Insights From Our Consultants

When approaching community change, it's crucial to look beyond individual interventions to understand the broader system at work. True transformation requires examining the intricate networks of services, relationships, and processes that either support or hinder...

I feel very fortunate to be the lead consultant for the Western North Carolina Youth Homelessness Project, especially during a time of uncertainty for many longstanding youth programs. As we have been conducting qualitative research and analysis across Western North...

In the complex landscape of creating change in human service systems, three interconnected approaches are crucial drivers of lasting impact: capacity building, network building, and movement building. While each plays a distinct role, their synergy creates powerful...

They want us to believe the story is over.That the fire has burned too long,that the wreckage is all that remains,that nothing can rise from the ashes.But we know better.We are the children of thosewho built from scraps,who created from nothing,who turned loss into...

In the last blog post, we identified the elements of a system. We begin to think about the interrelationships between the elements and begin building “loops.” Loops are like chain reactions. One chain link leads to another link and eventually the chain circles back...

When our consultants introduce systems thinking one of the favorite videos we share is How Wolves Change Rivers. Take a minute and notice the elements of Yellowstone Park’s ecosystem. Trees, forests, birds, deer, beaver, otters, ducks, coyotes, rabbits, hawks, ravens,...

Are you feeling burnout? Are you feeling discouraged or unmotivated?  Me too.  Burnout is not just about being overworked. It is about no longer feeling the impact of your efforts. It is about being discouraged. When these feelings start to itch, we can...

As a consultant who proudly identifies as African American, Black History Month serves as both a moment of reflection and a call to action. It is a time to honor the legacy of those, both seen and unseen, who have fought for justice and equity while acknowledging the...

It seems like the first thing to do in a blog series about systems thinking is to define a system. A variety of resources agree that a system is a set of interconnected components that work together to achieve a common goal. It's a bounded entity with defined inputs,...