{"product_id":"systems-thinking-for-social-change-a-practical-guide-to-solving-complex-problems-avoiding-unintended-consequences-and-achieving-lasting-results-9781603585804","title":"Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"David Stroh has produced an elegant and cogent guide to what works. Research with early learners is showing that children are natural systems thinkers. This book will help to resuscitate these intuitive capabilities and strengthen them in the fire of facing our toughest problems.\"--Peter Senge, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Fifth Discipline\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConcrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning--for everyone!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDonors, leaders of nonprofits, and public policy makers usually have the best of intentions to serve society and improve social conditions. But often their solutions fall far short of what they want to accomplish and what is truly needed. Moreover, the answers they propose and fund often produce the opposite of what they want over time. We end up with temporary shelters that increase homelessness, drug busts that increase drug-related crime, or food aid that increases starvation.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow do these unintended consequences come about and how can we avoid them? By applying conventional thinking to complex social problems, we often perpetuate the very problems we try so hard to solve, but it is possible to think differently, and get different results.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSystems Thinking for Social Change\u003c\/em\u003e enables readers to contribute more effectively to society by helping them understand what systems thinking is and why it is so important in their work. It also gives concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning without becoming a technical expert.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSystems thinking leader David Stroh walks readers through techniques he has used to help people improve their efforts on complex problems like: \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eending homelessness\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eimproving public health\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003estrengthening education\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003edesigning a system for early childhood development\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eprotecting child welfare\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003edeveloping rural economies\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003efacilitating the reentry of formerly incarcerated people into society\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eresolving identity-based conflicts\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eand more! \u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe result is a highly readable, effective guide to understanding systems and using that knowledge to get the results you want. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStroh, David Peter:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eDavid Peter Stroh is a founding partner of Bridgeway Partners (www.bridgewaypartners.com) and a founding director of www.appliedsystemsthinking.com. He was also one of the founders of Innovation Associates, the consulting firm whose pioneering work in the area of organizational learning formed the basis for fellow cofounder Peter Senge's management classic \u003cem\u003eThe Fifth Discipline\u003c\/em\u003e. David is internationally recognized for his work in enabling people to apply systems thinking to achieve breakthroughs around chronic, complex problems and to develop strategies that improve system-wide performance over time.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chelsea Green Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50607314698514,"sku":"9781603585804","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_d4f2a857-2ee9-4f98-bec4-e64aba256973.jpg?v=1732306952","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/systems-thinking-for-social-change-a-practical-guide-to-solving-complex-problems-avoiding-unintended-consequences-and-achieving-lasting-results-9781603585804","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}