Helping people think and act systemically to change the field of what’s possible

We help people see, think and act systemically – to take a ‘whole system’ approach. We use the science of how human systems work, evolve, flow and flourish to give people a better ‘map’ and help them navigate through complexity to sustainable change.

Looking for a different approach?

People often come in search of a different perspective because they have experienced the limits of traditional strategy and planning approaches.

Want to change how things work?

Sometimes people are interested in transformation for themselves and their organisations. Many are focused on social purpose or socially-conscious principles and practices.

Need help with systems change?

The brief might even be explicitly about systems change or applying a systemic lens to community programmes or operational policies and processes.

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”

John Muir

Naturalist and environmental activist (1838-1914)

“Lycia’s lightness of tone, perceptive questioning and joyful manner make working with her a valuable and enjoyable process that I would highly recommend.”

Clare Reddington

Creative Director of Watershed

“Ultimately... there are no parts at all. What we call a part is merely a pattern in the inseparable web of relationships.”

Fritjof Capra

Physicist and founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy

“Very uplifting; it brought clarity to things that had seemed confused and ill-defined.”

Andrew Baker

Trustee of Bristol Foundation Housing

“When we attribute behaviour to personality, we lose sight of how the structure of the system shaped our choices.”

Professor John D Sterman

MIT Sloan School of Management

“Glow played a pivotal role in shaping and managing the process of developing the vision – ensuring the active participation of a very large and diverse set of stakeholders.”

Stephen Hilton

Director of the Futures at Bristol City Council

“One size does not ﬁt all. By generalizing we risk throwing out the very information that sheds light on why things happen and what might happen next.”

Jean Boulton

Author of Embracing Complexity

“An amazing experience. The constellation was the push we needed to take stock and look at where we should focus to move the business to the next level.”

Stephanie Kitchen

Into Latin America

“We are now in a much better place to grow and progress, and most importantly meet the needs of our users in a more effective and efficient way.”

Jenny Perez

Director of ERIC

“Our work with Glow was clearly the point of transition for the team. It’s incredible to reflect on how big the change is now.”

Team member

Triodos Investment Management

“I have often sat in awe, watching Lycia facilitate. She has incredible capacity for listening, and a wonderful talent for asking the questions that unlock great insights.”

Manny Amadi

CEO of C&E Advisory Services

Glow helps people transform their teams and organisations and the impact of their programmes

Thoughts & resources

Newest articles

Podcasts & videos

Podcasts and videos we find particularly useful.

The iceberg model

Involved in transformation? People love this model.

Books & articles

The books and papers we reach for and recommend.

In our culture, we tend to think of organisations as predictable and controllable (like machines) and base our planning and expectations on this.

In fact, they are complex systems, and complex systems are messy and unpredictable.They can't be controlled and we can never know everything about them.

How we can help

We get involved in organisational change and purpose, culture and values, leadership development, partnership in and between sectors and innovation in social systems.

Understanding why we’re not getting the outcomes we want and where and how to intervene to catalyse change
Projects that require breakthrough insight and innovation
The shift in thinking and operating that’s required for leaders to progress from expert to more facilitative styles of leadership
Planning and tracking for the emergence of ‘unlikely but not impossible’ scenarios (think Oxfam, Trump, #MeToo, pay equality) – which are more likely than we imagine in a changing environment.

A robust approach based on science

We help people develop a ‘complexity worldview’ – a way of seeing and experiencing their organisation or community that aligns with the science of how the world works and evolves. It can be a profoundly different way of looking at things. Some of our clients say they experience it as “connecting and re-connecting”; others refer to it as “developing our consciousness”.

A complexity worldview:

Looks at ‘wholes’
Considers the relationships in and between the structures and people in the system
Looks at context, history, timing and the particular details of a situation to understand why things happen and what can happen next

A breath of fresh air

We’re creative, practical and straightforward. We believe we have more impact if we work alongside our clients rather than stepping in as experts. People say we’re perceptive, warm and inspiring to work with.

We do just enough to make a difference and encourage self-belief, resilience and resourcefulness. We want people to feel energised and inspired with a strong sense of their own agency and autonomy.