Answers & Outcomes

Topic: Systems thinking

Seeing Clearly, Acting Wisely: How System Inquiry Guides Our Work

September 25, 2025
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We’ve all been in situations where the way forward feels a bit like driving down a foggy road. You can see just far enough to keep moving, but not far enough to know what’s ahead....

When Doing the Job Breaks the System

September 16, 2025
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On the surface, the pond looks alive and thriving. The water ripples gently. Children lean over the edge, their nets dipping in and out, pulling up long strands of green. That green is algae and...

Strategies for the Long Haul: Navigating Complexity Over Time

August 19, 2025
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“One of the leader’s most important roles is to build a team and culture that intentionally outlasts them.” - Peter Greer & Doug FagerstromI think about that a lot when it comes to the work our...

Trust-Based Design: Starting with Broken Trust

August 18, 2025
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I’ve spent most of my career asking the same question: “What do people need?” It’s the starting point for almost every design process. From there, we gather insights, map needs, co-create solutions, and (on our...

Research that sees the system

August 13, 2025
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If you stand on a bridge at night, you might just notice the towers, the cables, and the road. But slow things down and the scene changes. Light trails start to show the movement, the...

Directing and managing systems

April 19, 2024
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Hostile Sheep has worked with dozens of organizations to design systems their customers love. After a decade of working with a wide spectrum of organizations, from fortune 100 companies to startups to charities, we’ve identified...

Continuous improvement is not a straight line

April 10, 2024
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Continuous improvement (often called continual improvement, more on that later) is commonly misperceived as being a process intended to move the needle in a positive way regarding a system, product or service. The misperception is...