I’m getting really tired of the Canadian wildfire smoke. And it’s not just me coughing. Approximately 100 million Americans are under Air Quality Index Alerts due to smoke drift. Everyone’s asking: What can be done to stop the fires and reduce the smoke? But I keep reading all these unsatisfying news reports, saying things like: …
TEP #044: How Wildfires Expose Shocking Failures in Problemsolving Read More »
Today, I’m going to tell you about the weirdest, most ironic discovery I’ve made while working in the social sector for the last 20 years: Many so-called changemakers help maintain the status quo more than they create change. They think they’re leading the charge. Like doing whatever it takes to get another grant. Or, rallying …
TEP #042: Changemakers Unintentionally Supporting the Status Quo? Oh No! 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 »
In order to solve problems like homelessness and crime, you have to move beyond treating symptoms, right? Everything hinges on getting to the root cause of the problem. Well, not exactly. I’ve seen countless initiatives – including ones I’ve led – get lost by defining a root cause. They distill the ocean until – hallelujah! …
TEP #036: Ditching the root cause trap (with one hack) Read More »
