Thinking holistically
I have spent nearly 20 years applying what I learned about complex adaptive systems to help transform organisational culture. Then I added years mastering the art of “coaching to the human soul” to understand how to support the transformation of mind, consciousness and thought. I was ultimately able to help my coaching clients gain personal insights and new conversational practices to help them deal more effectively with their VUCA challenges.
A NEW WAY OF SEEING
I learned how to observe and manage my Way of Being, using different types of conversation and relationships in very different situations to choose actions that would deliver a desired result. It enabled my clients to turn breakdowns in the flow of their life and work into breakthroughs in person capacity and potential for organisation development.
The biggest challenge was regenerating my thinking. Not so much what I was thinking, but how I was thinking about what I was observing and feeling. The shift in consciousness came from engaging with the work of Alan Sieler, Bob Dunham and Carol Sanford. The insight focused my understanding of the whole person and the whole environment in which we live, but are not always aware of
A NEW WAY OF BEING
I realised that transformation required engaging mind, consciousness and thought in conversation. I saw an organisation as a massive network of conversations which could grow people’s potential through critical thinking.
I felt that using traditional coaching and training to improve work skills and knowledge was not flexible enough to deal with complex situations. The capacity to think in new ways had to come from inside people’s minds and could not rely on expert instruction.
Of course, it takes practice to bring all three domains into conscious awareness. But on reflection, it provides a useful framework for identifying blind spots and potential gaps for inner development
NEW WAYS OF DOING
Minds must be guided into using dialogue to examine the thinking found in a range of worldviews. The coach has to be more of a midwife, encouraging personal development to produce the conditions for both employee and organisations to flourish. The Ontological Coaching Method provides a framework for lifting the consciousness and capacity of leaders to improve their care, connection and collaboration.
Bob Dunham believes this is best achieved through co-created relationships. This involves the people involved agreeing what they care about and how they will develop a shared reality. They must learn to have effective conversations that build integrity. Trust requires everyone to deliver what they promise to each other.
