Holding the Tension Series Summary

This slide deck synthesizes the core ideas from the Holding the Tension series in Stanford Social Innovation Review. It examines disagreement as an organizational and civic capacity and brings together key frameworks related to alignment, governance, culture, and leadership. Designed for educators, practitioners, and organizational leaders, the deck offers a concise guide for applying these ideas to situations where difference, conflict, and institutional change must be navigated rather than avoided.  See slides (PDF).

 

​Citation: Brown, A. (2026). Holding the Tension: How Institutions Shape Disagreement. Stanford Social Innovation Review.

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Ceremonial and Disposable: A Framework for Durable Change

Why do some organizational initiatives become embedded in everyday practice while others remain symbolic or disappear when priorities shift? This resource introduces the concepts of ceremonial and disposable initiatives to explain how visible commitments can become disconnected from strategy, authority, incentives, and organizational routines. Although developed through the lens of DEI, the framework applies broadly to efforts involving culture change, innovation, sustainability, and institutional reform. It offers leaders a way to assess what makes change durable rather than merely aspirational. Read the article (PDF).

 

Citation: Brown, A. (2026). Ceremonial and Disposable: A Framework for Durable Change. AB Performance Advisory.

 

Beyond Access: An Organizational Maturity Model for Disability Inclusion

This resource offers a six-phase organizational maturity model for understanding and advancing disability inclusion. Moving beyond a narrow focus on access or compliance, the framework examines how organizational systems, practices, and relationships shape whether disabled people can participate fully and exercise agency within organizations. It provides leaders with a practical way to assess current approaches and identify pathways toward more durable forms of inclusion grounded in dignity, agency, and belonging.  Read the article (PDF).

 

Citation: Brown, A., & Cechony, A. (2025). Beyond Access: An Organizational Maturity Model for Disability Inclusion. AB Performance Advisory-Woven Experience.

 

How to (Really) Fix the Pipeline Problem

Organizations often attribute challenges in building a more representative workforce to a “pipeline problem,” a shortage of qualified candidates entering from outside the organization. This resource challenges that assumption by examining how recruiting, development, advancement, and internal opportunity structures can themselves shape who becomes visible and prepared for opportunity. It offers an alternative approach that shifts attention from increasing diversity alone toward strengthening the organizational conditions that support equity, inclusion, and internal mobility. Read the article (PDF).

 

Citation: Brown, A., & Bucknor, C. (2025). How to (Really) fix the pipeline problem. AB Performance Advisory. (Original work published 2022 by EBDI)

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