Image by Joy Furnival

Last week ended on a joyful note. Along with over 80 Fellows I travelled back to Ashridge to celebrate the GenerationQ Leadership Programme as it reached the end of its 12 year run. I had been awarded a coveted Scholarship on Cohort 1 in 2010, graduating with an Ashridge Masters with Distinction in May 2012.

There have been a subsequent eight cohorts. Over the two-day event, it was a delight to make new connections and learn how the programme had unfolded for the Fellows that came after us. As with any bounded system, each cohort had its own history, character and rules of belonging. Yet there was no sense of exclusivity between the different groups. The GenerationQ magic connected us ensuring our place as part of the whole.

  Reviewing the year with two work friends this morning I reflected that January 1st heralds not only the start of a new year but a whole new decade.     As we hover at the intersection between the decades my thoughts stretch back over the past 10 years. I’m struck by how much has changed on many different levels during that time. Perhaps the most significant change for me personally has been launching a second career as a coach, facilitator and trainer helping people navigate complex organisational change.   One of the highlights in shaping my offering has undoubtedly been training as a systemic coach and facilitator. For that my gratitude goes to John Whittington for his inspirational writing and training programmes in this remarkable approach.   Like many in the autumn of their careers I often wish I had had access to this deeper knowledge about systems and the...

 

“Systems thinking”. “Seeing the whole system”. “Acting with the whole system in mind”. 

These are common expectations of leaders in organisational settings, especially settings that cross organisational boundaries. But what does thinking and acting with the whole system in mind really mean? 

First, there’s a need to stand back. To put some distance between oneself and the organisational context. Not easy to do when feeling overwhelmed in a busy leadership role.Yet, the simple act of bringing this kind of objectivity into the oft beleaguered lives of leaders is one of the most fruitful interventions I can make as an Executive Coach. Like switching from dipped headlights to full beam, a systemic constellation enables the client to see the landscape in a different light.