Ian Burbidge.

Writer.

Thinking out loud…

  • On being a systems entrepreneur

    How do we move forward in an uncertain world? A systems entrepreneur recognises that whatever their interests and various areas of expertise, they are moving forward into an unknown world.… Read more

  • On breaking out of the norm

    It’s perhaps easy to assume our challenges are unique to the worlds we are familiar with. Our lives, our communities, the sector we work in. I’m a sector-surfer, moving between… Read more

  • On valuing the intangibles

    I’m watching the building opposite lurch skyward, day by day, block of concrete by protrusion of steel wires. Slowly the green vista beyond disappears. The reservoir that flattens the view… Read more

  • On power

    When we think about systems change we can often think of a complex system in isolation from all others, and yet that’s an artificial simplification of the kind we are… Read more

  • On the language of systems (not all problems are created equal)

    Sometimes I wonder if there is an obsession among those of us working in the broad field of social change to constantly be ahead of the intellectual curve and using… Read more

  • On balancing acts

    We all know the public sector faces unprecedented pressures. Rising demand and expectations are compounded by Covid19 backlogs and falling budgets. These are the immediate and pressing concerns that public… Read more

  • On being a public entrepreneur (a rough guide)

    Since the foundation of the NHS over 70 years ago and driven in large part by the advancement of science we have seen massive gains in overall levels of population… Read more

  • On the tensions of systems change

    How many of us are in professions we dreamed of when we were young? Few, I guess, not only because most opportunties remained unknown to us growing up but also… Read more

  • On rules

    This piece is not going to advocate for a form of anarchy but rather explore the insidious nature of how our attempts to control with rules can tend towards the… Read more

  • On the tyranny of goals

    After South Africa thrashed England in the recent test, captain Ben Stokes said something I can’t imagine any other team captain has ever said in any sport: “I don’t want… Read more

  • On music as a barometer of social change

    The baseline thunders through your body, primeval, uplifting, manifestations of Gaia’s energy of life. You’re dancing around a fire to the rhythm of the pounding drums. The sparks fly upwards… Read more

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