E88 - The Myth of Systems Change: Why Your Efforts Are Futile (And What to Do Instead)

In the latest episode of Experts in Sport, Dr Luke Roberts, author of Leading Schools and Sustaining Innovation: How to Think Big and Differently in Complex Systems, joins host Martin Foster to discuss systems change.

If you’ve been involved in the sport, physical activity, health, education, business, or any other sector, you’ll likely have heard people talk about systems change. You may have seen attempts to create change, but more often than not, the outcomes don’t match expectations.

In today’s podcast, we explore what systems change really means. We begin by defining the concept and discussing the common challenges people face when trying to bring about meaningful change, using real-world examples. We then shift focus to what is required to create and sustain systems change over time.

We hope this episode inspires anyone looking to make a positive impact and become a systems change leader of the future.

Intros: 0:00
What is Systems Change?: 3:42
Purpose of the system: 10:32
Examples: 15:45
Systems Mapping: 29:32
Getting the system ready for change: 36:00
Maintain and Sustain: 42:23
Changing the icing not the cake: 45:35
What's next?: 52:24