"The greatest promise of the systemic perspective is the unification of knowledge across all specialties, as the same archetypes are repeated in biology, psychology, family therapy, economics, social sciences, ecology, and business administration." Mark Paich.
Lillo's death metaphor
Lillo threw himself in front of the great whirlpool that made the water that fell from the waterfall. It had rained a lot in the mountains and the flow was spectacular.
He raised his head energetically. With more difficulties than he had anticipated, he faced the force of the water rising from the whirlpool for several minutes. He managed to get to the start of the whirlpool a few meters from the rocks that make up the waterfall's determining wall. He could not reach them. The whirlpool sucked him in and dragged him to the bottom. Between the force of the water and the cold, it seems that he was unconscious for a few minutes at the bottom of the waterfall.
The two companions who were with him thought, at first, that being such a good swimmer they would soon see him come out afloat. After a few minutes, they were scared and when they went downstream to look for some logs that would allow them to help him, they saw his body emerge. Floating gently, it glided upstream.
Paradoxically, the force of the water achieved, a few seconds after his death, what he had not achieved with his fight at the base of the waterfall. The same process of the water brought him afloat.
If Lillo, instead of lifting his head and moving forward, when the powerful whirlwind started, had lowered it and dived in the direction of the current, not only would he have survived, but he could possibly have done a fun exercise.
This real accident demonstrates how ignorance of a systemic archetype can produce tragedy.
In this case, it was caused by not taking into account the leverage point. Let's see others, with examples that can be in the daily life of any person or team.
Systemic archetypes as Team Coaching tools.
What is a systemic archetype?
It is a natural configuration, a pattern that controls events and constitutes generic structures.
Systemic archetypes are recurring. This is one of the most decisive contributions of systemic thinking.
They are the key to learning to see the structures of our personal and professional life.
People with high personal mastery and highly experienced professionals intuitively know that problems are not unique. It can be said that many smell these subtle recurring plots but do not know how to explain them. When they arise in a person, a family, an organization or an ecosystem it is easier to feel them than to see them.
Systemic archetypes allow us to see and confront the structures within which we operate to work with and modify them.
All systemic archetypes are made up of systemic bricks: reinforcing feedback processes, compensatory feedback processes, and delays.
Researchers have now come to identify a dozen systemic archetypes. We work with ten for coaching. We have formalized and experienced them in our workshops and nano-experiences. Its application is very useful for corporate or organizational coaching, also for personal coaching and self-coaching. You can study them synthetically in "Coaching with a Systemic Perspective" by the same author of this course or online: www.coachinglab.org. looking in the Tools tab. They are the tools we develop in all masters and some specific Team Coaching seminar.
Now we are going to see in detail only the Load Shift and the same with External Intervention since we consider them fundamental for the application of the systemic perspective to coaching and can be the pedagogical beginning for others. Especially for people who are not used to them, who are the majority.
Systemic archetypes, once the coach has identified and formalized them, allow them to help the other or the team to recondition their perceptions so that they can see the structures in play and their point of leverage.
Archetype Structure Load Shift
This pattern occurs when, for example, short-term actions are taken to correct a goal with apparently positive results. As this correction is used more and more, fundamental actions are applied less and less. Time passes and the skills for the fundamental solution are stunted. A greater dependence on the symptomatic solution is created.
As we can see in the diagram:
It is made up of two balancing processes, indicated by the lever, and another reinforcing process, indicated by the balls.
If something hurts, symptom, you can take a painkiller, symptomatic solution, you can do it several times and you can ease the pain. This is the balancing process above.
But the important thing is to eliminate or treat the cause that produces it, a fundamental solution. This is the balancing process below. As in all processes, there may be delays in achieving it.
The principle of this archetype is concentration on the fundamental solution. If the symptomatic solution is necessary we should use it provisionally but work with the fundamental solution.
Therefore, we must focus attention on the side effect that is the reinforcing process of the fundamental solution.
Specific cases for a better understanding of this archetype:
- When making a team action plan or strategic planning, this is one of the archetypes that needs to be taken into account the most. We must seek and choose the fundamental actions. If any symptom is necessary, you must be very aware of using it to save time while working on fundamental solutions. The load must be shifted to what is essentially satisfactory.
For example, a client has recently finished his career. He cannot find the job that he likes and that can develop his studies. But he wants to become financially independent from his family. In your job search plan, you can include some short-term action to find one more easily and that will provide you with provisional compensation. But you should not neglect the actions that allow you to find the fundamental.
- Many coaches are overwhelmed by their current clients without dedicating themselves to expanding their clientele. They are permanent in the "roller coaster effect".
- Any addiction to anything tobacco, coffee, alcohol, drugs… are symptomatic solutions. Even things as beneficial as physical exercise, fun, yoga, meditation to relieve stress can be considered as symptomatic resources and work to face the true solution of the cause. Then the person has possibilities to discover other resources of her own being and to follow her inner longing.
- In the case of the introduction of an innovative product with great potential but for special clients. The sales team does this to general customers to better meet their goals. It soon shows that its clientele was not adequate and its new technology product becomes a regular product, subject to the pressure of prices and discounts typical of general products.
Archetype Structure Load Shift with External Intervention
This pattern occurs when load shifting structures have external intervention.
External intervention serves to alleviate symptoms of obvious problems. They can do so well that system members will never learn to cope with problems.
As we can see in the diagram, it is identical to the previous one and, therefore, it is also made up of two equilibrium processes, indicated by the lever, and another reinforcing process, indicated by the balls.
The principle of this archetype is to teach people to fish, instead of giving them fish. When external help is needed it should be limited to helping individuals, teams, organizations or processes develop their own capacity, resources and infrastructure so that they are able to do so in the future. Although Tim Gallwey has never quoted it, it is the beginning of his Inner Game. It is the beginning of the inner game of coaching.
External intervention is necessary many times. In reality, coaching is based on helping the other or others to identify their goals and achieve them. But its purpose is for you to develop internal skills and mobilize your natural resources.
While coaching is carried out in the above process with balance and compensation, the reinforcing process of developing internal skills should be promoted to reach the internal solution with the least possible external intervention. This is where coaching is distinguished from many therapies and consultancies that remain in the first process.
Specific cases for a better understanding of this archetype:
- Well-focused team coaching with an adequate duration. It is very convenient in the first coaching session to clarify this principle in the Alliance. We must explain to others that our purpose is to help them identify their goals and achieve them with their own skills and resources. With the fewest possible corporate or personal sessions. Then you have to be consistent with this purpose. This does not mean that continuous periodic monitoring cannot be arranged precisely to confirm and reinforce it. Organizations that depend on staff teams, central administration, external consultants and not on local managers. Companies, each day there are more, that depend on external subcontractors and not on personnel. from your own staff. Doping in sports and other activities. Long or excessive treatments in medicine…Welfare systems that attract the needy to countries or cities, encouraging social and often family breakdown.
