Inquiry and Learning for Change

The Mission of Inquiry & Learning for Change

To support innovative leadership, team development, and positive, purposive organizational change in schools, school districts, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. To help to build wise learning networks in and across wise organizations to serve a more democratic, socially just, and ecologically sustainable community and society.

Imagine Your Organization...

...with clear and shared values, sense of purpose, and vision. Imagine you are able to guide conscious creation of programs and activities that enact those values and vision and achieve the results you desire. Imagine your staff organized into broadly networked learning communities within your organization and across your partner organizations. Imagine designing programs that hold together in coherent and aligned ways that feel seamless, personalized, and responsive to your clients and community members and to the broader community in which you do your work. Imagine real time professional development and knowledge management systems that support your staff to create new organizational structures, and a culture of innovation and results.

Whether you are a school, a school district, a social service organization, or a government agency, I work hands-on and over the long term as a coach and/or consultant with your organizational members to support the leadership development, strategic planning, and emergent systems necessary for effective implementation of a transformational (fundamental rather than incremental or piecemeal) change agenda. I hold high expectations for the learning and performance of your people and teams, and believe that you can craft a healthy, equitable, and wise organization that will serve a more democratic, socially just, and ecologically sustainable community and society.

How Inquiry & Learning Works With Your...

"John has worked as a consultant to our agency since early 2007. He has helped to bring about major, practice-altering changes in our agency, and has been a highly-valued voice in many of our internal discussions around policy, procedure, mission, vision, and values of the agency. John's approach to organizational development from a social networking perspective has changed not only the way we do our work, but the way we think about our work as well."

- Julia Paul, Program Coordinator, Leadership Team Member, ECDC/African Community Center, Denver

"John is someone who makes everyone feel comfortable and creates a safe environment in which staff can speak openly and freely without being judged. He is extremely skilled at summarizing people's thoughts and suggestions in a way everyone can comprehend. He is gentle in his approach and in communicating his expectations; however in return he expects nothing less than 100% effort and participation. John seeks to bring out the best in everyone and has the experience and talent to do so. It was an absolute joy and delight to work with John. Project WISE has certainly benefited from John Watkins and would highly recommend him."

- Eileen Prosser, Assistant Director, Project WISE, Denver

"John is a highly talented conceptual thinker who can take theory and turn it into down-on-the-ground, practical interventions and approaches. He develops highly effective processes for organizations and groups that lead to new ways of accomplishing desired outcomes. He is also a skilled facilitator who can bring a group to a deep understanding of complex ideas and ways to implement for sustainable improvement."

- Juli Quinn, Director, Regional System of District and School Support, LA County Office of Education

"John is a master facilitator, and understands how systems - schools, organizations, society - develop over time better that just about anyone I've worked with. He is both sage and student, bringing with him a deep bag of tricks but always eager to learn from the unique circumstances of a given organization. His impact on the organizations he's worked with has been significant."

- Bill Fulton, Director, Civic Canopy, Denver

"John is a highly creative technical assistance provider who is able to adapt and innovate in the moment. He constantly expands his knowledge and tools, modeling the learning he hopes to encourage in others. John is particularly good with organizations engaged in change and brings a unique approach to organizational development that is informed by social network theory."

- Terri Bailey, Senior Research Officer, The Piton Foundation, Denver