Expert Insight: Fanny Picard, Consultant and Trainer specializing in change management and CSR

How can we effectively mobilize teams to tackle the climate crisis? Why is awareness alone no longer enough? An interview with Fanny Picard, a consultant, coach, and instructor for the new training program “Leadership and Influence for the Transition,” developed in collaboration with Académie Carbone 4.

A teaching approach grounded in practical experience and neuroscience

Specializing in change management for nearly 20 years (CHANGE) and CSR, Fanny Picard works with companies that want to turn their environmental vision into concrete, actionable plans. Her work involves both helping organizations conduct change assessments and designing long-term engagement strategies, such as training sessions, workshops, seminars, conferences, and team coaching.

Over the years, she has trained in various methods for supporting groups and individuals: collective intelligence, individual and group coaching, facilitation, as well as neuroscience applied to adult learning (andragogy).

“When it comes to issues related to the ecological transition, the trainer must serve as an expert and provide substantive content. Our role is to open minds by offering a concrete, unbiased, yet resolutely constructive vision. The way we talk about the environment inspires learners, who in turn adopt this approach to drive change.”

To maximize the impact of its training programs, its method relies in particular on the neuro-learning, used in conjunction with the Carbone 4 Academy, through three key areas:

• Attention: vary the pace and teaching approaches (videos, webinars, murals, workshops, flipped learning);
• Memorization: identify and reinforce specific key messages;
• Emotion: create a positive and engaging atmosphere, which is essential for learning.

This teaching approach has a clear goal: not to alienate learners, but to inspire them to become agents of change within their own organizations.

The major challenge today: moving from conviction to persuasion

Fanny Picard’s conclusion is clear: theoretical awareness has reached its limits. In 2026, while global awareness has increased, the report by GIECO (International Group of Experts on Behavioral Change) published in July 2025 shows that we are not moving fast enough. According to her, CSR and climate leaders today face a major obstacle: the human factor. Many still struggle to get executive committees, managers, and teams on board with sustainable transformation initiatives.

To explain this impasse, she draws on the "commitment theory". For several years now, experts, the media, and change-makers have been working extensively on educational strategies, scientific data, and rational arguments. This approach has an impact on the conviction, that is, in the realm of thought. But this conviction is not always enough to bring about a change in behavior. Two reactions frequently arise:

• Some people give up because the bar seems too high;
• Others develop a sense of resistance to statements they perceive as guilt-inducing or restrictive.

To bring about a real shift, we must now move from the conviction at the persuasion, by triggering positive emotions, the pathos :

• Conviction affects thought, rationality, and understanding;
• Persuasion affects behavior and deep-seated motivations.

“We need to collectively reinvent our models. How can we inspire people? How can we transform today’s businesses into organizations capable of thriving in a world where resources are becoming scarce and crises are on the rise? That is the role of collective intelligence.”

The challenge, therefore, is no longer simply about carbon emissions or the 2050 timeline, but about helping organizations envision a desirable and sustainable future: rethinking practices, professions, consumption patterns, and even the way we collaborate.

The 3 Pillars of Engagement for the CSR Manager

Faced with the challenge of sustaining team engagement over the long term, Fanny Picard has identified three priority areas of focus.

1. Working Together to Build a Shared Understanding

Action stems from clarity. Employees must understand the systemic and business-model challenges the company faces. To foster lasting commitment, teams must be able to identify the issues affecting their organization’s long-term viability, as well as understand how the efforts already underway are actually making a difference. Without collective ambition or a shared vision, it is very difficult to generate momentum for action.

2. Adapt the action to the specific context

For an individual to get involved, they must have a concrete understanding of how to take action in their daily life and what collective and individual benefits this brings. Talking solely about the year 2050 is often too abstract. The long term sets a course, but taking action happens in the short term, through concrete and measurable action plans. Fanny Picard also recommends using very simple, visual tools—such as color-coded dashboards—to highlight progress and priorities. This approach is based on three key elements: "I know, I can, I want".

• I know : I understand what's at stake;
• I can : I identify ways to take action;
• I want : I find the motivation to take action.

3. Thinking About Mobilization Over the Long Term

Engagement is not a one-time event. A single conference or workshop is not enough to bring about lasting behavioral change. Change management is a gradual, cross-functional, and iterative process that requires patience, guidance, and tenacity. The true measure of success is simple: does the momentum continue if the CSR manager leaves the company? If the answer is no, it means that the teams have not yet become sufficiently self-reliant.

The “alliance strategy”: No longer Shouldering Change Alone

The CSR manager should not be a lone wolf, but rather a conductor. Their role is to set the tempo until the teams can play the score on their own. To achieve this, Fanny Picard recommends applying the allies' strategy.

“We tend to seek out allies based solely on shared interests or to avoid those who ask tough questions. That’s a mistake. Employees who offer constructive criticism and set conditions for their support are actually the ones who are truly engaged. They are your best allies for driving change.”

In particular, she cites the example of a CSR manager whom she helped structure a climate strategy. Initially, he viewed certain individuals as obstacles because they strongly questioned the initiatives that had been launched. Ultimately, these people became his most effective operational partners.

The goal, therefore, is to identify individuals capable of embedding transition projects sustainably into the company’s day-to-day operations, even beyond the tenure of the CSR manager.

Uniting People Through Pragmatism Rather Than Emotion

To overcome natural cognitive barriers—since the brain prefers the comfort of habits and relies heavily on imitation—Fanny Picard also suggests changing one’s vocabulary. She chooses to avoid certain terms that are sometimes perceived as too loaded or abstract by non-converts, such as sustainability, long-term viability or sustainability. The goal is not to persuade through moral imperatives, but to help employees understand the very concrete challenges their organization will face in the coming years. By positioning learners as active participants in their own assessment, the transition is no longer experienced as a moral obligation, but as a strategic and collective necessity. This dynamic is now reinforced by the CSRD, which requires companies to foster collaboration among different business units and departments on cross-functional issues.

“I’m no longer just trying to shift attitudes. I’m trying to build a shared understanding of the company’s challenges and its future. When teams identify the risks and issues for themselves, they become much more active agents of change.”

Training

Influence and Leadership for the Ecological Transition

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