What Does Your Team Already Know?

Team
Written By Marc O'Brien

What climate-related skills and knowledge exist within your design team?

Don’t know? Ask them during your next meeting.

I do this with any new team I’m working with. I ask if they have any personal interests or expertise in the space. I do the same with students taking my Climate Designers class at California College of the Arts.

It’s important to know who knows what.

I also ask if anyone has relevant certifications or training. Today, there are many climate-focused communities and courses online helping people learn about our climate emergency and the pathways that exist today.

Another great question is to ask is if they have any previous experience with sustainable projects. If so:

- What did they learn?

- What was the impact of that work?

- What insights could they share?

Addressing our climate emergency is a big endeavor. We need collective knowledge.

No matter how old you are, what your background is, or how many years you’ve lived on this planet, I believe we all have something to contribute.

Asking collaborators could be a matter of success or struggle.

Marc O'Brien
As a Design Strategist and Creative Facilitator, I focus on social innovation, human-centered design, and purpose-driven initiatives that create positive change in the world. I love finding ways for organizations to make a huge impact in unexpected places. Working with others who are working towards creating positive change, I use design as my tool to help them do this in a better way. In a playful workshop environment, I help Fortune 500 companies to startups, non-profits to universities, come up with fun, achievable, and innovative solutions to challenges. My prefer method is making. With a background in both web and graphic design, I bring ideas to life so others can see what’s possible.
marcobrien.net
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A Quick Team Assessment Exercise