Coaching quite a few people who are working in sustainability roles within organisations or are consultants helping a range of organisations become more sustainable, there is a common question amongst them: ‘How do I keep my energy and enthusiasm and not get frustrated and exhausted in my job?’

This question is raised because they are trying to persuade more powerful people within their organisation to see the world as they see it and therefore change business practices. These more powerful individuals are often in denial that anything needs to change, are begrudgingly doing the minimum to be compliant with regulations, or to provide what their clients are asking for to keep their business running as usual.

The key difference between those who work as change agents and don’t get burnt out, or disillusioned and can keep giving their life energy to making a difference and those who can’t is…

• The first set don’t try and change others. They only ask each day, ‘did I manage myself in the most effective way I could today?’ Their measure of success is based on assessing themselves.
• The second set judge their own success on whether another has changed – changed their point of view and therefore changed their business practices. Their measure of success is based on assessing others.

This is a subtle difference and I know that both WANT businesses to change their practices. BUT they both have very different approaches.

The first set understand that for another to be influenced by you they need to feel safe and not judged by you. They need to be listened to and valued for who they are, even if you don’t agree with their point of view.

We don’t know what anyone else has experienced in their upbringing and their life to make them the way they are, so if we can hold off judging them as a person and say ‘if I had had their life experience, I might also think the way they do’ this can help us stay non-judgemental and compassionate. It is this non-judgemental, compassionate energy that is needed for others to develop/change for the better. If we come with our own judgements and frustrations, the other will feel this and see us as the ‘enemy’ or someone to avoid as we make them feel uncomfortable.

So the key to having a happy, healthy life AND still doing the work you love, and the work that the world so desperately needs you to keep doing, is to work on yourself, keep grounded and calm and listen to others, before trying to get them to change their beliefs.