Carol Sanford writes in Indirect Work: A Regenerative Change Theory for Businesses, Communities, Institutions and Humans that her words are often misinterpreted as direct instruction. People want something they can do, something they can apply directly. This means that what she is describing is downgraded to tactics rather than as an invitation to go deeper.
“Many people believe that change means reshaping practices, improving what we do and how we do it. I call this working directly… We’ve modified what we do, but we haven’t addressed who we are. …profound and enduring change can only come from transforming who we are and how we experience and understand the world. This is indirect work…” 1
Indirect work challenges our beliefs and makes space for a new way of seeing the world. Direct work looks for patterns and prescriptions, while indirect work enlarges our perception and evolves our thinking.
Notes:
1. Carol Sanford, Indirect Work: A Regenerative Change Theory for Businesses, Communities, Institutions and Humans.
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