We’re living in turbulent times, permanent whitewater, an endless stream of crux moments. When the old ways stop working, we need to create new ones. We need personal breakthroughs, organization transformation, and practical innovation. It’s time to open more space.
When given the chance, when given th e space, ordinary people can handle charged and challenging work in extraordinary ways. In any kind of organization or working group, we can engage all hands, translate pain points and possibilities into roadmaps that teams can rally around, and lean into practices that can drive better outcomes. We can regain balance and momentum. The way through complexity, conflict and uncertainty is together.
Incremental improvements and evolutionary leaps can happen faster and easier than you’d expect. That’s been my experience in corporate strategic planning, agile transformation, and peaceful development during an armed civil war; in economic development and employee engagement; with start-ups, community groups and foundations; students from grade school to grad school, every level of government, and many religious organizations and denominations.
For more than thirty years, clients have called me in moments of challenge – and opportunity. I’ve helped them bring people together, focus on what matters, and do new and amazing things. I’ve been willing to step into difficult situations that others shy away from. Together, we’ve worked toward multi-stakeholder, multi-win solutions.
No matter the odds, I think we should try.
