The Quadrants of Engagement is a simple tool designed by Renee Lertzman to help you reflect and consider your primary theories of change – and to help you and your teams gain self-awareness.
Mouse over or tap on the Quadrants to read more about Messaging, Experience, Behavior, and Systems.
Use this assessment tool to see where you or your organization falls within the complex intersections of The Quadrants.
Messaging
Emphasizes narrative.
You are inspired by the power of narrative and values-based language to convey and persuade people to take climate action, trying to use the right kinds of frames—phrases, language and words that resonate for specific communities, sectors and populations. Your key change question is, “What is the most compelling story to engage people?”
Behavior
Emphasizes behavior change and motivation.
You lean into the power of behavioral economics in shifting behaviors—from pledges, commitments, intention-setting and nudging — to using incentives and rewards to stimulate desired actions, and fees and penalties to punish undesirable ones. Your key change question is, “How can we get people to do x?”
Systems
Emphasizes solutions.
You concentrate on systems-level change, design thinking, and, in particular, on solutions and innovation. You leverage tools such as challenges, incubators, accelerators, and solutions-based approaches is your mantra. Your key change question is, “How can we design and scale the solutions needed, quickly?”
Experience
Emphasizes feelings and conversations.
You bring empathy and compassion for the emotional dilemmas that block behavioral shifts. Your interventions include conversation-based platforms, arts-based activism and campaigns, and emotional intelligence training. Your key change question is, “How can we support people to resolve ambivalence, and turn complicated feelings into action?”
What are the Quadrants to Engagement?
There are four main orientations to our theories of change when it comes to how we tackle climate and environmental action. These orientations are not right or wrong, good or bad.
Understanding where we are in the Quadrants helps us see where our struggles lie. It helps us see where we have room for new capabilities. It helps us challenge assumptions. It helps us learn ways we can become more integrated across common orientations. Creating integration is the goal of all our work.
Use this assessment tool to see where you or your organization falls within the complex intersections of The Quadrants. Remember that the goal is to create integration across these four common orientations.
What is your theory of change?
What is your organization’s theory of change?