Field Notes

Field Notes are observations, essays, and practical reflections for people leading meaningful work through complexity. Read what is emerging, find language for what you are noticing, and choose a useful next step.

Featured Readings

Dignity, Strategy, Technology: Three Axes Every Change Leader Navigates

Every change decision sits in the tension between dignity, strategy, and technology. Leaders who read all three axes navigate change well. Leaders who ignore one — usually dignity — produce initiatives that are technically sound and humanly inadequate.

5 min read

Human Nature Is a Design Constraint: Why Change Must Start With Who We Actually Are

Change fails when it's designed for who we wish people were instead of who they actually are. Human nature — grief, fatigue, skepticism, and the slow path to genuine intention — is a design constraint, not an obstacle to overcome.

4 min read

Why I Built Maypop Grove

Maypop Grove was built for people carrying meaningful work through complexity — people who need practical tools, honest language, and a steadier way to move from intention to impact.

2 min read

Browse Field Notes

Running the Machine: What Operational Thinking Actually Looks Like in a Project

Project managers aren't CEOs — they're operators. Thinking like a COO shifts the focus from owning the mission to designing the engine that delivers it with resilience and respect.

Project Recovery

Jennifer Diamond

Jul 24, 20255 min read

When the Scope Won't Sit Still: Designing Work That Stays Designed

When scope drifts quietly, projects lose integrity before anyone raises a flag. Four stress-test lenses help change leaders design work that holds up under real-world pressure.