OBJECTIVE

The goal was to produce a workshop with New York professionals around environmental sustainability to identifying current behaviors and how to move towards a desired future state.

OUTCOME

The participants started by identifying their anxieties about the current state of our planet but left with a tangible list of next steps they each wanted to implement into their daily lives. The group walked away empowered and optimistic about our future and we have since shared a bi-weekly newsletter where we callout exciting news from the sustainability space, eco-friendly brand suggestions and achievements in environmental awareness from our own lives.

• Timeframe: 1 month | 2017

• Team Size: 3 members

Design the day

We know people can be apprehensive around the topic of environmental sustainability. So we wanted to address every detail that would make them feel comfortable and welcome. Everyone had a personalized name tag waiting for them when they arrived, all kinds of drinks, a cinnamon scented pinecone to take home as a gift and plenty of snacks.

We developed a day that would appeal to all different types of personalities - whether they were inclined towards critical thinking, hands-on creativity or open-ended brainstorming. We also chose activities that incorporated both one-on-one conversation, as well as talks as one large group.

Conversation Cafe

The participants were separated into two groups and handed a “talking leaf”. Then as each question was asked they were given a set time to answer for themselves - the only rule being that no one can talk unless the person with the leaf. This gave the participants a chance to do some reflecting on how sustainability fits into their lives and why it is this way.

Unless sustainability is something you actively think about, it’s not typically a topic busy professionals talk about. We wanted to give everyone a chance to give it some time without any kind of pressure to change, just an opportunity for them to reflect and see how they feel about it for themselves.

15% Solutions

We asked each individual to make a list of the behaviors that would require 15% effort to live more sustainability. This assumes you don’t need any outside influence or permission, a change that could be made completely within their control. The lists were varied, but it helped the participants to think specifically about the way they’re currently living.

#1 Goal

The participants were asked to share their lists one-by-one with the group and choose the one they really wanted to commit to doing moving forward. We built a master list of these number one choices with the intention of each individual to really get behind the change they want to make without feeling overwhelmed.

Graph Yourself

We started the day by having the participants graph themselves using the room to delineate an X and Y-axis. The first question asked them to graph themselves based on how informed they felt about the state of sustainability along one axis and how much they trust their information sources on the other. The next graph was how hopeful they were about the state of environmental sustainability along one axis and how empowered they felt about their ability to influence that state along the other.

Participants were then able to share why they placed themselves where they did which created a space to see how others in the room felt. The intention here was to get a baseline for everyone’s feelings at the start of the day and also create a sense of camaraderie among individuals that don’t know each other.

Visualize your feelings

We wanted an activity that would appeal to the participants that are better at expressing themselves creatively. We provided a variety of materials and asked everyone to design a visual representation for how they feel about sustainability.

Everyone shared what they had made and further reflected on how they see themselves as part of a sustainable future. Spending time doing any sort of arts and crafts is so rare as an adult, so when given permission to be creative it’s amazing to see the feelings that show up for people.