(In)direct Progress
Each morning, the final leg of my commute is a six block walk from the Metro to the office. Nothing complicated about that and it could be a direct route all down the same side of L Street. But, it’s not. Due to a major construction project, the sidewalk on my side of the street is blocked for an entire block. This means I have to cross the street, proceed on the other side for a block or two, and then cross back over. Not a big deal, a little extra time and a few more steps (that’s the positive outcome). A few days ago, another sidewalk blockage popped up. This now means crossing back and forth twice on some days. A little more extra time and a few more steps (even better).
This got me thinking about the work we do in the human services sector. We are often asked to construct a Theory of Change for our projects and organizations as a whole. These theories of change can be depicted in a linear graph showing the progress from point to point resulting in positive outcomes. We know that our work is seldom linear, but more like my walk in the morning. Always moving toward our final goal, but often with a sidestep or two, or maybe even a step back to find a better route to where we are going. Work with our clients most often takes this path and this is reflected in the complexities of our organizational progress, as well. That’s why we use a Theory of Change, but understand that we must apply it in the real world. Still on the path to unrelenting progress, but with a bit of recalibration along the way.
Lee Sherman, President & CEO
