Developmental Evaluation’s Traps
Developmental evaluation holds promise for product and service designers looking to understand the process, outcomes, and strategies of innovation and
Read moremindset
A mindset for developmental evaluation
Developmental evaluation requires different ways of thinking about programs, people, contexts and the data that comes from all three. Without
Read moreThe healing power of curiosity
It has been a heavy few weeks in the world. In times like this we often raise our voice to
Read moreGrounding Your (Mindful) Organization
Building a mindful organization requires a sense of understanding where you are, where you came from and where you’re going.
Read moreThe Forward Orientation Problem With Complexity
These approaches combine inward reflection — reflective practice — with an openness to the data that comes in around them without imposing an order on it a priori. The orientation is to the data and the lessons that come from it rather than its directionality or imposing values on what the data might mean at the start. It means slowing down, contemplating things, and acting on reflection not reacting based on protocol. This is a fundamental shift for many of our activities, but may be the most necessary thing we can focus on if we are to have any hope of understanding, dealing with, and adapting to complexity.
All the methods and tools at our disposal will not help if we cannot change our mindset and orientation — even in the temporary — to this reality when looking at complexity in our work.