Is sustainability too political an issue to address with coaching

Actually this question slightly amended came up on a linked in message board and was actually asking whether the profession of coaching should address coaching for sustainability in their annual conference.  It was a good question and so Iconsider it deserved an answer which I repost below.

Sustainability is now part of our individual and collective reality.

Given that politicians of all points in the political spectrum, the world over seem to be on side with the idea that sustainability is an issue that is not only real but one that is and will impact all choices and decisions made at national, regional and local government levels I would suggest that sustainability is now in the realm of the apolitical.

Having recently worked with the Carbon Trust in the UK, I have first hand experience that it is individuals who have been at the forefront of taking action in changing habits and behaviours around climate change and sustainability. We have had in fact a societal values shift.

Corporates have been quick to react and barring some greenwash have embraced CSR for both commercial and altruistic purposes.  Disappointingly governments have moved much much more slowly. Some governments are still dragging their feet as bemoaned by the UN Secretary General recently.

So our clients whether as individuals or corporates are likely to have sustainability as a growing personal issue underpinning a realignment of values and beliefs. How they relate this to future business and personal goals and their concept of purpose in this world is a very valid area requiring coaching support.

Coaching is recognised as the management intervention best suited to support individual leaders, managers and businesses in what is a dynamic and certainly difficult economic environment. 

I believe this also holds true as we approach a couple of decades that will determine the degree of change resulting from the environmental impact on the world economy and how we face up to the key challenges that business and societies must address.

I agree that as coaches we should not lead our clients but I do not think there is any need to. We do however need to be prepared as coaches to work with clients in a societal shift that is likely to be even more impactful (is that a word?) than this economic recession.

Burst the Bubbles

Bubbles as barriers

Each of us has a personal communication style in the way we interact with the outside world.  We also filter what we hear ourselves saying and what others say to us.  This push and pull of langauage and meaning, exchange of ideas, desires and demands takes place through a semi permeable membrane where personality, upbringing, beliefs, values and personal preferences create a complex interchange.

The effect of this is that we live in bubbles of communication of different shades.  When we come across someone in a bubble of the same or similar colour we tend to understand not just what they say to us but all the non verbal communication that takes place, the emotional, group and task inferences that make what someone says have meaning aligned to what they want us to understand. 

When we interact with someone in a different shade of bubble the messages contained in our communication exchange get confused, there is mis understanding, distrust, a sense of threat, non appreciation a lack of mutual respect.

I find that the key to a more harmonious and productive exchange is deeper, harder listening, in combination with a more open learning and non judgemental mindset.  This is hard, really hard and even professional listeners those who seek to counsell on change based on true hearing can struggle.  Sitting in a room with people who are talking but not hearing, hearing but not understanding, socialising but on their own smacks at futility that none of us can afford and demeans the highly developed species we claim to be.

Listen to political debate, a sales negotiation, an exchange between life partners, a parent talking with a child.  Try and listen to yourself.

Then look to burst the bubble.  The difference in outcome is amazing.

Think green and sustainable

How can we balance the needs of our business and family today, with what might happen to our planet tomorrow, when we can only play a small part with a tiny effect, if any, on the outcome?

Why should we do anything when nobody else seems to?

We all actually know the answer to these questions.  So why do we still not fully engage in trying to make the best future we can.

I fear that the answer is that it would be hard.  Hard on our pockets, hard to stand up and be noticed, hard to accept that others may do nothing and profit at our expense, hard on us physically, hard to accept mentally the enormity of our challenge.

With each passing day that challenge grows.  It is already not just a problem for our grand children.  When we speak to our children is it too hard to admit that the real challenges they will face are a result of us not being prepared to face our own hardships and accepting that they should shoulder a burden magnified.

With each passing day we face the reality that we shall soon face explaining to ourselves that we did not have the courage to face our own hardships in order to save ourselves. 

When did we, people in the developed economies, stop being able to do hard?