System means a configuration of parts connected and joined together by a web of relationships. Systems thinking and the practice of systems thinking is a set of methods and ways to identify and address challenges; to see underlying patterns, find leverage points; and to choose actions that may provide healthier outcomes. Systems thinking and practices…
So many of the issues I’ve discussed in the SP3 blogs involve unique ways of thinking – most notably, systems thinking, strategic thinking, and design thinking. By definition, a system is a configuration of parts connected and joined together by a web of relationships. Systems thinking, and practices are methods and ways to identify and…
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (ACO) was not quite four weeks old when the Eastern European wall fell. She experienced the Soviet Bloc’s “third way” during her childhood and amazing global growth throughout her teenage years. Similar to the U.K.’s Jeremy Corbyn and US Bernie Sanders, she now identifies as a socialist. Her democratic socialism is more than…
The U.S. government designed Opportunity Zones as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in order to spur investment in distressed U.S. communities. Governments of each state, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories nominated specific neighborhoods as Opportunity Zones. Up to 25 percent of the low-income census tracts in each state could be…
We should start the new year with a reminder – a reminder that climate change is not going away as a concern. Here are some data points for you to consider. As appeared in the Wall Street Journal on January 17, 2019: ECONOMISTS’ STATEMENT ON CARBON DIVIDENDS. Who signed this statement: 4 Former chairs of the Federal…
With our state still reeling from the devastating impact of Florence, the world’s most esteemed climate scientists issued a dire warning: we have 12 years to act to avoid catastrophic climate change. Here in North Carolina, we already know what catastrophe looks like – Florence gave us a taste of it, with unusually intense rainfall…
The news about the Fourth U.S. Climate Assessment and how President Trump responded dismissively and with a lack of knowledge, highlights the importance of supporting the science of our environment and embracing our need for collective action. The environmental challenges humans face are worldwide – a statement that often alludes national entities. Australia can teach…
This past week I gave a short talk at the Wipe out Waste Annual Banquet to honor companies who have done excellent work in the Charlotte region to wipe out waste. The event was sponsored by Mecklenburg County and several business organizations. My topic – the circular economy which refers to a regenerative system in…
I’ve often mentioned GE as a company to watch as it goes through its transition. I could not resist writing about them in this week’s blog since just about a year ago, in August 2017, General Electric brought in John Flannery to help revive the company. In November, the new CEO said the company was streamlining…
My work on upward mobility has led me to unexpected places. One of the unexpected places has been an exploration of unconscious bias. I am a research consumer on related topics and I’ve learned that we humans have lots of unconscious biases. I also learned what is meant by systems thinking and institutionalized biases such…
