As I keep my eyes out for ways we can more effectively build and use our individual climate influence, I’ve been thinking about where we spend our professional event or conference time (and travel/flight emissions budget). So, that’s what I share in this audio post. Here’s a bit of it:
Are we all staying too comfortable in our “being among the choir” spaces, which means we are not expanding or practicing our true “genius level” (I’m a fan of Gay Hendricks’ work!) of Climate Influence? Why aren’t we instead asking ourselves to more boldly represent the enthusiastic, joyful climate values-driven leader in our sector or industry - to be the one of few people singing, aiming to influence more who might like to join that choir but don’t know how to take the first step?
Here’s how I see it for me: My work is climate influence. My mission is to name and fame unusual suspects acting on climate or new-converts who are showing up leading all sorts of projects and in all sorts of places. The more unlikely or “new” to expressing their climate values, the better…
I am looking for “surprising validators” and “unusual suspects” more than anything. Those who have fairly newly converted to a climate-acting professional life because their personal climate values drove them to it. That is my gold…
Since I’m on the lookout for folks like that to name and fame. It follows that the best places to network and spread my message are probably not large gatherings of people already in the climate “business”.
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RAVE: Choosing to attend events (local or beyond) that bring you in touch with people that may not already be in the climate choir. I’m more intentionally aiming to attend more creative culture events, for one, as I see that space being an excellent bridge for climate influence. Also - I am lucky that the music/arts scene in Seattle is a joy, and I get SO energized in those spaces. Where can you extend your comfort zone a bit and find new ways to be creatively energized and meet amazing new people?
RANT: OK, so I realize that “rant” can be an aggressive word, but I think there is also a comfort-zone thing we can each work on. So, let’s define rant as something to re-think. So, with regard to this topic of real life events and influence, my re-think suggestion is: even if *you always* attend X or Y event, now may be the year to start to shift that pattern. The re-think is for you, and you alone, (you don’t have to change your whole sector, just change yourself a bit) to break out of whatever culture you’ve let determine where/how you spend your time. You are smart and KNOW where your insight and presence could really matter. Re-think your event attendance decisions! Then, when you have fun or find that shift rewarding/productive, TALK about it so you encourage your peers to do the same.
OPPORTUNITY: Why not think hugely outside of the influence box? What if you are in built environment climate tech and you really think it would be fun to attend a green sports panel? What if you are in accounting and happen to live in a city where there’s a music industry leadership gathering? Where would you be blown away to find that you can make new friends, actually DO have professional ideas in common, and could influence some more climate conversation? Watch the crazy creative collaboration ideas emerge. Go - For - It!
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Thank you for your continuing interest in my Climate Influence work!
Please join me in hyping the good and amazing climate influence progress you see around you. AND, if you are on Bluesky or LinkedIn , go ahead and post about it (and tag me so I can extra amplify it). Now is a great time to start to build up YOUR joyful platform of engagement and cheering. (Show us the you that you’ve been buttoning down because you thought it’d be more professional.)
See you next time. May your world allow you a bike ride for local transportation or a surprisingly tasty plant-based meal in the near future.
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