Rethinking Social Change Through Norm Design
Sep 22, 2026 • 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Adaptive Leadership, Collaboration, Systems Change • Virtual Event
Offered by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, learn to identify the rules holding problems stuck in place and how to redesign your approach and work with—not against—these hidden dynamics. Whether you are tackling a persistent social issue or transforming a resistant organization, you’ll come away with a practical framework for moving forward.
Some of society’s most entrenched problems persist not because people consciously resist change, but because invisible social norms quietly reinforce the durability of the status quo. What if lasting solutions begin with understanding the unspoken rules that shape behavior beneath the surface?
You can expect to:
-- Understand why most change efforts fail and what to do to overcome embedded resistance.
-- Recognize when the problem is norms–and not a strategy, funding, or leadership problem.
-- Learn a framework to surface unwritten rules operating in your own organization or field.
Cost associated. Eligible for support through Rotary Charities Learning Fund.