The Art and Craft of Systems Change

The Craft of Systems Change introduces a way of thinking and working called the Systems Journey, which knits together the many ideas, tools, and ways of being in the world that are often traced back to systems thinking and systems change. The Systems Journey encourages readers to engage meaningfully with the systems and the people around us, explore the many different futures we may aspire towards, and learn our way towards a future that works for everyone. 

Through the use of practical facilitation tools, readers are invited to look within to deeply engage with what may be preventing change, embrace a learning mindset that can help surface new leverage points in the systems where we work, and adapt our actions to ensure they create the change that we need for a better future.

While the book was written for those working to advance nature conservation goals, it is truly for anyone who wishes to take steps towards changing themselves and the systems we all live and work in. This book takes systems thinking out of theory and into practice and encourages a way of living and working in the world that is inclusive, holistic, and impactful every step of the way. Leer en Español.

The Art of Systems Change lays out a vision and an actionable plan for seeking sustainable solutions for our planet. In Part 1, the authors outline the fundamental tenets of systems thinking, the behavior of complex systems, and the implications for our understanding of the world. In Part 2, the authors outline a set of eight guiding principles for working to achieve long-lasting solutions to tackle our most pressing environmental societal challenges. Finally, they lay out a map for the road ahead, and for the individual journey into systems practice that each of us is embarking on. 

This book is not designed to be prescriptive. It does not lay out a specific set of tools to guide the design and implementation of interventions. What it does do is seek to provide a collective roadmap for navigating toward a sustainable future, by embracing the complexity of the challenges we face, creating space for diverse ways of knowing, and providing ways of working that reflect the dynamics of the systems we strive to influence. We can no longer ignore that the fate of humanity and the planet are at risk. How we go about our work must be in intentional service of the lasting change we seek to make.