What you wish you knew about changing the world | My PhD findings

This update is for you if you’re committed to making a meaningful difference in the world! My PhD research has identified building blocks of transformation as well as four other groups of key insights that will make all the difference in your vital work of remaking this world for the better. So, read on!It’s time to break with the pastHistorically, our impact as changemakers has been haphazard. An incidental byproduct rather than a planned outcome of our efforts. Efforts that too often feel like near-assured self-destruction as we throw ourselves in front of the tanks of the status quo, under- if not utterly unprepared. Is it any wonder that 70% of our efforts fail? What’s more, transformation has been viewed as a mystery even by the most seasoned of us. As something we cannot plan, let alone steer. I’ve long disagreed. And my defiance has paid off! Image credit: John Paul Edge from PixabayRaised in the imploding Soviet Union (my “origin story” is linked below), I empathize with all who suffer when change is random. Calous. Mangled. I have since dedicated 30 years to identifying how we do transformation — the big, bold change — better. I am now in the final stretch of PhD research that hopes to generate the “periodic table” of transformation. This Substack is your front-row seat to world-leading research into changemaking, and I am ready to share what I have found!Will you spread the word and test-drive these findings with me?The periodic table of transformationI have always loved chemistry! Its generosity of explanations for why the material world is the way it is, so elegantly encapsulated in the periodic table of the elements. In two+ decades of creating transformation across six continents, how often have I wished for such clarity about transformation! Haven’t you? So, in 2023 I embarked on PhD research to try to create such a framework. Image credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.Sidebar: It has been a point of pride that it was another Russian (Mendeleev) who came up with the periodic table.Can you imagine a comprehensive framework where every element of change is identified and arranged, showcasing its properties and relationships and informing a robust, detailed roadmap to the impact you target? I can.My PhD research involved looking for patters across three “buckets” of insight:* 20+ years of my own experience creating transformation on 6 continents* interviews with seasoned changemakers like Maria Atkinson, Pooran Desai, Jason McLennan, Bill Reed, and Lakisha Woods.* Scholarly and practice literature.What are my PhD findings?I got more than I bargained for! There are, indeed, building blocks of transformation. There are also distinct stages to transformation, vital functions that each one must fulfill, attributes that define changemakers, and measurable competencies every changemaker should cultivate to optimize their impact. So, four cherries on top! I describe each below. I couldn’t be more thrilled and suspect you feel the same because this means that changemaking is closer to being recognized as a discipline and a profession, and that we — the people doing this vital work — can get the resources we need to perfect our craft! Take a glimpse at this future, as I see it. By the way, painting such a picture represents a building block of transformation!1. Changemaker attributesAll changemakers share several attributes, and you can take the test here!Why does this matter? Because changemakers appear to represent a distinct phycological profile.2. Changemaker competenciesEffective changemakers share a skillset! There appear to be core and supplemental competencies that any changemaker would want to hone. I’ve already showcased one of them: systems thinking. Stay tuned for more!Why does this matter? Because we can finally cultivate our aptitude for changing the world, get recognized and rewarded for it, and recruit and equip the next generation of changemakers.3. Functions of transformationWhenever a day — a trip — a project — go smoothly, it is because all key functions are fulfilled. Should even one such function be compromised, your experience — perhaps even safety — may be at risk. It appears that, similarly, effective transformation depends on several key functions.Why does this matter? Because in planning and executing transformation, we can ensure that all key functions are fulfilled. Furthermore, we can use them to troubleshoot!4. Stages of transformationLike it is with sharing a beautiful meal (planning, sourcing, prepping, cooking, serving, cleaning), transformation progresses in identifiable (even if overlapping) stages. Drawing on human development as another analogy, what nurtures a toddler may break a senior, and vice versa.Why does this matter? Because even though each transformation is unique, knowing the milestones it must hit allows us to tailor our plan, track progress, and diagnose problems.5. Building blocks of transformationThere indeed appear to be distinct building blocks that enable transformational outcomes. While some appear to be foundational for any transformation (I have introduced one, The First Follower, also linked below), most come into play depending on the brief. Curiously, the building blocks also appear to interact with each other in predicable ways: there are catalysts, accelerants, and binders/glue.Why does this matter? Because as a changemaker, you can methodically plan the change you target. You can play with the building blocks as you would with Lego, picking the right structural, functional, and embellishment elements for your initiative. That, my friends, is a gamechanger!Let’s become intentional about our changemakingI have already noted that our changemaking has been haphazard. Random. Nearly mystical. And overwhelmingly ineffective. In that, changemaking is where parenting was up until just a few decades ago: we were parents by virtue of having children, over which we had little to no control. There was no definitive causation between our parenting and the outcomes for our children. We did whatever we did. No surprise, most children didn’t do so well.Today, you cannot leave the maternity ward without being instructed not to put your baby in the microwave or the dryer.Science has explained how our behavior affects children. As we endeavor to do our best by our children, parenting has become intentional.It is time we become intentional about changemaking. Not only will it shore up the outcomes we target, but we will stop burning through changemakers. My PhD findings reveal that we can, indeed, steer transformation. We can plan and execute strategies, all the while resourcing ourselves for this vital work of remaking the world for the better!How will I share my findings?Right here on Substack! Upcoming posts will elaborate on everything I have found, so please subscribe, engage, and encourage others to do the same. Changemakers’ Substack is a reader-supported publication. To access all posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.What I ask of youI hope that this global community of changemakers across what is now 22 countries can serve as a focus group of sorts. I have leveraged everything to advance this knowledge. I bet on our Collective Power to amplify my efforts. We need this insight, urgently! Please, help me deliver it.* Get other changemakers to subscribe to this Substack.* Pressure-test my insight on your change initiatives.* Leave feedback and ideas in comments (here on Substack preferably, so that we can all engage and grow). With your help, the findings of my PhD will be road-tested and ready for use by changemakers around the world — and for training of our new cohorts — to be more intentional and sure-footed about the changes we target. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit changemakershandbook.substack.com/subscribe