating sustainability before presenting The Good Communicator Framework, a practical approach for preparing for conversations.
The power of co-creation
As usual, we began by sharing our overall impressions of the book. One reader mentioned that the book is full of common sense that could be applied beyond sustainability: knowing your audience, tailoring your message, listening, and building relationships through empathy.
The book centres around the idea of co-creation. People find change hard when it’s imposed on them, which can be half the battle when it comes to sustainability. But listening to the concerns and priorities of all stakeholders means you’re more likely to succeed, because all stakeholders feel genuinely invested. This means the end result might look different to what you originally imagined, but all stakeholders will be more willing to embrace the plan.
Regardless of our profession, we all agreed we’d use the book as a reference for important conversations about sustainability. Preparation, as Cinquemani notes, is key, and we felt we could dip back into it before an important talk or a difficult conversation.
Is communicating sustainability harder now than ever?
Climate change is not a new concept. We’ve all heard of it, and most people have formed an opinion of how concerned they should be. This means communicators aren’t introducing an idea and they might need to undo misinformation or deeply held views.
We talked about how life has become increasingly polarised and that, in some cases, we’ve stopped talking through our differences and listening to each other’s concerns. Events like Brexit and Covid have exacerbated this, and it’s common to lead with emotions rather than looking rationally at arguments and considering other points of view.
The book opens with a story about a man dropping litter. When the author challenges him, he replies, ‘Why do you care? I pay council tax and the street cleaners will take care of it. That’s what they’re there for.’ This, argues Cinquemani, is a perfect illustration of the challenge we’re up against. We’ve lost our collective connection with the environment and see the planet as something to exploit rather than nurture. Likewise, we wondered, would communication in the past have been more naturally empathic because we had a stronger sense of community?
Communication is a journey
We discussed how communication is a journey, and you need to take people with you. The finance people might be focused on the bottom line, and you have to take their priorities into account too. Readers shared examples of staff facing pressure to replicate the sky-high sales seen during COVID, albeit under very different economic circumstances. This brought us back to previous book club pick Doughnut Economics, which argued you can’t propel infinite growth on a finite planet.
Other readers shared examples of how conversations can lead to unexpected outcomes. A casual remark might prompt someone to reflect, and then make a change weeks later. You don’t always know whether you’ve influenced someone, something worth remembering the next time a conversation feels like it’s gone nowhere.
Upcoming event with Virginia
Virginia will be speaking at September’s Our Planet, Our Future event, How to Make Sustainability Irresistible. She will be sharing her ideas on how to keep hope alive and will be joined by Judith Leary-Joyce.
Our next book
Want to broaden your knowledge of sustainability challenges and solutions while meeting like-minded readers? On the 22nd of October, we’ll discuss Less by Patrick Grant, founder of Community Clothing and familiar face from the Sewing Bee, at the Cross Keys pub in Harpenden, at 7:30pm. Book your free spot here. The book is available on Hive, Audible and Hertfordshire Libraries.
About Our Planet Our Future’s Environment Book Club
Our Planet Our Future, Sustainable St Albans’ landmark series of talks and events, launched the Environment Book Club in 2023. The book club meets monthly in Harpenden to explore books that inspire us to live more sustainably and think differently about the future. Join us and be part of the conversation.
Catch up on previous book club reviews
Explore our past discussions and discover more sustainability reads:
- We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo
- Saving Us by Katharine Hayhoe
- The High House by Jessie Greengrass
- A Climate of Truth by Mike Berners-Lee
- Prosperity Without Growth by Tim Jackson
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Blue Machine by Helen Czerski
- Badvertising by Andrew Simms and Leo Murray
- Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
- Regenesis by George Monbiot
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