Reflections on Marmalade
Reflections on Marmalade Last week, I found myself in Oxford, co-hosting a session at the Marmalade Festival. This festival, which began as an independent...
Flipping the Script on MEL: Why Learning Must Come First
Flipping the Script on MEL: Why Learning Must Come First In development, philanthropy, and social change, being “evidence-driven” has become a mantra....
Entangling two worlds
Entangling two worlds As the old year fades into the new, I find myself wrestling with a familiar tension. It’s a feeling that has surfaced many times...
The difference between knowledge and knowing
The difference between knowledge and knowing Why is it so hard to act on what we know? Whether it’s exercising more, eating healthier, or tackling urgent...
Learning as Change: Rethinking What It Means to Learn
This email explores the idea that true learning is not just about acquiring knowledge but about fostering adaptation and change within individuals and systems, emphasizing the importance of creating environments that encourage curiosity, openness, and continuous evolution.
Two meta-problems that should inform learning and evaluation
Two meta-problems that should inform learning and evaluation I recently listened to a quite thought-provoking talk titled "Solving the Meaning Crisis." The...
Can Knowledge Be Managed?
Can Knowledge Be Managed? This week I dipped my toes into the world of knowledge management at the really well organised Knowledge Summit in Dublin. You...
Why outcome-based performance management (still) doesn't work
Why outcome-based performance management (still) doesn't work About four years ago, I interviewed Dr. Toby Lowe in what was an attempt to start a podcast...
Contemplations on the nature of reality
Contemplations on the nature of reality Finally found a moment to do some writing. I miss it. At the same time has my personal focused moved a bit to...
How we show up matters
How we show up matters At the foundation, we have gone through an organisational evaluation and are, subsequently, following some of the recommendations of...
Should we talk about hope? I believe we must.
Should we talk about hope? I believe we must. After my last post and after a few weeks in which I was feeling despair and sometimes felt close to...
Nothing to add ...
Nothing to add ... It's been a while since I have written on this channel. There are multiple reasons, including a holiday and a trip to Tanzania for work....
An abductive approach to assessing success
An abductive approach to assessing success Recent weeks I have been pondering how an abductive approach to evidence and success for a foundation like ours...
Transformational shifts
Transformational shifts The approach described in this article by UNDP has some similarities with our thinking at Fondation Botnar. We also acknowledge...
Always striving …
Always striving … This week we had a discussion about leadership with our leadership team that does not call itself a leadership team. Makes sense, right?...
Systemic inquiries: an update
Systemic inquiries: an update I am back in the office after quite a long break. Besides two relaxing weeks of holidaying in southern France and the Swiss...
What do we mean?
What do we mean? I noticed that we often assume that other people understand the world in the same way we do - especially people who are close to us or...
A process that creates itself
A process that creates itself A few weeks ago I wrote about the idea to integrate strategic learning and evaluation in Fondation Botnar's philanthropic work...
Complex responsive processes of relating
Complex responsive processes of relating Last week I had the pleasure to participate in the complexity and management conference at Roffey Park in the UK....
Reflections on a conversation
Reflections on a conversation This week I had the privilege to co-host a conversation among a group of people who are all passionate about what one would...