Posts by Guadalupe de la Mata
Changemakers LAB: The Power of Kindness
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Buddha When was the last time you helped somebody? Was it a big gesture or perhaps something small that brightened somebody’s day? How did it make you feel? Altruistic…
Read MoreChangemakers LAB: Simplify, simplify, simplify!
“A businessman was standing on the pier of a coastal town when a small boat with a single fisherman appeared. Inside the boat there were several large yellowfin tuna. – How long did it take you to catch them? – the businessman asked the fisherman. – A few hours. – So little? Why don’t you…
Read MoreChangemakers LAB: 6 Actions to increase your power and wellbeing through Gratitude
Some time ago I read and heard about the importance of gratitude. However, it wasn’t until relatively recently that I understood its true effect on my mood and my sense of satisfaction. In this world so full of goals and messages that encourage us to achieve more and strive for perfection, it’s easy to forget…
Read MoreChangemakers LAB. The Power of Giving Meaning to your Work and how to Achieve it
In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl states that “what drives a human to do an action or project, what motivates him, is the search for meaning in life.” According to Frankl, this applies to all aspect of life, from desire to learn, experience and evolve, to the need to find answers to…
Read MoreChangemaker LAB. To Be the Change: Use your strengths every day
Why some people are more positive, altruistic and successful in everything they do? How can changemakers, socially committed employees and citizens or positive leaders maintain high levels of resilience, positivity and energy? To answer these questions, I have interviewed highly purposeful and successful individuals and analysed and experimented with cutting-edge research from neuroscience, mindfulness and positive psychology. I summarized…
Read MoreA tool to develop your Theory of Change
In this post I want to share with you a very powerful tool, developed by DIY, on how to use Theory of Change to develop solutions for complex problems. Let´s first clarify why it is important to set a Theory of Change, what is it exactly and how to use the tool. At the end …
Read MoreStorytelling for Social Change (Ashoka)
Few would deny that storytelling is a powerful tool for inspiring action and change and influencing thought leaders, funders, and decision makers. Climate change, inequality, violence and other challenges can’t be solved by doing more of the same. We need new narratives that connect with peoples’ deepest motivations and promote more radical action. Stories engage…
Read MoreSocial Innovation: 7 practical steps to promote it at regional level
Europe 2020 is the EU’s growth strategy for the coming decade. In a changing world, the EU wants to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. These three mutually reinforcing priorities should help the EU and the Member States deliver high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. Concretely, the Union has set five ambitious objectives…
Read MoreTowards A Theory Of Systemic Action
Today I want to share with you an interesting paper on what is needed for systemic action by Zaid Hassan. You can download it here and find an excerpt below. Click here to access the full essay (PDF, Page 21) As our world increases in complexity, more and more resources are being directed at addressing challenges…
Read MoreMy favorite change management tools and books.
One of my main objectives when I launched this blog was to share ideas, tools and experiences on how to bring positive change to people´s lives (individual change), within organizations and to society as a whole. Today, I want to share with you some of my favorite books on how to manage organizational change processes.…
Read More