A Road Map to Courageous Change

ICF Europe, Malmø 2014by Anne Rød

BA, MA, MCC, ORSCC, CPCC, NLP Master

Learning outcomes

• Be inspired through a new and different approach to change- Systems Inspired Change

• Become familiar with Relationship Systems Intelligence

• Learn tools to successfully navigate change

• Engage in new and collaborative relationships

• Grow coaching skills through interaction

Why changes are so difficult

• 70-80% of change initiatives fail• Outdated theories- Lewin`s unfreeze model 1947• Leaders act out of fear of losing control• Fear of rejection• Individual agendas• 1:1 leadership• Culture and ghosts

What happens in a change process?

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Edge

Signals

What is known?

Primary process/identity

What is unknown?

Secondary process/identity

(Source: Arnie Mindell)

Noticing signals

• What are the global signals from the system`s environment? • I.e. Changes in governmental regulations, economic recession, or

new technology.  • What are the local signals that something different is needed?

• I.e. Customer complaints, drop in sales, technology failures

• What are the internal signals from the system? • I.e. Poor morale, bad performance, gossip, conflicts or role

confusion

Systems Inspired Leadership

An approach to courageous change inspired by human relationship systems

What is a relationship system?

A relationship system is a group of

interdependent people with a common

purpose or identity - such as working in an

organisation

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Systems Inspired Leadership

How?• Accepting that change is constant, natural and inevitable• Shifting the focus from individuals to team system• Thinking of each team member as an information carrier • Listening for the team system`s collective intelligence (1+1=3)• Trusting the team system`s inherent creativity• Looking for the system`s own entity - the Team Entity• Using Relationship Systems Intelligence

Reflect on your own……..• What are the signals that change is imminent in your working life right

now?

• What is the ”high dream” (the best future) outcome for the change you are facing?

• What is the “low dream” (worst case scenario) outcome for the change you are facing?

• Which dream are you closest to right now?

• Share with the person next to you

Exercise

Purpose: Experiencing the Three Intelligences and the Team Entity

String exercise

• Each person takes a piece of string

• Think of a topic that you are undecided on. Play with the string while still holding the ends

• Each hand is like a different internal voice (opinion) and the relationship between them is the string

• This is an analogue for Emotional Intelligence

Next find another person

• Connect your strings together without talking

• Have a brief “conversation” together through the string without talking

• Share a few words of your experience together

• This is an expression of Social Intelligence

Now find two other pairs

• Find a way for all of you to connect your strings in silence

• Imagine that you are a team that needs to create a web of strings strings to catch things (like projects, goals, etc.)

• Notice the dynamics of the team as you silently create your web together

• Discuss your experience & find a metaphor or name for your team

• This is an expression of Relationship Systems Intelligence, and the web represents your Team Entity

Relationship Systems Intelligence

Emotional intelligence

- relationship with self

Social intelligence

- relationship with other

Relationship Systems Intelligence

– is the ability to see oneself, and others, as an expression of the system

Brief discussion in your team

Discuss for 8 minutes• You are the management team that will lead the organisation through

change, across the Edge, what are your hopes and fears?

• What are the strengths and challenges of this particular management team?

• What role do you need to play as a management team to successfully navigate the organization through change?

• Remember the how…

Systems Inspired Leadership

How?• Shifting our focus from individuals to team system

• Listen for the systems own entity - the Team Entity

• Think of each team member as an information carrier

• Listen for the team system`s collective intelligence (1+1=3)

• Trusting the team system`s inherent creativity

Obstacles

• Edge behaviours

• Remain curious about…. • The meaning of the signals coming our way• The positive intention• What is trying to happen in our system

• Ways to align

• Crossing the Edge together

Team contract – your security rope

Discuss for 8 minutes

• What atmosphere do we want to have in our management team as we move through the change?

• What would make us flourish as a management team when moving through the change?

• How do we want to be together if things get difficult/uncomfortable?

Crossing the Edge Discuss for 8 minutes

• Collectively create a vision for the change that pulls us across• Use your high dreams as vision seeds• We want to make a change that…….

• Co- create success factors for the change

Trust the process and the collective intelligence of the system to find your system`s optimal way across

Ground conditions for successfull change

• New information must enter the system• There is a sense of shared purpose about the change• Everyone has the opportunity to give input about how the change

will occur• Everyone understands how input will be used and final decisions

are made• Identify thought leaders and early adaptors and enroll them in the

change• Once a majority is enrolled, most of the rest will follow

A vision: Harnessing the people potential in change

Some success factors:

1. Involve 2. Respect the ideas of others3. Acknowledge 4. Open to influence5. Shift focus from individuals to team6. Willingness to align7. Trust the team system8. Celebrate

 

Creating action and accountability- large group exercise

• The big meta skills wheel with eight success factors and change in the middle

• Think about your personal ability to deal with change

• Working in pairs and resulting in individual action and accountability

Key success factors for changeRemember the high and low dreams you had for a change in your

life?

1. Visit the whole wheel and consider each success factor in view of that change

2. Think about your personal ability to deal with that change

3. Choose one of the success factors that you are particularly good at

4. Discuss its meaning and impact with the person next to you

Key success factors for change

Now walk again and choose a success factor you are challenged at: 1. Discuss its meaning

2. How can the factor you are good at support where you are challenged?

3. What is possible for you when you practice this success factor?

4. Create action and accountability with your colleague

Tools to navigate change successfully

• The Edge, moving from what is known to the unknown• Reading signals• Identifying hopes, fears and expectations • Dealing with resistance (Edge behaviours)• Ensuring high performance in challenging situations (team

contracting and strengths)• Identifying vision and success factors• Ensuring action and accountability (meta skills wheel)

Systems Inspired Leadership

Theoretical underpinnings/sources:• Edge Change Theory, Three Levels of Reality, by Arnie Mindell• Relationship System Intelligence, by Marita Fridhjon and Faith Fuller (CRR

Global/ ORSC)• Systems Theory, by Peter Senge • Collective Intelligence, by Malone & Wolly among others • Emotional and Social Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman• Systems Intelligence, by Esa Sarinen • Positivity research, by Losada og Heapey• Living Human Systems, by Agazarian• Change Theory, by Margareth Wheatley

For more information aboutSystems Inspired Change…..

www.anne-rod.no

www.anne-rod.com

Twitter @annerodnorway