For many nonprofits, there is little new about trying to move the needle by seeing the big picture, understanding all the pieces, addressing root causes, or influencing institutions and structures. What is different about this moment in time—a time of sustained racism, xenophobia, police brutality, sexual violence, war, gender injustice, gun violence, Islamophobia, climate change, and more—is the immediate urgency and commitment to stretch the bounds of what is possible, to figure out how to fit together many parts so that the whole is greater than their sum, and to move from improving systems to disrupting and transforming systems.
The challenge is particularly urgent under the current administration. Traditional avenues such as legislation, administrative action, and even soon the courts are becoming obstacles to progressive change, particularly at the national level. Blockages and budget cuts at both the federal and state levels will trickle down to local communities. Pathways for transformation that do not embrace intersectionality, cross-movements, and equity will continue to be unsuccessful and will reinforce the current problems. And for all that is increasingly known, there is still significant uncertainty and unpredictability about the ripple effects and potential surprises. We run the risk of being distracted, diverted, stretched, and isolated in ways that seem to save one piece of the puzzle while sacrificing others.
Complex times require complex responses. Through our work in the field, we have seen a set of evolving practices that help leaders, organizations, and networks achieve the scale and depth of transformative change needed today. These practices are:
[For more on this story by NATASHA WINEGAR, SUSAN MISRA AND ASHLEY SHELTON, go to https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/05/03/influencing-complex-systems-change/]
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