The Montessori philosophy connected everything in the student’s education to real, practical life application. Subjects intertwined. How can you learn math without language, science without geography? Classrooms spanned three age groups so students experienced the roles of being the youngest, middle and oldest and all of the responsibilities that came with those positions. When they moved up to the next classroom, they were humbled by the fact that they were now the youngest again and there was so much more they didn’t know, but could learn. Differences in age or height had no bearing on abilities of the individual. They learned from each other. Tolerance and understanding was inherent in the culture, as was respect and courtesy. Behavior was modeled. Goals revolved around what was absolutely in the best interests of the child, developing the love of learning, and acquiring the ability to reason and logic and research. A garden was a centerpiece of the school. Children had experiences outside of the classroom as often as possible. They took nature walks, even in an urban area, to find nature among the concrete. Independence and responsibility for their own learning were essential components. They were provided time to develop their strengths and time to catch up in more challenging areas. They appreciated the freedom of setting their weekly schedule and method of study, but also learned the natural consequences of procrastination or not completing their goals. Students loved coming to school. They had meaningful roles in part of an integrated and loving community. They thrived.

So many of these concepts are missing in people’s lives today. I believe this is one of the inherent problems in the spread of the sustainability message – we are out of touch with the interconnectivity in life in general. We see things only as they serve us, rather than seeing the system as a whole and the impacts that we have on it. (Bounded rationality).

As I took a break from writing this blog, not quite knowing where I was going to go with it, to focus on writing a keynote for an oceans environmental conference at the Florida Aquarium for middle and high school students that I’m giving in a couple of weeks. I looked up at a picture of a lion that I took in Kenya with this quote under it from Baba Dioum, an environmentalist from Senegal – “For in the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”

Those words helped me know how to finish this blog, and frame the presentation I needed to write. I had been asked to talk about the usual – climate change, water, waste energy. I lobbied for something else. These students were hand picked by their teachers to attend, so I’m betting this is information that they already know, and can certainly be found on thousands of internet sites. Arming them with the tools of the Compass and the ISIS Method will empower them in a meaningful way. Teaching them to THINK differently in their approach to the problems of sustainability is what I want to talk about. I want to show them how powerful their sphere of influence truly is and how they can effectively use these tools with peers, family, schools, business and government in their community.

Choosing Montessori as the educational method for my own child ended up teaching me as well – not only about the power of knowledge, but also about the richness that education can add to the human experience when it is taught in such a manner. Children are why I came into this profession, but I spend most of my days trying to educate adults in business and government. It will be refreshing to be in front of non-jaded, expectant faces who still believe that anything is possible and that they can change the world. I will spend an hour doing my best to show these students that their generation can make that possible…

“This year’s survey shows that clean air, clean water, and climate change have become inextricably linked with politics. “By far, the biggest predictor of how Americans feel about eco-climate issues is their political affiliation,” according to a summary published by ecoAmerica. “’Strong Republicans’ are especially weak on concerns and strong on opposition to solutions.”

“It seems that just as with politics, Americans are getting increasingly polarized over the environment: Americans have developed solidified, distinct perceptions of environmental and climate issues. They are either “green” or not. When distinct perceptions exist, people either quickly dismiss a point of view (“it’s not me”) or quickly identify (“it is me”) and rarely pause to consider whether they have all the information. For example, many status and achievement-oriented Americans consider being close to nature a waste of time, perceiving it as traditional and feminine. Middle Americans, who fear making more sacrifices, dismiss “green” choices as those of “tree-hugger,” “Democrats” or “students” – meaning people not like them.”

There are days when I feel like I’m banging my head against a concrete wall…

Many individuals and businesses view sustainability as something that they “do”. Sustainability is not a series of initiatives. These are the first to get cut from the budget when times get tough. Sustainability does not mean adding one more thing to your to-do list. It will go directly to the bottom when you get too much on your plate. It is not something you do, sustainability is something you become. And in order to become – to grow more sustainable – you must examine the way you think.

It is what you think that determines how you act. Your mental models form your strategies, affect the decisions you make and actions you take in the real world, which then gives you feedback, which may change your mental models, then your strategies and your decisions. Thinking is the leverage point in your system in which to intervene to truly make sustainability a reality.

