What Comes Into View
Exploring what becomes visible when we slow down enough to notice.
Welcome to What Comes Into View.
This is where I share observations, questions, and ideas emerging from my work with foundations, nonprofits, collaboratives, and community change efforts.
Much of the work we care about happens in conditions of uncertainty. We are often asked to make decisions before we have complete information, demonstrate impact before change has fully unfolded, and navigate complexity while simultaneously explaining it.
These essays explore what becomes visible when we slow down enough to pay attention.
Much of the writing below spans different phases of my thinking. While earlier posts focused more explicitly on evaluation and organizational learning, my current work increasingly explores complexity, uncertainty, strategic learning, and the questions that comes into view when we slow down enough to pay attention.
Want these reflections delivered to your inbox?
Subscribe to What Comes Into View, an occasional newsletter exploring learning, complexity, evaluation, strategy, and social change.
Get your theory of change work for you
Does your mission-driven organization have a theory of change? Do you actually use it? Most mission-driven organizations that I have encountered don’t have a true theory of change, and if they do, they don’t see the power that their theory of change has in their day-to-day work. What if I told you that your theory of change could help you reach your goals? Well, it can.
Your secret tool for learning: Articulating assumptions
We all make assumptions. Every day. It’s how our brain works. Our subconscious makes connections and shortcuts based on our background, experiences, identities, and contexts. Assumptions are ideas or beliefs about what is true or expectations of what will happen, often without proof and generally unspoken. Assumptions can be a powerful tool in your learning and evaluation work. We just aren’t used to articulating them in a way that makes them useful.