The above image is a variation on a classic. The classic image is usually about life or success, but it can be about most things in life – healing, parenting, careers, organisational change, and so on. We all know the visual or when we see it something inside goes ‘yes!’.

And yet, whenever we create strategies, plans, or projects, we all use imagery and language shown with the image on the left. Straight line, assembly line, x + y = z. Why is it that in today’s world, we still feel the need to project ‘perfection’? What would happen if when we are presenting a theory of change, we would present the image on the right?

When we deal with humans, there are many unknowns. We can provides inputs, have conversations, provide incentives, and so on, but people react differently. But underlying change is trust. And trust tends to rely on both reality and vision. We can still talk about and dream of where we want to go, while also talking about path to get there being a bit messy.

The choice is up to us.

Image taken from a post by Neil Patwardhan