Basic Systemic Approach In Consultation And Coaching
Definition Of Terms
Fundamental Attitude And Mindset In Coaching And Consultation
- Appreciation of systems, of what has been put in place and the performance that has led to this
- Take questions, apprehensions, fears, wishes and hopes seriously
- Have faith in the resources and the ability of the system to find its own solutions
- Independence of thought
- Inquisitiveness, scientific curiosity, thirst for knowledge
- Courage to be provocative
- The ability to endure a lack of knowledge, contradictions and ambivalence
- Empathy, authenticity, congruency and presence
- Reflected dealings with the own emotions and conflicts
Systemic organisational consultation is
- Consultation of organisations, teams or individual persons within an organisational context
- Support regarding the solving of problems, yet without taking the decision for the client
- Process and expert consultation
- Professional, thus meaning methodically-guided action
Systemic organisational development
according to Bernd Schmid1
“...for the practitioner, it remains the people who represent the systems, create them or are consciously or subconsciously active as their agents. It is the ideas and responsibilities of people who update the systems to what they are, or who change them, newly conceive or re-enact them... “Thinking systemically also means cognitively understanding the reality as being that of the observer“
A definition of terms
excerpt from the “Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon” (Gabler dictionary of economics) 2
Systemic organisational consultation is based on the premise that complex problems cannot be solved by merely placing one’s focus on a single element of the overall system. The content-related focus is on the strengthening of resources and competences of the organisation which is to be consulted.
The consultant initially starts by trying to understand the rules that characterise the behaviour of the persons within this system. It is about
seeing the partial aspects of a company within the context of this system. This includes persons (company management, employees, customers,
business partners, etc.), but equally the purpose of the company, such as its products or services and immaterial parts, tasks, objectives, the
company history and its structure.
These system components are subject to continuous dynamic change which continually disturbs the volatile
equilibrium between them. Viewed from a systemic perspective, a disrupted equilibrium is an expression of a fault in the system.
In the light of this, the overriding objective of systemic organisational consultation is to create a balance and restore the system as regards the individual system components. In this regard, the solution must come from within the organisation, thus meaning from the employees themselves.
The systemic consultant limits him- or herself to the provision of supporting coaching as well as to the suggestion and design of transformation processes.
1 Bernd Schmid (publisher), “Systemische Organisationsentwicklung” (Systemic Organisational Development) , 2014 Schäfer-Poeschel Verlag Stuttgart, Page 1/Introduction
2 Springer Gabler publishing house (publisher), “Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon” (dictionary of economics), catchword: “systemische Organisationsberatung” (systemic organisational consultation), online on the Internet: Link