We can avoid the trap of thinking there is only one right way to do things. Because there is no one right way to do things, we encourage people to take new approaches, to do things in a way that fits the particular situation even when it's not exactly the way it has been done before. Encouraging and supporting creative approaches helps people become invested in their work, helps insure the solution fits the problem and helps make our work more effective. Information is so important to systems and organizations that, in its absence, people will make it up. We believe that a continuous flow of information is vital to the health of the Network, of the organizations involved in the Network and of the larger youth opportunity system of which we are a part.
Planning is important for setting a direction, but it can never anticipate all the variables.
We plan as a way of clarifying priorities and focusing energies, but we stay open to new, unplanned opportunities. Sometimes it is those very unplanned actions that create new alliances and stimulate new energy. When things are going well we can fall in the trap of thinking we know the answers. We delude ourselves into believing we have figured it all out. Taking the time to reflect on what we are doing, how we are doing it, and what difference it has made allows us to anticipate problems, refine our approaches and identify new areas of growth.