A series of columns on our role in tackling the complicated economic, environmental and social challenges we face. It is a place to question, offer, share, explore, challenge, dissent, celebrate, reflect, learn and enjoy
Big work means seeing the big picture
The group of charity leaders were sitting in a circle. One was deeply upset. Their passion: bringing equal education opportunities for girls in a third world country. The problem: the young women were emerging into a society that had no opportunities for them, and indeed rejected them for not moving into a traditional role. “Have I caused harm?”, one leader asked. Another answered,
“We have to ensure we address the whole system.”
The recognition of the need for ‘systemic’ thinking is catching on. “It’s absolutely fundamental to coaching,” says Christine Lloyd, director of Organisational Development for CDC, a UK government-owned organisation that helps poorer countries build businesses, create jobs and make a lasting difference.
“The first challenge is how to engage the organisation in a systems conversation,” she says. “I use the work of Ralph Stacey.”
His model identifies that where there is good predictability (good data, reliable future) and high levels of agreement about what is wanted and what should be done, a linear approach such as project planning and management can capture the system and map out actions and responsibilities. But where there is high uncertainty, and high levels of disagreement, much more emergent processes are required. This can be open space technologies, world café, appreciative inquiry…and coaching.
“The benefit of this is that it legitimises both approaches. And leaders recognise that where it used to be 80 per cent linear, 20 per cent emergent, that has now reversed,” says Lloyd.
The second challenge is then bringing the systems thinking to the coaching conversation. Again, Lloyd shares experience. “First, help people understand themselves as a system, then help them understand the system they are trying to influence, then help them understand the relationship between these two.”
Katherine Long, director of development and supervision with the OCM, sees this approach as a “seismic shift in the way we think about coaching”.
“It’s a very different approach to ‘How can I help you?’ ”, she explains. “It begins with asking, ‘How can I be most genuinely useful to this client?’ ”
That might mean naming things a sponsor in an organisation is not seeing – or does not wish to see. Coaching can often be trying to remedy the performance of an individual or a section of an organisation, when in fact the roots of the issue spread much wider.
“Contracting is the key,” says Long. “It has to be courageous, stepping back, exploring the nature of the work that really needs to be done.”
There are tools – from team coaching to constellation work. And there are benefits – addressing systems will not only address real issues, but will often also be more sizeable assignments. Indeed, working collaboratively with other coaches is a major advantage because the single coach can easily become assimilated into the system.
If we are helping people do big things, we need to help them see the big picture.
Neil Scotton PCC and Dr Alister Scott are co-founders of The One Leadership Project
www.enablingcatalysts.com
Alister Scott: alister@enablingcatalysts.com
Neil Scotton: neil@enablingcatalysts.com
Coaching at Work, Volume 8, Issue 5