Organisational Capability
Our approach to organisations is systemic. We believe that every organisation develops a distinctive signature of values, practices and assumptions that predispose individuals and groups within it to act and think in particular ways. This shared culture creates the defining strengths of an organisation, but can restrict agility and ambition when it is challenged by the need for change. During restructuring, merger, or other critical changes, if strategy collides with culture, unexpected emotions and behaviours can undermine the best laid rational plans.
Our expertise is to diagnose the recurring patterns in organisations that prevent them from realizing their goals, and to teach people to change them.
In systemic work, assessment and coaching take place with multiple individuals and groups at strategic points, simultaneously throughout the organisation. Using this highly co-ordinated process, a small team of coaches can rapidly diagnose cultural barriers and have a profound impact on a large organisation. In a retail banking client, a team of just 12 coaches helped a leader to transform the culture, operating model and commercial performance of a firm of 60,000 people.
Advantages of Systemic Coaching
Coaches do not replace the people in your business, but work alongside them to increase their skills and commitment to change. The change is led by your people, so the process is learned and can be repeated. Systemic coaching is highly efficient, uses a small team, and is much less costly than operational consultancy. Because the coaches work closely with the HR and executive teams, the process is easy to track and control, and remains tightly aligned with organisational priorities.
Applications
We typically use systemic coaching when our clients need to:
- Make a broad step change in performance to meet an opportunity or threat
- Respond coherently to new economic, market or competitive conditions
- Reduce the risks of major change to structure, processes or resourcing
- Embed the results of change programmes, and increase strategic returns
- Improve collaboration and efficiency between business units, levels or locations
