What Does It Take To Work As A Nature-Based Enterprise Practitioner?
The world of nature-based enterprises is an exciting and fulfilling space to work in. But it can also be challenging, overwhelming and at times even personally confronting.
I’m often asked questions by people early in their career like: “How do I get started doing this sort of work?” “What would I need to be good at?” and “Could I do what you do??”
As a practitioner myself, I'm well aware of the challenges, the exhilaration and - most importantly - what it takes to succeed. I’ve found that formal qualifications are only so useful and to come to this field with a background purely in conservation or in business is not that helpful.
As practitioners working with communities, we often have to navigate:
Cultural complexities, language barriers and a degree of distrust if you’re from outside the community
Significant disadvantage within communities, often due to a tangled web of historical wrongs and systemic barriers
Red tape and seemingly endless hoops to jump through to get support for new initiatives
Remoteness and the associated lack of services and infrastructure
One of my favourite things is building the capability of practitioners in this field to be as effective as possible in their work. That’s why I put together this quick list of skills that will help you on your way to becoming an outstanding nature-based enterprise practitioner.
The Top 7 Skills To Master
Planning and Organisation
It’s probably not surprising that a ton of strategy, planning and coordination goes into developing nature-based enterprises in protected areas. Turning something endlessly complex into simple, achievable steps and being able to keep on top of many moving parts is a key skill you will need.
Communication
This is an important one to cultivate, because you’re going to be doing a lot of it! You’ll need to speak and write with influence for many different audiences - from communities, to government, investors, customers, suppliers, media, and other stakeholders.
Facilitation
In this field, we usually work with groups, rather than individuals. You may be working with a community living alongside a protected area to create sustainable livelihood alternatives, or you may be working with an Indigenous group that has collective ownership of, or customary rights over, an area. Strong group facilitation skills when leading workshops or field-based activities will give you credibility and authority so people will put their trust in you.
Listening
‘Shut up and listen’ is excellent advice! This is true most of the time, but especially when working in a cross-cultural context. Not only is listening essential so you can gather the information you need to get things done, but you may also be working with a group that has been silenced in the past. As they find their voice and start to express their views, respect the privileged position you are in and listen.
Partnering
Not much happens in isolation, so partnering is an important skill to build. There is both an art and science to partnering and it really is the gateway to a whole sub- set of other skills. Nurture your network, negotiate with confidence, be aware of boundaries in a collaboration, and cultivate the knack for knowing when and how to formalize an arrangement and when to just let it proceed organically.
Contextual Awareness
This means being informed about the context you’re operating in and being aware of past and current issues the community is facing. Knowing a bit about the social, cultural, political and economic pressures will help you support that group in shaping the right solution for their circumstance. It will also help you craft a compelling story for prospective investors and partners to illustrate the impact their support could have.
Commercial Acumen
Is it strange that only one out of seven skills relates to business? No! Of course, it helps to know a bit more than the basics, but this is far from MBA territory. In fact, an MBA would probably be counter-productive. You will be bringing in technical and other experts along the way to assess viability, prepare income/expense forecasts, cash-flow budgets, etc. But as a practitioner, it helps to know a little bit about the realities of business, and to have a sixth sense for the types of things that are likely to go wrong. This doesn't mean you have to have run a business yourself, but start to familiarise yourself with commercial concepts.
Skills are one things - and all of them can be learned. But what kind of personal attributes will help you succeed?
The 5 Personal Qualities to Cultivate
Flexibility
No matter how prepared you are (or think you are), the best-laid plans can unravel spectacularly in this line of work. Working with communities, especially in less-developed countries and/or very remote regions anywhere, you may face anything from natural disasters, to police incidents, to health crises, to acts of violence. Be open-minded and be safe, but expect the unexpected!
Resourcefulness
It helps to be creative because things are not going to go to plan. This means being resourceful about how to help a community achieve its goals, whether that is through different ways of attracting investment and support, or trialing innovative new ways of generating revenue unique to that place.
Patience
One thing you can be sure of is that the process of developing nature-based enterprises with communities is going to take longer than you think. Much longer! The sooner everyone involved understands and respects the need for patience, the better.
Pragmatism
It’s good to come with strong ideals – that’s the right place to start. But what really helps the groups you work with are practical solutions and helping them achieve their goals. Choose the pragmatic approach whenever you can.
Resilience
What I really mean here is "thick skinned". There'll be times when you feel completely ineffective, worn down and out-of-place. You may like everything is a waste of time and chucking in the towel. Realise that whatever has happened to bring about those feelings is not about you. Build a strong support network and reach out for help, but try not to give up too easily. You might be the best hope a community has for a better life.
What Next?
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