6 tactics for newbie change agents for creating conversations of change

So one of the ways I spend my day time is as a lecturer at one of Melbourne's universities.  The last couple of years I have been fortunate to be involved with the honours year in a Department (School) of Management and Marketing.For those out of Australia, an honours year is a 4th undergrad (the normal is 3 years). It is a research year  + thesis, and quite competitive to get into it. It becomes an entry path to the PhD or fast track to a consulting career. I love working with the honours students - it's super challenging in many ways, but really rewarding. Ánd it's great when you can keep contact with them after the year. One of this years cohort, Ami Bateman, is a savvy sustainability change agent. She's now working for the good folks at Synovate, and mentioned she was doing a presentation on how to introduce more sustainability goals.I've worked with a few sustainability folk and it is a notoriously difficult area to introduce change as it involves making deeply entrenched behaviour change with people who are often really passionate about their area of specialisation, but no so skilled at having the conversations of change.  Here's a set of 6 tips I sent Ami to assist in her goal.  You may find them useful for other areas of change too.1. Listen more, talk lessA lot of times change agents think they have to sell better, talk louder, just give better information. Uh-uh. Good change agents listen, and listen lots. When you listen your audience feels valued and respected, and you find out the change levers and triggers for that person.2. Suspend judgement, seek to understandPassionate change evangelists often forget humility. They become highly judgemental of those they seek to influence. This judgement creates  an exclusive audience of 1 (the evangelist). Focus more on understanding and create an inclusive and safe space to test ideas.3. Establish commonalitiesPeople are more easily influenced by People Like Them. It’s a tribal association thing hard-wired in the brain. When you are listening and seeking to understand you can find areas of commonality. This establishes that you are Like Them and can have influence.4. Baby steps before great leapsIt is basic nature to reject what overwhelms (cognitive overload and bounded rationality). When introducing  new ideas make the complex simple. Start with a small notion, anchor that in understanding and then step up to the next level.5. Heart, mind and credibilityAristotle knew it all – persuasive speakers have pathos (an appeal to the emotions), logos (an appeal to the logic by facts and figures) and ethos (an appeal from a credible speaker). Are you relying too much on only one of those areas?6.   Persevere with patience & graceProductive conversations take time and perseverance is required. Be patient with the time it takes to sustain and energise, and appreciate the small wins  you achieve as your audience stays in the conversation.