TEXT TO KEEP (FOR NOW)
A Primer of Key Terms and Core Concepts
Change is the process of going from what is to whatever comes next. Positive change is the process of going from what is to what’s better. Social change—whether productive or unproductive, intentional or not—moves through channels, which are cause and effect pathways that connect intentions with results. The energy that drives change can come from within social systems, which are contests of opposing forces that arrive, over time, at a state of equilibrium. The energy that drives change can be introduced into the systems from without. And the energy that drives change can come both from within and from without.
To bring about positive change there needs to be a catalyst that gets introduced into a system (usually an unproductive “equilibrium”). Such a system has found itself in a stand-off between the “restraining forces” (i.e., those maintaining the status quo) and the “driving forces” (i.e., those for changing the status quo) to release and redirect pent-up energy through the most open channels. This is leverage, which involves enlisting the right amount of force at the right time in the right channel.
While an unproductive system may appear to be stable, it can sit at the cusp of change, and when change occurs, it can be rapid and extensive. Thus, we need to turn to both scientific research and our own life experiences to be sure to keep in mind that restraining forces in a system merit greater scrutiny than the driving forces.
Systemic energy, channels and leverage—these form the “Three Essential Variables of Change.” By gaining a firm grasp of these essential concepts … .
Social entrepreneurs refuse to accept injustice, inequality or corruption as either natural or inevitable. They uncover what is hidden from view. They draw upon social dynamics that are powerful and often “non-obvious” and persevere until they get measurable results.
The Dynamics of Changemaking in a Nutshell. Change moves through channels—cause and effect pathways that connect intentions with results. The energy that drives change can come from within social systems and/or introduced from without. To bring about positive change there needs to be a catalyst to release and redirect pent-up energy through the most open channels. This is leverage. While an unproductive system may appear to be stable, it can sit at the cusp of change. And when change occurs, it can be rapid and extensive. Always keep in mind that restraining forces in a system (for the status quo) merit greater scrutiny than the driving forces (for change).
The Three Essential Planning Tasks: Making the Map; Minding the Gap; and Building the App. Together, these tasks form the scaffolding upon which the three approaches—direct, indirect, group—are carried out. Making the Map consists of locating trapped energy in a system and the channels through which this energy flows. The changemaker focuses on negative energy and on systems that find themselves in an unproductive or unjust state. Minding the Gap consists of assessing the strength of the unproductive equilibrium and the viability of the relevant channels within the system. Building the App consists of the various steps the changemaker needs to turn the trapped energy and the relevant channels into something positive. Building the App lines up precisely with the third key variable, leverage.
Change is the process of going from what is to whatever comes next. Positive change is the process of going from what is to what’s better. Social change—whether productive or unproductive, intentional or not—moves through channels, which are cause and effect pathways that connect intentions with results. The energy that drives change can come from within social systems, which are contests of opposing forces that arrive, over time, at a state of equilibrium. The energy that drives change can be introduced into the systems from without. And the energy that drives change can come both from within and from without.
To bring about positive change there needs to be a catalyst that gets introduced into a system (usually an unproductive “equilibrium”). Such a system has found itself in a stand-off between the “restraining forces” (i.e., those maintaining the status quo) and the “driving forces” (i.e., those for changing the status quo) to release and redirect pent-up energy through the most open channels. This is leverage, which involves enlisting the right amount of force at the right time in the right channel.
While an unproductive system may appear to be stable, it can sit at the cusp of change, and when change occurs, it can be rapid and extensive. Thus, we need to turn to both scientific research and our own life experiences to be sure to keep in mind that restraining forces in a system merit greater scrutiny than the driving forces.
Systemic energy, channels and leverage—these form the “Three Essential Variables of Change.” By gaining a firm grasp of these essential concepts … .
Social entrepreneurs refuse to accept injustice, inequality or corruption as either natural or inevitable. They uncover what is hidden from view. They draw upon social dynamics that are powerful and often “non-obvious” and persevere until they get measurable results.
The Dynamics of Changemaking in a Nutshell. Change moves through channels—cause and effect pathways that connect intentions with results. The energy that drives change can come from within social systems and/or introduced from without. To bring about positive change there needs to be a catalyst to release and redirect pent-up energy through the most open channels. This is leverage. While an unproductive system may appear to be stable, it can sit at the cusp of change. And when change occurs, it can be rapid and extensive. Always keep in mind that restraining forces in a system (for the status quo) merit greater scrutiny than the driving forces (for change).
The Three Essential Planning Tasks: Making the Map; Minding the Gap; and Building the App. Together, these tasks form the scaffolding upon which the three approaches—direct, indirect, group—are carried out. Making the Map consists of locating trapped energy in a system and the channels through which this energy flows. The changemaker focuses on negative energy and on systems that find themselves in an unproductive or unjust state. Minding the Gap consists of assessing the strength of the unproductive equilibrium and the viability of the relevant channels within the system. Building the App consists of the various steps the changemaker needs to turn the trapped energy and the relevant channels into something positive. Building the App lines up precisely with the third key variable, leverage.