The Art of Change
This 5-step process guides how I approach change with individuals, teams, and movements. Each step is grounded in practical tools — customized to the challenge at hand — so we don’t just talk about change, we make it real.
1. Diagnose Deeply
Listen for more than the surface problem. As Richard Rumelt writes in Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, the core of good strategy is a clear-eyed diagnosis — the ability to ask, “What’s really going on here?” That means looking past assumptions to see external conditions, internal capacities, and where things feel stuck —and listening for the commitment behind the complaint, so we can see not just what’s broken, but what really matters.
Toolbox: Deep listening, SWOT (or Sailboat alternative), Appreciative Inquiry, 6 Energies “Audit”
2. Orient to Mission
Once we see the challenge clearly, the next step is to reconnect with purpose. Problems only exist in relation to a deeper commitment or vision that’s unmet.
By pausing to re-center on values, mission, and long-term vision, we align strategy with what truly matters — moving beyond reactive fixes to create space for transformative solutions to emerge.
Toolbox: IDEO U Purpose Formation, Core Values Clarification, Designing Your Life “Life Views”
3. Build Trust
Change only happens at the speed of trust — which breaks down into five core components: competence, authenticity, transparency, reliability, and care. I diagnose which elements are weak and design processes to strengthen them, paired with visible, transparent systems of accountability so people can count on each other and themselves.
Toolbox: 5 Trust Components surveys, Personal “User Manuals,” Art of the Pass, MOCHA, Management Center Modes of Decision Making, Asana Ambassador Certification, Getting Things Done
4. Learn by Doing
Did you know groups of kindergarteners can build taller marshmallow towers than graduate students? Progress comes from building, testing, and adapting — not crafting the perfect static plan. Scholar Hahrie Han calls this “strategic capacity” — the ability to learn quickly and shift resources in response. When we pair a culture of learning with rapid prototyping, real transformation becomes possible.
Toolbox: Design thinking prototyping, ORID, Pre- & post-mortems, Midflight check-ins
5. Create Beacons
Every win is a beacon. Whether personal, organizational, or systemic, we want to create early wins that spark hope, inspire others, and build momentum for the next step. When we succeed, even a little, celebrating and telling the story widely can turn one success into a wave of change.
Toolbox: Storytelling for Change, Case study snapshots, Celebration rituals, Power mapping