Change In Practice: Developing Impact Narratives for Collective Action

Part one of a new series where I explore practical actions that can facilitate "energy at the edges" in Canada's innovation ecosystem

On Monday, I wrote about the urgent need for more people and organizations outside of government to become more active policy and public entrepreneurs. If we are to create the thriving, prosperous, and inclusive Canada that we want to see, then the energy won’t come from federal or provincial governments alone, even if they have key roles to play. The vision and the drive need to come from the collective effort of the broader ecosystem. It is a long piece, but I think it is worth reading if you’ve checked it out already:

In that piece, I spoke of three different areas where I think we can help nurture a more energetic ecosystem at the individual and organizational level:

• Address Our Courage Deficit: Embrace Context and Complexity: We must overcome our reluctance to challenge norms and engage deeply with the intricate realities that shape our world to foster better outcomes.

• Bring Ideas to the Table: Innovation organizations need to shift from narrow self-interest to proactive policy thinking, becoming credible partners who contribute fresh perspectives to government.

• Facilitate Coordination and Collaboration: Building a stronger civil society requires intentional networking and collaboration among organizations and individuals to amplify collective intelligence and impact.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll dive into these topics in more detail through a Change in Practice series of articles and offer some thoughts and practical advice to both senior leaders and front-line staff in the broader innovation ecosystem.

In this, I’m drawing heavily on my work through Orbit Policy, my past experiences here and in the UK, as well as my broader reading and research. And, of course, if you’re ever interested in working with me to do any of this in practice, then do reach out!

Today, I’ll start by exploring the importance of narratives and how innovation-sector organizations can play a more active role in identifying collective problems and articulating shared aspirations, particularly through impact narratives. In future pieces, I’ll examine the value of being a constructive and credible thought partner to governments, ways to achieve that, and how to cultivate deep thinking within organizations.

Constructing Narratives For Change

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash