What’s the first obstacle most communities face when it comes to making progress on the most pressing social issues like crime and homelessness? Certainty about the wrong things. Today, I’m going to take you on a journey that explores the twin roles of certainty and uncertainty in complex problem solving. One approach leads nowhere, exacerbating …
TEP #041: The Amazing Relief (& Efficacy) of Not Knowing Read More »
This week’s tip: Discover the problem’s structure if you want to have lasting influence on its behavior We often measure success by the number of people impacted, the amount of money invested, or the outputs produced. But what if our focus on quantities blinds us to the true drivers of change? What if the secret …
TEP #040: Decoding the Secrets of Complex Problems in a Bathtub Read More »
I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my social sector career. Over the course of about 15 years, I’ve climbed the professional ladder, gaining more power and resources with each role. But along the way, I stumbled upon an intriguing observation. It seemed that the amount of power and influence someone had was often inversely proportional to …
TEP #039: The Crucial Role of Personal Stakes in the Social Sector Read More »
We often find ourselves yearning for the perfect world: The ability to achieve all good things simultaneously. It’s a seductive notion that can lead us down a path of promising the impossible. If you’re like me, you may have found yourself leading change initiatives where you strive to fulfill every desirable outcome and please all …
TEP #038: Mastering the Challenge of Incompatible Options Read More »
Hey there, fellow changemakers! Today, I want to delve into a fascinating paradox in the worlds of politics and philanthropy. It’s a story of how we repeatedly fall for big aspirations, grandiose plans, and transformative solutions, even though they almost always fail to deliver. Meanwhile, the power of good management, small bets, and iterative approaches …
TEP #037: When the highest aspirations destroy the most promising outcomes Read More »
