You may be so busy thinking and acting that you rarely stop to observe what is happening. Observing may be a formal process, such as a project evaluation, but it may also be pausing to ask some questions: Is our strategy working? Why is it not working? Should we go back and think about this problem differently?

If you don’t observe, you can’t learn. If you don’t learn, you reduce your chances of solving the problem. Take these two observing actions regularly, regardless of where you are on the systems change continuum:

• Reflect on your capabilities. Review your team’s and your organization’s capabilities and weaknesses (as National Fund regional collaboratives regularly do, using the National Fund Self-Assessment Tool). This way, you maximize your strengths in solving the problem and proactively shore up organizational weaknesses.
• Scan the environment. Stay attuned to changing conditions (using actionable data, such as standardized equity metrics and real-time labor market information). If your problem changes significantly, you may need to revisit earlier steps in the systemic decision-making process to reassess your actions.