Systemic Leadership Immersion and Inspiration Days

For those who are new to Systemic Organisational Practice and would like a taste of it within an organisational theme of interest.

These inspire people with systemic approaches which may be integrated into managerial, consulting or coaching methods for making sense of, and shaping, organisational life.

For systemic practitioners who want a top up, a refresher, or skills in a particular area..

WORKSHOP THEMES 2008-2016
You may choose from these themes and a workshop, or a series of 1:1 or group coaching sessions, will be tailored to your requirements.

Dis-solving Conflict and Negotiating Difference
We approach diversity through dialogue across difference to consider how organisational structures and cultural identities may evoke conflict. A core notion is the use of self as an instrument in finding ways forward: shifting beliefs, preferences, language to enable your ability. We experiment with frameworks ie semantic polarities and positioning theory to assist negotiating understanding when conflict arises, rather than collapsing difference into sameness.

Appreciative Approach & Appreciative Inquiry
Exploring beliefs underpinning the appreciative approach to enhance methods in practice and to critique contemporary misuse which leads to pushing difficulties into the shadow. Using case study material we demonstrated working appreciatively which reenergises and brings the shadow into the light:

  • practised making essential choices in what to honour and acknowledge
  • became astute change agents working with appreciation rather than gap analysis
  • illuminated the essential, unnoticed gems of own professional expertise that had been in the shadow

Culture change through emergent, appreciative practice enabling performance improvement
This is for those who are expanding their position and agency so that they can change or contribute to change from where they are positioned within or external to the organization, rather than pointing to somebody else or feeling defeated saying 'oh that’s just the way things go on around here/there' .... We critique the difference between emergent and planned change and explore ways to contain anxiety in order to embrace the complexity of the emergent. The workshop day is based on a case study of recent work.

Leadership and power - understanding the importance of context
The responsible use of power as a leader is to push the boundaries of context in order to reshape it, taking care to mitigate the power of the charismatic leader. We query what the followers are seeking from charisma which may, inadvertently, actually disempower them and the organisational system. Unravelling unwanted repetitive patterns.

Distributed Leadership
Exploring the exercise of leadership in different organisational contexts, and culture both shaping and shaped by this. Considering the relational dynamics which create emotional space for distributed leadership. Design methods which empower leadership initiative.

Charismatic Leadership
Considering how contexts create certain forms of leadership and allow different expressions of power and efficacy

  • unravelling strange loops of stuckness charismatic leaders and their followers get into

Stuck ?  create and innovate !
Finding the innovator in you and unlocking some innovative potential in the organisation through acknowledging the ingredients of creativity which stick and take root. We play with quirky techniques and perspectives to effect the difference which matters to your creative challenge.

Evoking change: Interventive Interviewing to enrich inquiry
Using a framework to hone your questioning and reframing technique which will:

  • enhance your ability to assist clients, staff and colleagues to unravel dilemmas, to become unstuck and to be empowered by finding their own solutions
  • give you practice in inquiry using Daisy model from CMM and meta perspectives
  • further develop your reflexivity through: hypothesising, circularity, neutrality and curiosity

Conversations which spark spontaneous and scintillating change
Playing with notions such as: small is beautiful, smouldering fires, dialogic communication which shifts the system, we challenge and refresh accepted definitions of change and focus on the power of dialogue. This positions you more astutely as a change agent in your work. The theme has particular appeal for coaches, also for managers and therapists who take a coaching approach, for building your transformative power in essential conversations.

Managing Change as transitions, endings, loss
Extending abilities to cope with loss and endings into organisational work, to the people with whom you intervene

  • to reshape organisation culture scripts and leader/manager identity around loss

Individual and organisational story telling
We became story tellers and story shapers for enriching interventions in organisational life, and developed story thinking skills. We appreciate that stories have tremendous impact on people because it reconnects us with our oral roots, evokes visual images and heightens emotions in the workplace. The workshop day is based on a case study of collaboration on a recent assignment.
 
Embodied, relational practice: Tacit Knowledge and sensory perceptual acuity
"we know more than we can tell"

Exploring the importance of the tacit dimension – skating on the edge of organisational knowing

  • to expand how we use intuition, sensory perception and emotion to make sense of relational dynamics in work groups
  • to extend application as practical use ie challenging the accepted view of knowledge management and playing with the notion of leadership as jazz improvisation

Mindful Presence - expanding use of sensory perception & emotion
Boosting your intuitive capacity to make sense of relational dynamics and patterns of connection and disconnection. We call this somatic intelligence. Relying less on logical and rational analysis opens up deep pools of wisdom for choice making and apt decisions based on the use of your whole selves, as it reawakens your repertoire of sense making abilities. Experimenting with embodiment and improvisation techniques as well as some physical movement to stimulate body-mind awareness.