about how I work
Inquiry-driven change
The issues I work on are rarely controllable or predictable. That means the approach cannot be known in advance, much less rolled out as a project. In such cases, I treat change as an ongoing process of understanding more deeply, designing more intelligently, and acting more powerfully. I therefore rarely prescribe a model or methodology at the start.
The people directly involved co-produce the change. They are closest to the practice and are best placed to understand it, design what is needed, and act decisively. I support them in doing so. Approaches often differ from one setting to another, so they fit what the local situation and what people there can handle. This keeps change situated and human in scale.
In such efforts, more is invariably going on than addressing the issues: people also learn how to do the work and develop insights into what works. This creates progress on three fronts concurrently: impact, capability, and knowledge. You could call it action research or action learning. It is a good way to do justice to complexity without being overwhelmed by it.
Candid reflection
Especially when the stakes are high and change is hard, calm and reflection are often the first casualties. Yet that is precisely when they are most needed: to consider other viewpoints and find the courage to depart from accepted practice when something else works better. I try to speak frankly about what I discern and help legitimize other perspectives.
It can bring relief to make sense of contextual dynamics: the history behind an issue, what is happening at other levels of scale, or the patterns operating beneath the surface. You learn to notice the water you are swimming in. Sometimes these dynamics not only shape what happens but also block what is needed. Then it is time to question them and explore how to circumvent or destabilize them. This often brings uncertainty and discomfort. It helps to make room for that and recognize emotional homework, alongside substantive tasks, as a normal part of real change, not a disruption of it.
If you would like to know more about how change, learning, and research can reinforce each other, read this article.
about what I do
I support change efforts, especially around societal challenges such as climate, education, and health care. My work is rarely limited to organizational change itself: we address internal changes only when they are needed to create greater impact externally.
Read more
about who I work with
I work independently, but not alone. I always work with others. The most intensive collaboration happens when we are trying to effect change or create knowledge. I then spend a stretch of time alongside those involved, especially those who act as change agents and connecting weavers.
Read more
about what I stand for
I work on societal challenges, first and foremost. That means I do what the challenge calls for, not necessarily what a client wants or what I personally prefer. Those three do not always align. Innovation, after all, often requires breaking with routines, which can make it contentious.
Read more
about my experience
Societal challenges are multifactorial: social, economic, political, cultural, and psychological. As a change professional, developing both an understanding and a feel for them requires a lifetime of learning without ever being done. That is what I have enjoyed doing, and still do.
Read more