Non-profits and social enterprises have unique capabilities to identify, understand, communicate and transform extremely complex problems faced by humans. This comes as a natural outcome of their passion for a better society and a sustainable planet. It is clear they do not lack purpose, vision or mission. Unfortunately, the modern-day version of these organizations is routinely plagued with internal systemic issues which soon start limiting their ability to deliver on their purpose and mission. 

If and when these systemic issues are identified by leaders and members of the organizations they are paralyzed by lack of context, invent or build inhouse solutions to adjust for process/competence deficiency or worse mistake urgency for the need of short term solutions. Classic examples of such events would be in line with (but not limited to) the following:

• Lack of context: Adopting a technology solution to quickly "modernize" systems but missing to connect the dots in business process and organizational culture.

• Build inhouse solutions to adjust for process/competence deficiency: adopting complex and rigid financial models, administrative routines or redundant system steps as "checks and balances" without empowering or enabling staff.

• Mistake urgency for the need of short term solutions: focus on cost cutting and staff reduction to achieve economic balance instead of innovating on business model and developing new engagement models.

Since systemic issues rarely exist solo, the complexity multiplies over time and organizational size. Almost always the situation evolves to involved individuals to feel "if only they could start over".

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In these situations the answers are more internal than external but help is needed to discover them. It resonates with how these organizations:

• work with their own projects, programs and agenda's. 

• Understand even the most complex issue outside of their own fence

• Enable other stakehodlers evaluate their own needs, and interpolate with knowledge from other successes and failures from specific precedents.