My writing explores how individuals, relationships, communities, and organizations encounter complexity, conflict, consequence, and change.

I often return to questions of perception and response: how people understand what is happening, how they interpret what they encounter, and how they act when a situation involves meaningful stakes. I’m currently looking at the developmental challenges participatory communities face as they mature. Many groups begin with strong cultures of trust, creativity, and shared values. But as they grow, new pressures emerge: difficult decisions, competing needs, leadership challenges, interpersonal harm, and situations culture alone cannot resolve.

My forthcoming book Participatory Accountability examines why accountability work is so difficult for communities and proposes a new model of accountability designed for community organizations. When an organization creates rules, receives reports, evaluates conduct, or imposes consequences, it is taking on a governance role. Community organizations need accountability processes designed for the real constraints and challenges they face: limited capacity, overlapping relationships, partial information, non-neutral leadership, reputational stakes, and the need to maintain a community, not just police it.

Selected excerpts from Participatory Accountability will be made available as the project develops. To get updates and new writings delivered directly to your mailbox, join my mailing list.