Like me, you probably can’t fail to be aware of the shift in the prevailing narrative – sharper, at times brutal. Words like dictatorship, colonialism, imperialism, force, world on the brink, populism, and many others appear routinely in our media and, often, in our day-to-day talk, to describe the shifts we are living through.
We must remember though, that energy follows thought. That thoughts and words create our reality. And that being so, the current, persistent narrative is more than a little scary. That fear holds us in place. Making what is labelled, what we label, more real.
The thing is we can, individually, and together, change this. Indeed, we must if we want to create a better world for all.
A few years ago a group of people came together to think about the language of systems change which is what is needed for better future. Keywords – Building a language of systems change was the powerful result. Fifteen words/phrases emerged from the work – choreograph, destroy, emergence, empathy, hold, infrastructure, illuminate, the long now, magnet, plurality, provision, purpose, seismic shift, space, uncertainty.
This wasn’t a simple selection exercise rather a process of synthesis of (largely) words in everyday use imbuing them with new, higher energy, meaning and resonance for the change we need in systems – micro (our own, individual system as a human) through to the macro.
Each word/phrase defines an element of system change, what system changers may need to bring into practice and what they may encounter.
As you review the list you will be drawn to/caught by particular words. For me, having read the whole piece of work, they’re all powerful. But three, in the context of change for the better, stand out.
Choreograph – create space for movement, expression, connection Or, put another way ‘If you want people to have a different conversation, rearrange the chairs.’
Empathy – in system change being able to stand in the shoes of others wherever they are and appreciate their perspective allows us ‘…to move people’s thinking along. To build the appetite for change.’ It allows the possibility of synthesis to a higher idea rather than right or wrong polarity.
Less common than the others The Long Now recognises that change, especially of the scale needed, doesn’t happen overnight. We might frame this as ‘building a cathedral, in that it won’t be completed in our lifetime.’
And yet that extended timeframe doesn’t mean we can’t begin putting the new stones in place, does it? Thought by thought. Word by word. Action by action.
With thanks to ICAEW and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford in association with The Point People for the creation of Keywords – Building a language of systems change.