Crossing the Chasm of Sustainability
A Theory, That is Mine*, About Mainstreaming
*That builds on someone else’s theory
By Kathleen M. Hosfeld
Imagine a bell curve (or Ann Elk’s theory of a brontosaurus) which is very thin at one end, much, much thicker in the middle, and then thin again on the other end. On the far left point is a small group called “innovators.†To the right of the innovators are the “early adopters.†In the much, much thicker part we find first the “early majority.†As the thicker part begins to decline again we find the “late majority,†and finally at the thin-again part we have the “laggards.â€
You may have heard the term “crossing the chasm†and wondered what it meant. It’s an insight that builds on the bell curve described above, which was the work of Everett Rogers , author of “Diffusion of Innovations.†Geoffrey Moore, who penned the book “Crossing the Chasm,†used Rogers’ work to help market new technology. Moore’s book centers on a key insight that applies to many types of change, including – my theory — sustainability in business.
Innovators snatch up new technology even before it comes on the market. Moore says they do this because “technology is a central interest in their life.†Early adopters, like innovators, are able to quickly perceive the potential benefit of new technology for their lives. They look to innovators as guides for what is worth trying. The early majority also relates well to technology, but tends to be more selective. Its members need references and proof of concept before they invest. The critical point Moore highlighted is that winning the early majority is the key to profit and growth. Yet, insofar as many technology firms are made up of innovators and early adopters, it’s often hard for them to relate and sell to those who don’t share their passion.
Proponents of sustainability may face a similar challenge. The innovators – the Body Shop, Ben & Jerry’s, Tom’s of Maine – and locally Harriet Bullitt’s Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat – were those for whom sustainability was a central interest of their life. They inspired the early adopters — Seventh Generation, Fetzer Wines, Whole Foods, and others –  many of which are now at scale and thriving. The next step beyond the second wave is to increase sustainability in traditional firms – to create the early majority.
But watch out for that chasm. The next step is a doozy. As Moore points out, a wide gulf separates the first two groups – innovators and early adopters – from the early majority, and the gulf has to do with motivation. Innovators and early adopters love sustainability for its own sake. The terminology they use is “because it’s the right thing to do.†They want the potential early majority to love sustainability the same way they do, but the early majority doesn’t share their passion. As Moore says in his book, innovators and early adopters want revolution; early majorists want evolution. They want proof that something works. The chasm is built on these differences. To further sustainability, we need to find a way to bridge the chasm.
Three things will help:
Discernment. Companies that are just starting out are not going to be exemplary. They’re going to start small. The business community and media need to encourage nascent attempts and not crush them with premature accusations of greenwashing.
Empathy. A colleague of mine recently started a Seattle-based solar nonprofit. She came from a traditional business background but had an infectious passion for evangelizing solar energy. Members of the green community to whom she reached out for help treated her like an outsider. The ability to take the perspective of others, understand their frame of reference is a critical success factor for creating change.
Experience. The early majority cares about what works in operating a business. The motivational bridge is the business case. In this regard, the best thing innovators and early adopters can do is share their stories of achieving and sustaining their own profitability, and how sustainability contributed to their success.
In a recently released MIT Sloan Management Review, most of the 1,500 executives interviewed didn’t have a business case for sustainability in their organizations. Most said sustainability initiatives in their firms were a response to regulatory pressures. Regulation plays a crucial role in catalyzing change, but ultimately it only goes so far. Winning hearts and minds is the key to sustainability adoption, and that begins with meeting and respecting people where they are.
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Kathleen Hosfeld (Ms.) is a strategy and marketing consultant. She has a second theory.
Tags: "third way" thinking, business, Green - Sustainability, Green Marketing, triple bottom line, values