So if thinking sustainably is the new paradigm, how to start? By applying the Compass of Sustainability when making any decision or taking any action in your daily activities by asking four simple questions -

“How will this action positively or negatively affect the Nature side of our Compass?”
“How will this action positively or negatively affect the Economy side of our Compass?”
“How will this action positively or negatively affect the Society side of our Compass?”
“How will this action positively or negatively affect the Wellbeing side of our Compass?”

This is how simple it could be to start viewing sustainability differently, to start a new paradigm, to start becoming…

November 10 - The Big Green Conference at the Crown Plaza in Bloomington, MN

November 16/17 – Building the Pyramid Workshop at the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul, MN

As I facilitated the second day, observing how the overwhelming feeling they had from the first day was starting to come together midway through day two, my subconscious thoughts about sustainability of the self kept breaking through into the conscious. While they were busy completing their last task, preparing to make a final presentation to gain consensus, I decided to prepare a gift to them. I think it ended up being one of the most valued slides of the workshop. It seems mine is not an uncommon struggle. And so, I pay it forward…

Today, the topic of balance echoes in my ears. I teach and apply the Compass of sustainability to my job – clients and students – with no problem. Why is it so hard to apply the Compass to my own life – so that I can be more sustainable? It’s time to practice the ISIS Method in my own life as well: Develop a set of indicators, map my system, and create some new innovation and strategies, all through the lens of the Compass.

Yes, it’s definitely time for a dose of my own medicine…

My daughter sent me a link on the Columbia Bwog – Steve giving the commencement address at Stanford a year after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis. “How to live before you die.” http://bwog.com/2011/10/05/steve-jobs-apple-co-founder-and-tech-trailblazer-died/  It’s an interesting 15 minutes.

I find it appropriate to start my presentation in the morning with a slide in his honor…

As I pondered what my clients all have in common that might create challenges for them, I finally hit on something. I believe those challenges revolve around the understanding they have of how the rest of their organization interacts with ‘their slice’ of it. While they may know how their department functions or their core business very well - for example, they are the best HR director or know everything about how to sell their company’s widgets – challenges frequently arise from other internal or external sources. As I look back at my diverse experiences in the business world, I have seen that even the best people in their various roles can lack an overall understanding of the big picture. Even though they arrive everyday to do their job to the best of their ability, they could do so much more if they grasped the entirety of how their organization functions – how all of the pieces of the puzzle interact and affect each other.

Building the Pyramid is the process – the how to implement part of what I teach organizations. It is how to apply the ISIS Method – Indicators, Systems, Innovation and Strategy – to their business as a whole to really understand where they are now, where they need to go and how to get there. It is a process they can use to address every and any problem, vision every opportunity, strategize for the short and long term, and make decisions that help them eliminate unintended consequences and reduce risk.

What is different about Building the Pyramid is that they learn to do all of that in a consistent, logical process using the lens of sustainability. It is this lens that provides the widest angled view of their organization, projects and decisions. It is this lens that allows them to see all directions, causes and effects, and therefore, consider the best calls to action.

My call to action in this blog is to invite you to attend: October 27-28th in Tampa and November 16-17th in St. Paul. Janessa will be proud (I hope) and I believe the only thing I forgot was to tell you that we will also have a lot of fun…

I’m more than glad I did. Spending a day on a boat in the Kenai Fjords was just what the doctor ordered for some much needed relaxation. Surrounded by such natural beauty was an important reminder of why I do the work I do. I’m sad to see the retreating glaciers, but blessed to be able to see them while I still can. I am posting a few pictures, because they do speak louder than any words I may have. For now, I’m off to hopefully catch my first glimpse of the Aurora Borealis…

I have since decided that I need to discuss the concept of feedback in my blog. Last week I celebrated three months of consistent blogging – with not a single comment made from an audience I am beginning to doubt exists. I am feeling lonely out here in the blogging universe! Is anyone reading, or is it like a tree falling in a forest when no one is there to listen? I am in great need of feedback to maintain my motivation in this change process…