Article

Systems Change Is Harder Than It Looks: Systems Shift May Be the Answer

Posted April 26, 2022 | Sustainability | Leadership | Amplify
shift
The authors argue that systems are designed to produce their results, even when their results are far from perfect. Systems also have internal “negative feedback processes” that maintain system stability by canceling out disruptions. Overcoming these stabilizing systems can be challenging, and pushing a system far enough to initiate change can result in sudden, highly disruptive shifts to a new system. Rather than cause such disruptive change, the authors advocate for incremental shifts to avoid the kind of wholesale disruption that could leave financial, social, and political systems in shambles.
About The Author
Laura Asiala
Laura E. Asiala is Chief Sustainability Officer at WholeWorks, LLC. She is also Lead Facilitator for the “Leading Sustainability Transformation” professional certificate program offered through GreenBiz; the University of Victoria, Canada; INCAE University Center for Competitiveness & Sustainability; and the Plant Technology Alliance in affiliation with WholeWorks. In this program, experienced professionals learn to transform a traditional… Read More
Neil Hawkins
Dr. Neil C. Hawkins is President of the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, a innovative and collaborative foundation dedicated to nurturing environmentally healthy and culturally vibrant communities in metro Detroit and supporting the Great Lakes. Hawkins is also a Board trustee of the Foundation. He is a recognized thought leader in sustainable development and public policy and their interface to business. Hawkins was a 31-year… Read More
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