Bridgeway Partners Blog
Learning to Manage Complexity – 5 Strategies
Organizations which seek to embrace complexity can implement five strategies to manage it more effectively. These are 1) thinking differently about complexity, 2) thinking differently about collaboration, 3) thinking differently about productivity, 4) holding firm to a limited set of priorities, and 5) organization redesign.
The Challenge of Digesting Complexity
Learn why nonprofit organizations with great aspirations and an appetite for tackling complex issues frequently find it difficult to manage or digest the complexity they seek to embrace.
Applied Systems Thinking: A Self-Study Guide
Many people ask how they can further their learning about applied systems thinking. Depending on your experience so far, here are some recommended pathways. They include: books, articles, online courses, online videos and podcasts, and project-based coaching.
Beyond the Messy Truth: Review of Van Jones’ New Book
“I believe that this country needs both liberals and conservatives. And we need both traditions at their best and highest expressions, especially now.” So writes Van Jones, a highly regarded CNN political contributor, leader of numerous social and justice organizations, and former special adviser to the Obama White House, in his outstanding new book Beyond the Messy Truth. This post reviews Jones' book as it challenges liberals and conservatives alike to be true to their ideals and draw on the best of their traditions to reform the criminal justice system, stem the opioid crisis, and create 21st century jobs.
Developing a Mindful Nation Through Applied Systems Thinking
Inspired by Congressman Tim Ryan's book A Mindful Nation, this post identifies and encourages readers to cultivate connections across mindfulness, systems thinking, and public policy-making. It shows the numerous similarities between mindfulness and systems thinking, and it describes the role that both can play in facilitating not only social change but also transforming the fear-based, symptom-focused, blaming behaviors that govern an increasing part of our political discourse.
Leading Systemic Change: The I/WE/IT Framework
In order to lead systemic change, learn to access levers at the individual, collective or relational, and systems levels. The I/WE/IT framework enables leaders to cultivate a viewpoint of personal responsibility for change, strengthen collaborations, and identify high leverage interventions.
Overcoming the Systemic Challenges of Inequity
Whether you believe that inequity is racially and/or economically driven, the problem undermines the moral as well as social and economic fabrics of our country. This post describes several dynamics and assumptions that lead inequity to persist, and six high leverage interventions leaders can pursue to create greater equity in their communities.
Diffusing Systems Thinking
How do you encourage people to think systemically when many people see it as too daunting and difficult to apply? This post identifies five obstacles to systems thinking and fourteen corresponding strategies you can use to engage people in the practice and thereby increase system-wide effectiveness in sustainable ways.
Shifting Organizational Boundaries
Learn three ways of expanding organizational boundaries to adapt to changing conditions, and when maintaining firm boundaries is the better alternative.
Key Organizational Boundaries from a Systems Perspective
Systems complexity requires organizations to define 3 key boundaries: their purpose, supporting goals/metrics/and incentives, and underlying beliefs and assumptions.
