If you want to truly understand something, try changing it.”
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin
When I was a young man I would carry Peterson’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America with me nearly everywhere I went, intent on identifying all the species of birds that lived in and migrated through Washington, D.C.
At first I was merely content to name a bird by homing in on its most prominent markings. As I became more proficient, however, I developed an ear for its song, an eye for its habitat and a sensibility to its movements.
With binoculars and field guide in hand, I got better and better at peeling back the mysteries in the world around me and what all along had been hidden in plain sight.
So it is with my journey into the world of changemaking -- the set of activities that individuals and teams employ to improve both individuals and their communities. As I became more proficient at changemaking myself, I began to uncover the social forces that can both inhibit and drive social change—forces that had been hidden all along.
As a young school principal I learned that when I was able to solve one problem I would invariably create a slew of new ones. I just didn’t know when or where or how they would surface. That was my initiation into the world of systems thinking and unintended consequences.
It was not until late in my career that I learned from professional changemakers (aka, social entrepreneurs) that energy, however negative or powerful, can be redirected to get positive results. All that is needed is an initial push and a sustained effort through failures and successes.
Our Mentor-as-Changemaker method is designed to bring to light the forces that are hidden in plain sight -- through bringing together older folks and youth to design new programs -- and inspired by the stories of professional and everyday changemakers.
As your own journey progresses, you’ll not only develop the skills and strategies necessary for yielding positive and measurable results; you will find that changemaking becomes increasingly natural and intuitive. In brief, you'll also see the world through new eyes.
And all this led to articulating my own, unique "Theory of Change" and its accompanying "Primer."
At first I was merely content to name a bird by homing in on its most prominent markings. As I became more proficient, however, I developed an ear for its song, an eye for its habitat and a sensibility to its movements.
With binoculars and field guide in hand, I got better and better at peeling back the mysteries in the world around me and what all along had been hidden in plain sight.
So it is with my journey into the world of changemaking -- the set of activities that individuals and teams employ to improve both individuals and their communities. As I became more proficient at changemaking myself, I began to uncover the social forces that can both inhibit and drive social change—forces that had been hidden all along.
As a young school principal I learned that when I was able to solve one problem I would invariably create a slew of new ones. I just didn’t know when or where or how they would surface. That was my initiation into the world of systems thinking and unintended consequences.
It was not until late in my career that I learned from professional changemakers (aka, social entrepreneurs) that energy, however negative or powerful, can be redirected to get positive results. All that is needed is an initial push and a sustained effort through failures and successes.
Our Mentor-as-Changemaker method is designed to bring to light the forces that are hidden in plain sight -- through bringing together older folks and youth to design new programs -- and inspired by the stories of professional and everyday changemakers.
As your own journey progresses, you’ll not only develop the skills and strategies necessary for yielding positive and measurable results; you will find that changemaking becomes increasingly natural and intuitive. In brief, you'll also see the world through new eyes.
And all this led to articulating my own, unique "Theory of Change" and its accompanying "Primer."