Transforming Organisations by Tackling Complexity One Step at a Time

What can we learn about organisational change from a charity that’s working to end world hunger?

Ever had the sense that the way we work together could be so much better? That we could show up as our best selves, do our best work, and collaborate in ways that truly inspire and energise us?

Seven years ago, I was given Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux—a book that filled me with hope. Since then, working as a strategy and operations consultant, I’ve become even more convinced that our organisations can (and must) evolve.

Right now, employee engagement is plummeting, “quiet quitting” is rising, and we’re navigating the most generationally diverse workforce in history.

But here’s the challenge: large companies are complex systems, and the capacity (or appetite) for change is often low. So how do we shift a paradigm?

Last week, I spent time with grassroots leaders from The Hunger Project, a charity working to end world hunger. Their approach? They start by training women in leadership, then use a simple but powerful framework—Vision, Commitment, Action (VCA)—to help communities take incremental, lasting steps towards self-sufficiency.

That’s how real change happens. Not through sweeping overhauls, but through small, consistent steps in the right direction.

It was also staggering to learn that we already produce twice the amount of food needed to feed the world—yet hunger persists. (A fact that Not the End of the World, Hannah Ritchie, highlights brilliantly.) Complex problems don’t always require complex solutions. They require focused action.

If these grassroots leaders can drive change against enormous odds, what’s stopping us from doing the same in our organisations?

So I leave you with this:
➡️ Where is your organisation today?
➡️ Where do you want to be?
➡️ What’s the next small step?

I’ll be sharing more insights as I continue learning from this incredible charity. Let’s keep the conversation going.

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