Collaborate
Complex challenges don’t have simple solutions, but there are ways to work with them more effectively. Whole Story supports organizations to better understand what’s going on, work with diverse perspectives to find shared direction, and move forward in ways that are responsive to change. We can work together in a few different ways, depending on what you’re navigating:
Workshops for Complex Challenges
Workshops are designed to help teams step back, better understand the nature of the challenges they’re facing, and explore what it means to work with complexity in practice. In doing so, teams often begin to see new connections, shifts in perspective, and opportunities that weren’t visible before. If you’re looking to build a deeper understanding of complexity and learn practical ways to work within it, this can be a helpful place to begin.
Each session focuses on a different aspect of working well with complex systems, depending on what your team needs most:
Leveraging Change in Complex Systems
Many strategies assume change is predictable and controllable, but in complex systems, it isn’t. This session explores how change actually happens in complex systems, and the implications this has for how we act. By understanding patterns like non-linearity, feedback, and emergence, teams can begin to see where meaningful influence is possible and where traditional approaches may fall short.
You'll leave with:
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a clearer understanding of how change unfolds in complex systems
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insight into patterns that shape how systems behave over time
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a stronger sense of where meaningful influence may be possible
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a different lens for thinking about strategy and action
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greater confidence working with complexity, rather than trying to control it
Working Adaptively with Complex Challenges
When challenges keep evolving, fixed plans often fall short. This session explores how to move forward without needing full certainty by learning how to notice what’s changing, make sense of it, and respond in thoughtful ways over time.
You'll leave with:
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a clearer way to move forward under uncertainty
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practical ways to notice and interpret what’s changing
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simple approaches for building reflection and learning into your work
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greater confidence in adapting without abandoning what’s working
Sense-Making
Sprint
A Sense-Making Sprint is a focused, time-bound engagement where we work together on a real challenge your team or network is facing.
By exploring the dynamics shaping the situation and integrating diverse perspectives, we develop a shared understanding of the system: how different elements connect, where patterns are emerging, and where there may be opportunities to have meaningful impact.
This creates a strong foundation for making thoughtful decisions and moving forward with greater clarity.
You'll leave with:
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a shared understanding of the system you’re working within
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clarity on how key dynamics and perspectives connect
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insight into patterns shaping the situation
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a clearer sense of where meaningful impact may be possible
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a stronger foundation for making strategic decisions
If you’re working through a specific challenge, this can be a helpful place to start. This is especially useful when you are:
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Bringing together diverse perspectives: a collective, partnership, or cross-sector team effort that needs to build coherence
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Starting something new: a new initiative or project where the path forward isn’t yet clear
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Feeling stuck or going in circles: work that isn’t progressing despite ongoing effort
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Navigating change or uncertainty: situations where things are evolving and difficult to plan for
Strategy & Facilitation Partnership
For organizations working on complex challenges, strategy isn’t a one-time plan, it’s an ongoing process of making sense of what’s happening, deciding where to focus, and adapting as conditions change.
This is a deeper partnership to support your organization, team, or initiative over time through strategy, facilitation, and ongoing learning.
Rather than delivering a fixed plan, this work focuses on building your team’s capacity to work well with complexity by supporting how you understand, decide, and act as challenges evolve.
You'll leave with:
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a clear and evolving strategic direction
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a deeper understanding of your role within the system and where leverage exists
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more coherence across perspectives, without collapsing difference
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greater awareness of the relationships and dynamics shaping your work
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more thoughtful approaches to decision-making and implementation
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increased capacity to navigate complexity and adapt over time
This is especially useful when you are:
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Developing or refreshing a strategic plan: when direction is needed, but the path forward isn’t straightforward
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Launching a new initiative or effort: when you need to align people and move forward without full certainty
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Working across multiple interest-holders or partners: when coordination and alignment are ongoing challenges
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Navigating ongoing complexity and change: when the work requires continuous reflection, adaptation, and decision-making
Who We Work With
Whole Story partners with organizations and collaborative networks working on complex social and environmental challenges, including nonprofits, municipalities, post-secondary institutions, collaborative networks, and public-interest organizations. This work is often most helpful when multiple perspectives must come together, uncertainty is present, and thoughtful collaboration and learning are essential.