Effective communication in high opposition project environments

Abstract

Though renewable energy is one of the fastest growing industries in the US, local opposition to projects in this sector is increasingly organized, aggressive, and strategic. Using a unified playbook, opposition will often focus on individual disciplines, like noise, in an attempt to derail a project. To keep up with increasing demand for renewables, it is crucial to prepare for the challenges of project opposition. While soft skills are not always emphasized in formal engineering education, these skills can be equally if not more important than technical knowledge to counter oppositional tactics. Honing interpersonal skills should be prioritized equally with technical expertise, rather than only being learned through trial and error. We identified communication strategies that we have found effective in the renewables space as well as other high opposition projects across the acoustics industry. These strategies employ integrity, tact, and conscious relationship building in conjunction with a foundation of industry best practices and technical standards. In sharing this compilation of strategies, we hope to empower engineers of all disciplines to consider the significance of their role as communicators in effectively overcoming the obstacles that come with developing controversial projects.