Jacki McCartney, international development director for Syat, looks at how systemic transformational coaching aligns the needs of the individual, the team and the wider organisation.
For the past decade the general trend has been for coaching to take place on an individual basis and usually at senior team level. Coaching has recently developed into coaching teams and equally training managers as coaches. At the same time there has been an increased understanding that every individual and group is part of the wider system or company. So while individual and indeed team coaching is invaluable, coaching also has to address the wider system itself to support the individual's development.
Systemic Transformational Coaching is quite a mouthful. To get to grips with what it means let's break it down.
Systemic
This is about looking at the whole as well as the individual components. If you like, it's about seeing the hand and arm as extensions of the torso. While each is independent, they are also co-dependent and interdependent. In other words, each component is inextricably linked to another. This transfers to seeing an individual as inextricably linked to the organisation, of which they are a part. Yes, they are independent beings but their actions, views and beliefs are also linked to the wider system.
"When the words systemic and transformational come together, we are talking about how change and learning impact upon the individual, the team and indeed the wider organisation."Transformational
is about deep-rooted personal behavioural change that takes place hand in hand with practice, and learning about individual and personal capability to deliver. Take smoking as an example; it's one thing to express an ambition to stop smoking; it is quite another to change the behaviour, mindset and assumptions that have lead an individual to smoking 50 cigarettes a day. Transformational change is about changing thinking processes, trying out some new ways of doing things, considering what works and what doesn't work and acting upon the changes.
When the words systemic and transformational come together, we are talking about how change and learning impact upon the individual, the team and indeed the wider organisation. We're talking about more than skills improvement, performance enhancement, or even personal development. The adjective 'transformational' indicates a fundamental alteration in both thinking and action; in saying and doing; in belief and practice. Added to this is coaching, which is a supportive development process that takes place at a 1:1 level.
How does systemic transformational coaching differ from other models of coaching?
Systemic transformational coaching reflects the alignment and integration of the individual or team with the wider system or environment/context. In real terms, this means both coach and coachee are engaging with the organisational vision, mission, values and, critically, purpose and strategy together with an individual's personal aspirations, career ambitions, values and their own purpose.
The work of a systemic transformational coach is rooted in influencing and facilitating both individual and organisational success through appreciation, understanding and insight of underlying assumptions and beliefs, which in turn enables practice and learning to take place. Over time this will support paradigm shifts, framing and reframing human processes, thinking and belief systems whilst acknowledging the dynamics, structures and underlying assumptions that exist, implicitly and explicitly between the organisation, team and the individual. The power of such alignment realises tremendous benefits in terms of engagement and performance.
The process of systemic transformational coaching is in the client:coach relationship. By definition this is a dynamic process, reflecting the learning and growth of both participants and the evolution of the system in which they are operating. Critical to this process is the inter-relationship between individual behaviour, its contribution to delivering the goals/targets of the organisation, its impact on the external customer's perception and on business results - all of which affect the external environment.
The system can equally be viewed from the external perspective. How the external environment affects business results, the impact on customer perception which then modifies organisational strategy and associated goals/targets which in turn affects behaviour - a virtuous internal system.
”The work of a systemic transformational coach is rooted in influencing and facilitating both individual and organisational success.”
So the coach is working to balance, connect and align the workings of the internal environment and associated behaviour of the coachee with the realities of the external environment. Being mindful at all times of their own respective part(s) in this system.
Systemic transformational coaching process
Achieving systemic transformation through coaching comes down to the relationship between the coach and the coachee. The mnemonic EIGHT works well to explain this.
- Engage and understand ambition, objectives and context for the work
- Interact and build the relationship through questioning and listening; conversation and dialogue; challenge and support
- Get to know someone, building trust and inspiring confidence takes time
- Highlight areas for improvement and providing feedback are gifts for growth
- Transfer improved self- knowledge, enhancing skills and capability
From the coaches' perspective, systemic transformational coaching requires clarity of communication that is oriented towards the organisational need and equally the requirements of the individual. To accomplish this, the following steps are essential:
- Contract and confirm cost and structure within context of business needs
- Orientate the coachee towards the reality of the present and future
- Analyse the current situation coupled with emergent and future challenges
- Challenge thinking and existing patterns of behaviour
- Highlight options and choices for the future
- Agree next steps
- Transfer responsibility for personal ongoing learning
- Summarise and review our work together
Systemic transformational coaching requires the coach to have access to and understanding of the organisation's strategy, objectives, mission and vision. The coach needs to have an organisational development mindset alongside a high level coaching ability. Equally, they must be able to build a strong relationship with the coachee, holding and earning their confidence and trust.
We know that coaching transforms individuals. Yet, as coaches how many times have we heard that changes cannot be implemented because of 'the system' itself. Thus it is vital to recognise that for individual change and transformation to take place and become embedded, the coach and coachee need to consider the implications for and consequences of the system in which they operate, however large and complex. It is only through the actions of individuals that any true shift can occur. As the saying goes, to change the world you first have to change yourself.
Jacki McCartney is the international development director for organisational development consultancy Syat. She works in the UK and extensively in the United Arab Emirates
