#developmental design

Linear planning for organizations and human systems isn't dead, but its life depends on how we connect it with what we know about complexity. #changemanagement #complexity #design

Complexity is straining the ability of traditional plans to function as designed. When mass systems change is afoot, the key is not to jettison traditional planning, but collaborate with complexity rather than ignore it. In an earlier post I made the case that the days of linear planning were over. I stand by that, but need to add a little more context. By linear planning, I mean a…

Designing for a new post-linear mindset to deal with the exponential change effects from today. My thoughts on what to design in. #change #systemschange

What does systemic change at an exponential level look like? Look around and you’ll see why a new approach to perceiving the world is now critical. The first question above is answered below: Whether it’s area burned (above) or carbon emissions (below), the Canadian wildfire situation is a start and gigantic example of what exponential change looks like. This is one example from one large…

How do we take our principles and put them into practice and what does that mean for principles-focused evaluation? We answer that. #eval #evaluation #complexity

Principled or values-driven approaches to strategy only have value when we can put them into practice. In this latest post in our series on Principles-Focused Evaluation, we look at the nuts and bolts of putting principles into practice. It is a lot easier to speak of principles and values than to live by them. I know this firsthand. I took an interest in values-driven strategy early in my…

Understanding what it means to grow and what development is makes a huge difference to how we approach issues and set our metrics up.

The climate crisis enveloping us right now is providing a teachable moment to explore the difference between development and growth. Understanding the distinctions between what it means to grow and what it takes to develop might be critical to the survival of our planet — or at least ourselves. It might also be a way to add new and more sustainable value to our world. Growth The relentless…

Evaluation and Design: Languages for Innovation (and why we evaluators need to learn both) #eval #evaluation #innovation #design #designthinking

Design and evaluation are a two-way street and both fields of practice are wise to learn each others’ language Design is what shapes our products and services and brings them to life. Great design is transformative. Evaluation is the means to understand what is transformed, how it takes place, and what impact that transformation has on the world. It therefore makes sense that the two fields…

Comical Innovation (and why its no laughing matter) #innovation #agile

Innovation has likely never been more important and that’s why it’s study and practice is no laughing matter. The systemic changes that are underway and amplified by the pandemic that arrived in 2020 has meant enormous changes for sectors across society and the world — one’s that will require attention for the decade to come. Uncertainty is one of the most defining qualities of the present day…

The Constant (Innovation) Gardener: Four creative design qualities to make your ideas grow

Innovation is like a garden and the more we think like a gardener, the more it will grow.

To tackle any big problem we need to ensure we’re tackling the right kind of problem using the appropriate mindframe. For much of what we do when seeking to innovation in the social world with our services and ideas (often social innovation) that mindframe is less of a builder and more of a gardener. The…