Reorganize.org — Talking is Good

“This is true. And this is stupid,”

replies Hunter Lovins when asked if the myriad like-minded NGOs in the world today actually aren’t talking to each other, or if it just seems that way?

Hunter’s rhetoric may sound bitter to some readers. Though, few in the impact-making milieu have managed to remain positive in the face of adversity, and fewer still have ridden as much trail, as she. Ergo, her quip comes as a bit of a surprise.

There must be an upside…………?

Hypothetical Case Study:

You’re the Chairperson of a multinational polluter whose factories are massive contributors to the rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Or, maybe you actually are — in which case, “Please stop doing that.” ? On your way in to HQ one day you see protestors and activists attempting to block your entry. As your driver inches the Town Car closer to the crowd, there doesn’t appear to be any consensus among the various groups as to how they should form a blockade. Those wearing purple “Save the Pigeons” t-shirts begin to lie down in the road to protest your exceedingly high CO2 emissions, the gray “Save the Eels” t-shirts chain themselves to a fence nearby with a banner proclaiming your factories poached eel habitats, whereas the yellow “Save the Squirrels” t-shirts start forming a picket line on the sidewalk with signs critical of your plastic waste stream. ? There’s already a lot going on, but then the groups start noisily arguing among themselves about whose group has the most effective blockading technique. The discord splinters apart the crowd and your driver steps on the gas but carefully avoids the lone Purpleshirt who’s still lying in the middle of the road, staring nervously at your approach. ? As your Town Car easily passes by the tumult, you muse from behind tinted windows. You can’t help but think, “This is exactly how some of our shareholder meetings devolve. And, for that matter, our board meetings don’t fare much better.” In fact, many of the best laid plans — worldwide — suffer the same fate when they fail to take the time to “frame a coherent, shared strategy.” ? Switch roles for a second. This time look through the eyes of an ultra-high-net-worth donor, eager to write a sizable check to a lucky recipient whom you have yet to choose. You’ll probably begin reconsidering your options when confronted with the toxic blend of feudal behavior and bumpy tribalism described above…

Hero Complex

Is there anyone reading this who wouldn’t want a stadium named after your organization for generations to come? Or perhaps a gilded likeness of yourself saluting Oxford University’s 2222 A.D. graduates? (If the latter of these two examples sounds extreme, consider CEO Armand Hammer, who erected a life-size bronze statue of himself in his HQ’s lobby. See Fortune, Feb. 2, 2015)

It’s hard to imagine such narcissism existing in the rank and file of philanthropic endeavors, especially at a time when there is a growing consensus that a #ClimateCrisis could extinguish our species from the planet. Yet that’s often how it appears to the lay observer.

Even for issues facing tech, religion, education, health care, and so on, it’s a mess out there. Unfortunately, when there are so many players in the non-profit realm, each with their own mission and specific strategy for how to turn things around, the voices become diluted. Coalitions sprout up now and then for individual events and other temporal circumstances but rarely do the constituents go all-in to form lasting, fortified brigades.

Let’s face it, even reformists need reform now and then.

Moonshot

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

—  JFK, Rice University, Sept. 12, 1962

This article is not highlighting anything that’s inherently wrong with non-profits, business in general, or even governmental institutions. The ability to talk to one another is a constant struggle in our history. Such is the root cause of the majority of our tangles and snags. As George Bernard Shaw points out, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

Prez Kennedy’s well-worn quote (above) is familiar to most readers and is often cited in reference to a collective effort required to ensure our species thrives and survives seven generations into the future. (Of course, in addition to the #ClimateCrisis, many other pressing issues can be solved more efficiently when we take the time to discover our common values and uncommon beliefs.)

In the coming years, every person, in every facet of civil society, will be asked to give up familiar things. Some of us will give up our homes due to disaster. Others will give up their favorite food because the “new normal” growing season cannot sustain those crops.

How about we give up these two other things, which will help get our species to a more prosperous #7thGen future:

1. Give up our inability to talk to one another.
2. Give up our differences and petty boundaries.

Mission Possible

“We need to ensure that all … citizens are optimistic … about what the journey to a low-carbon economy will mean for them.”

—  Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Senior Adviser, Xynteo’s‘Europe Delivers’ program

Bringing our story full circle back to the opening remarks above, Hunter also noted that there are some good examples of partnerships and visions beginning to form. The first example that comes to mind is Sandrine Dixson-Declève

Sandrine has even gone one step further. Her offer is to not only bring together Climate Crisis #solutionists, but also the other branches of civil society as well. “Environmental, social, labor, and market issues need to be looked at together, rather than in isolation.” (See her LinkedIn article “Building a Different Kind of Growth in Europe — How Business and Policy-Makers Can Work Together.”)

Start talking.

Get in front of people in every direction and see where it takes you. Perhaps it leads all the way to 2222 A.D. and beyond.

Kindly share your thoughts in the Comments below…

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Related Ben Emerson articles published on LinkedIn:

• Looooooong-Term Planetary Planning (Part 1 of this series)
• World Zero Cup
• Profits Will Save this Planet — Not Prophets
• WE need OUR help!
• Explainer: The Energy Opportunity

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AFTERWORD

This is article #2 in a series of 3 (see Part 1 bit.ly/2222planet and Part 3 bit.ly/turtlefruit) that examine how and when to take action against Climate Piracy. The series deals with techniques that are equally applicable to all industries, markets, regions, beliefs, and systems of government. DM me if you would like to be notified when article #3 is posted.