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- Michelle Cowan
Systems
Systems are organising mechanisms that shape what's possible. Systems thinkers see more clearly and intervene more effectively.
29 Apr 2026
You are the system
The front fell off. Stop waiting for someone else to fix it.
28 Apr 2026
Ask a Strategist 28 April 2026
Systems analysis for leadership challenges around work, speed, and delivery.
21 Apr 2026
Shifting into systems thinking
Still blaming people? It's time to level up.
16 Apr 2026
Why people still protest Jacinda Ardern
What happens when our lives are shaped by systems we can't vote out
15 Apr 2026
You are what you do
Hi scrollshitshowersleep, it's so nice to meet you.
11 Feb 2026
Is 2026 the Year of the Terse Email?
Why my fridge is an unaccountability machine and you might need to put your consumer rights pants on.
20 Aug 2025
"Isms" are not people
Does calling people racist protect racist systems? Maybe.
26 Mar 2025
For when it feels like you can't change anything
Everything is connected. Once you see it, you can shift it.
20 Oct 2024
You can be the one who changes things
It's never been a better time to change things at work - and it's what your boss wants you to do.
3 Oct 2024
If you were them, you'd be a jerk too
Stop pointing fingers at people when you talk about change and focus on the systems that need shifting instead.
8 Feb 2024
Stop being a hero
Heroes overcome the odds. Systems change them.
25 Jan 2024
Don't worry about your culture
Here's what you should be worrying about instead.
8 Dec 2022
The problem is never the problem
The problem is rarely the problem. Strategists know that, and they don't waste time blaming people, when systems are usually at fault.
7 Sep 2022
Unwinnable games
Some games can't be won, and need the rules need changing. Stop trying to optimise yourself and start tearing down the structures that keep you trapped.
11 Aug 2022
Good people and bad systems
Stop pointing fingers at people when you talk about change and focus on the systems that need shifting instead.
14 May 2020
How to grow from stress: quick questions to dig deeper
Dig below the surface and grow from stress by asking better questions.
15 Apr 2020
Stop chasing cows: create systems change
When everything around us changes, it’s time to adapt the way we work. How do we make systems change easy?
5 Mar 2020
Systems and mindsets
Do what you’ve always done, and you’ll get what you’ve always got. Think about changing your systems and mindset.
28 Aug 2019
Take the handbrake off: systems change
Eliminate points of friction for systems change, by looking at policy, process, people and budgets.