From Barriers to Possibility

Written By Hayley Squance

From Barriers to Possibility: What Decades in Animal Emergency Management & the Veterinary Profession Taught Me About Change in Complex Systems

After 20+ years working in emergency management and the veterinary profession across countries and sectors, one thing is clear: it’s not just about animals. It’s about navigating complex systems and enabling change.

In workshops around the world, I ask people: What’s getting in the way? Similar answers emerge regardless of the context.

  • Psychological barriers (fear, overwhelm)

  • Structural barriers (rigid systems, unclear mandates)

  • Behavioural barriers (poor follow-through, box ticking)

These overlap and reinforce each other, creating what I call the Venn of Stuckness.

But the real magic happens when we flip the conversation from scarcity to possibility. We reframe the same domains into enabling conditions:

  • Psychological readiness

  • Enabling structures

  • Adaptive practice

And beneath it all? Relational infrastructure — trust, connection, shared values.

This isn’t just about emergency management. It’s for anyone working in environments where change must happen in complex situations.

I’ve written a white paper that unpacks this model, making it both diagnostic and practical, and designed for real-world application.

Hayley Squance
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In Complex Environments, we need to be more like a jazz band than an orchestra.