Excuse Me, You Dropped Your Theory of Change

"You have a theory of change," Claude.ai told me.

I was parsing through hundreds of pages of transcripts with my AI assistant, working on our 24th article about transformation in education. We'd uploaded meeting notes, debriefs, workshop recordings - thousands of words capturing a year of conversations about helping others navigate change.

And that's when Claude.ai, in the middle of analyzing patterns across these discussions, casually pointed out something I hadn't seen: beneath all our stories and strategies lay a consistent theory about how change actually happens.

I almost missed it. My first instinct was to correct the AI - "Wait, no, we don't have a formal theory..." But then I paused. Sometimes the most valuable insights come from seeing yourself through others' eyes. Even when those eyes are artificial.

It reminded me of what we tell everyone about AI - it's not just about the answers, it's about the conversations that help you see what you already know in new ways. Here was Claude.ai, doing exactly that - holding up a mirror to show me a framework I'd been using but never named.

So here it is - the theory of change I didn't know I dropped, picked up and polished by an AI, and now shared with you.

Your Theory of Change

The hardest change happens at the speed of your relationships. Not through your careful plans or strategies, but through moments of shared truth that shift how you see yourself and others.

Courage and Safety

You need both courage and safety - the courage to speak uncomfortable truths and the safety to hear them. This isn't about being fearless. It's about acknowledging your fears and moving forward anyway.

Change won't come from your perfect strategies or polished presentations. It comes from authentic conversations where you feel seen and valued enough to be uncomfortable together. Where you can admit what you don't know, share what scares you, and imagine what could be.

Creating Spaces

The path forward isn't about adopting new tools or implementing new processes. It's about creating spaces where you can be fully human - where you can bring your whole self, your messy questions, your wild ideas, your deep concerns. Where you can find your voice and use it.

True innovation happens when you stop trying to fit in and start bringing your unique perspective. When you value the outsiders, the truth-tellers, the ones who see things differently. When you embrace productive tension instead of false harmony.

Comfort = Stuck in the Past

Feel that discomfort? Good. You're doing it right. Confused? Perfect. You're learning. Getting pushback? Excellent. You're onto something. Stay right here. This is where breakthroughs happen.