Video Interview: Good-to-Great Communication for Sustainability Change Agents

As a change agent, do you ever feel stifled by people who are unenthusiastic about your sustainability message?  John Marshall Roberts, the CEO of Worldview Thinking and the author of Igniting Inspiration, explains how understanding different worldviews can transform a good communicator to a great communicator.

According to Roberts, there are four main worldviews: absolutistic, individualistic, humanistic and systematic.  Change agents tend to have a systematic worldview and often have trouble understanding and communicating with absolutistic and individualistic worldviews.  For example, absolutistic thinking embodies the core values of discipline, authority and purpose.  Examples of people with this worldview may include George W. Bush, Sarah Palin and FoxNews.  Another example, individualistic thinking, dominates 25-30% of the US population.  These thinkers view life as a game and emphasize the core values of success, power and affluence.  Understanding different worldviews in a non-judgmental way are important for effective communication.  After all, creating a positive change movement means winning hearts and minds, and great communication is the first step.

Connie Kwan is a GreenTech Marketing professional based in Silicon Valley, CA.  She is pursuing an MBA in Sustainability at Presidio Graduate School and blogs about sustainability and business at Sustainable Thinking: Applied. Follow her on Twitter @ConnieMKwan.