Here I share a few lessons about solving problems in social systems.
There is a world of difference between improving systems and creating new and better systems. Be clear about which you are involved in. Don't think that improvement will create a different system. New systems require Organizing new structures.
The solution you are looking for determines who must be involved.
The degree and Type of Complexity in the problem matters a great deal.
Pace and expectations matter. Too fast creates Fear. Too slow creates boredom. Experience helps a lot in finding the right pace.
The location of problems within Nested Hierarchies matters. Problem solving in cells, in organ system, in organisms all require fundamentally different approaches--biochemistry, physiology, and psychology. There is this kind of difference between approaches to problems in households, neighborhoods, municipalities, counties, states, nations, and the world enterprise.
Social problems are solved in Conversations. These conversations occur within physical contexts (when and where) and answer the questions: Why? Who? How? What? preferably in that order. How system work and how systems are changed or created can be very complex sets of conversations, models, and sometimes require deep expertise. But answering How? should always occur within the answers to Why? and Who? These first two questions are not the domain of experts--ever.