​​A Supersaturated Theory of Change: 

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​Are there better terms than "theory of change?"

​​for "DandDTrans," a "community of inquiry and action" regarding the role that Dialogue & Deiberation can play in addressing the mega-crises of our time
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​The post below is part of ​+OS Topic 11 A Supersaturated Theory of Change​
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​Are there better terms than "theory of change?" [Bob Stilger, 1/22]

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​​Note on language: "theories of change."  I wonder if it is perhaps more useful and more accurate to speak of the values, principles, processes and practices that we find useful in these turbulent times?  Almost always, I find the "theory of change" language -- which I know has become very popular -- a bit high-falutin and pretentious.  I know in my case, I have some ideas I am trying out and some things that guide me.  But "theory of change" feels very premature. Maybe this is just a pet peeve.  I'm also the person who wants to dethrone the butterfly as the mascot of transformation because in my experience there's a great deal lacking in that metaphor.  So, just a whisper in the corner of this juicy exploration.  
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​Comments on Bob's Post (scroll down to find a blank template)

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​Ben Roberts, 1/22
​​Well, maybe I'm just a highfalutin kind of guy, Bob! And as you know, ​+I have answers to your criticisms of the Butterfly metaphor​ too! I think the serious challenge you are posing here though, is that there is something pretentious about the very notion of such theories, given the complexity of the system we are engaged within, the limits of our own understanding of what's happening and what's possible, and the apparent lack of readiness for that system to shift. To put it more plainly, in words I heard you use in Maine last April, it's hard to have a clear sense of what we might do to "make enough of a difference to make a difference."
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​​That may be so, and perhaps as a result, the best stance is one of waiting, sensing, and keeping one's "powder dry." And there is certainly a danger of getting caught up in busyness to avoid dealing with the angst and uncertainty we feel. I think for me, the acid test for supersaturated opportunities will be the energy they generate. As the Hopi elders said, 
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  • ​​Know the river has its destination.  The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water...  The time for the lone wolf is over.  Gather yourselves!  Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary.  All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. 
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​​I invite you to set your pet peeves aside, jump into the river, and swim with me! I'm very curious about what your answer would be to Question Two below: what might we do right now within DandDTrans, and going forward as part of a much larger community of practice, if we acted as if this theory was "true?"
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  • ​​Bob Stilger, 01/22/15 I'm just not drawn to this inquiry right now, Ben.  Delighted you and others are -- but I am not feeling the call to dive in.  Maybe what I'll do, however, is move away from calling this a pet peeve.  It's actually much more than that.  The language and metaphors we use are very, very important, I think.  And, of course, I can only speak for myself.  But I will not use theory of change language and I will not use the butterfly.  That's just me -- but it is me 100% and I don't need to beat around the bush!  Thanks for helping me see that.
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  • ​​[Ben R, 1/23] You're welcome, Bob! And I do appreciate the contribution you have made. I'm curious what it would look like to discuss the "values, principles, processes and practices that we find useful in these turbulent times" in the context of a theory of change, as a way of testing its usefulness. And I do wonder, were you to articulate the "ideas [you are] trying out and some things that guide [you],"  to what degree they might appear to fit in the framework of this supersaturated metaphor, or not. And even as I write this, I'm getting clearly that that is not a conversation you want to be in, which is fine, of course. Still, I invite you to simply name one or two of those ideas, or point us to a place where you have already done so, if you wish. I/we could take it from there, and I believe it would be valuable. 
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  • ​​I'm also left with this inquiry: what is it about the idea of a theory of change that does appeal to so many of us, perhaps at an unconscious level? My first hit is that we have a deep, and perhaps even hard-wired desire for stories by which to make sense of the world and thus guide our choices. Without such a framework, we feel lost and overwhelmed. If so, how curious that you of all people Bob, are not drawn to a conversation about such stories! Maybe it's the metaphorical aspect, which is inherently reductionist? But the metaphor is just a stand-in for the story itself, which in this case is about where I am called to act now and where I am not, as well as what might be possible and how we might prepare for that in advance. Of course, your colleague Margaret Wheatley has proclaimed that we're "lost," and if that's so (another metaphor!), we need to stop racing around acting as if the map we're following is going to lead us where we think we want to go...

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