The Power We Don’t Talk About

Why noticing power is essential to creating change

Hola Wayfinders,

I hope you’re enjoying this little exploration of change and systems, and the important subtleties of human behaviour. I’m busy learning alongside you 😊

This week we’re talking about power and its role in change.

The word alone can stir discomfort. It can feel abstract, political, or just… not relevant to our everyday work. But here’s the thing:

Power is always present.
And if we don’t notice it, we can’t shift it to see what’s possible.

We often think of power as positional - who’s in charge, who makes the final call. And yes, that’s part of it. But power also lives in who sets the agenda, whose voices are heard (and whose aren’t), and what knowledge or input is seen as legitimate.

Why does this matter to our change initiatives or projects?
Imagine a community consultation where dozens of residents share ideas, hopes, and concerns, but the final decisions are made behind closed doors. Or a team that’s told they can “speak freely,” but learns over time that only certain types of contribution are rewarded.

Everyone involved might be acting in good faith, but unless we understand how power operates - where it’s concentrated, how it flows, and what it makes possible or impossible - efforts at change or progress often end in frustration.

These examples might be familiar, and that’s the point. They’re not about bad leadership or flawed individuals. They’re about patterns.

When the same frustrations arise again and again - voices being heard but not acted on, feedback sought but not integrated - it points to something deeper than a single process or policy. It reveals how power is operating in the system: who gets to influence decisions, whose input is taken seriously, and what kinds of knowledge or action are considered legitimate.

That’s why, in systems work, we’re not just interested in who holds power, but in how it moves. Where it pools. Where it stagnates. And what happens when we stop pretending it’s neutral.

Because systems are shaped by patterns of power.

Power influences:

• Whose needs are prioritised

• What gets funded or ignored

• Who is trusted to speak for others

• What kinds of change feel ‘safe’ or ‘realistic’

And sometimes, the desire to avoid talking about power is itself a form of power.

Just like mental models, power is often invisible. It’s built into relationships, norms, language, and processes. It’s held in roles and structures, but also in identity, history, and access to resources.

So how do we begin to see it?

We can start with questions like:

• Who is setting the terms of the conversation?
  Is the agenda co-created, or already decided before others are invited in?

• Who is missing or silent, and why?
  Is a group absent because they weren't asked in a way that made them feel comfortable speaking openly, or because past engagement felt tokenistic?

• Who benefits if things stay the same?
  Does a long-standing funding structure favour large, established groups over newer or grassroots initiatives?

• Where do people feel they need permission to act?
  Are staff holding back ideas because they assume only senior leaders are allowed to suggest change?

• Whose discomfort is taken seriously, and whose is dismissed?
  Are funder concerns fast-tracked while community member feedback is delayed or ignored?

---

Power doesn’t have to be a bad word. When it’s named and shared with intention, it becomes a tool for possibility.

And you don’t have to aim for perfection.

When we first start noticing power dynamics, it can feel overwhelming. People often worry about saying the wrong thing, doing harm, or stepping out of line. So they hesitate. They stay silent. Or they keep doing things the way they've always been done, not out of indifference, but out of fear.

But awareness is the beginning of rebalancing. Once you start to see how power is operating - who’s included, who’s left out, where decisions are made, how discomfort is handled, you start to shift your stance without even realising. Curiosity grows. Conversations change. Possibilities open.

Systems don’t change through grand declarations or ten-step plans. They change through small moves, course corrections, and paying attention to feedback. This isn’t about getting it right all the time. It’s about staying in the work, together.

If you’re keen to understand and explore power in the systems you work in, you might like to check out this power-mapping resource.

Next week, we’ll talk about the importance of relationships in systems work. Because if power shapes what’s possible, relationships often shape what’s likely.

Until then, here’s to noticing what we didn’t see before, and staying open to what it might teach us.

Onwards and upwards,

The Fun Stuff

This week I am…

Watching and listening to US Congresswoman Sarah McBride talk about the politics of grace - Why the Left Lost on Trans Rights: The Ezra Klein Show (Okay, kind heavy for the ‘fun stuff’ but learning is fun, right?)

Starting a new jigsaw 🧩 It’s been a huge year so far and I sense burnout just around the corner if I don’t take a break. My kids are on school holidays this week so I’m going to take my foot off the pedal a little and indulge in some puzzling. (Maybe you’re interested in the health benefits of jigsaw puzzles?)

Attending my 20th yoga class for the year 🧘‍♀️ My goal is to get to a yoga class every week that I’m home in Ballarat. 20 weeks out of 27 so far in 2025 is a 74% success rate. I’m okay with that ✅ Do you ypga?