You are probably a smart person and perhaps head up a group or department and have put together a program to advance the group or your company in 2021, based on that knowledge of yours. But getting the program actually implemented may take a different set of skills from what you learned in school. However, much of your experience can be adapted to enable you to do better in these “soft” skills. Developing these skills and using them to get your ideas implemented may well dictate how 2021 goes for you.

1. Think Outside the Box, suggesting novel ways to implement a project, is sometimes scary to the environmental or energy professional. But this can be achieved by really understanding the concepts you wish to implement and seeking alternative ways to meet the goals. What do other businesses or industries do in similar situations? Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts with others who you believe think creatively and work with their ideas to see if it can work to meet your final goals.

2. Persuasion. It is normal that any idea – novel or conventional – will have naysayers worried about its effects. Convincing them to go along (or at least not oppose) a project is part of implementing an idea. While there is no successful standard method, studies show that demonstrating reciprocity and consensus are most successful. Put another way: people do not like to be sold on something, but they do like to buy.

3. Honest Communication. It is critical to communicate your idea to all those that may be impacted by it and honestly show the benefits for the individuals involved and the company as a whole, as well as the “warts”, some of the growing pains in implementing the idea and the risk of downside or failure. Glossing over the negative will not only raise suspicion of others about your idea and cause you to lose future credibility.

4. Communicate by Story. Not only is it important to communicate and do so honestly, but also how one gets a point across most effectively. Studies show that story telling is a powerful way to communicate and motivate your stakeholders. Instead of saying: “This is where we are in the project today. Last week we did this….”, try to describe the process with stories about how the equipment was purchased, how the contractors did their work, why the project will be successful, what the benefits will be, etc. You still are communicating the timeline; yet you are doing so in an engaging way that will get the audience involved and root for a positive outcome.

5. Ability to Adapt; Resilience. Perhaps the greatest constant in the future is change. Your ideas developed in 2020, accepted for incorporation in 2021 may have to change due to many factors (the pandemic, the election, the economy, etc.). You need to be able to anticipate changes – even from month to month – and be resilient to modify your idea or its implementation so that it seamlessly works and still benefits all.

6. Passion vs. The Steady Hand. It is important that you be a passionate advocate for your idea, demonstrating your belief that it will benefit your company or people. If YOU don’t have the passion, how can you expect others to? On the other hand, it is critical to show a steady hand, that this idea was well thought out, negative outcomes anticipated, risks lowered, and potential benefits maximized. You need to anticipate and address change, risks, and time snags so as to constructively move forward on your idea.

These 6 items are not easy to master. However, improving in these areas will make it easier to implement your idea and further your ideas in the future and bode well for your and your firm’s future.

CCES has the experts to help you implement many good energy and environmental projects. Besides the technical expertise, our experience in project management allows projects to be implemented smoothly with proper communication among all stakeholders. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.