The Systemic Perspective
I have recently been exploring the subject of systemic coaching. It is a modern approach to coaching where the client is not directly coached as an individual, but is coached as part of a whole system which also includes the coach themselves.
Sounds a bit strange right?
Here are a few little insights that I have picked up from learning about this subject…
Everything relates to everything
The universe is one giant ecosystem. When you view the planet Earth from space, you can see the weather systems swirling like one giant living beast.
As organisms inhabiting the planet Earth, when viewed from space, we just form part of the whole. If you zoom in you may start to perceive us as individuals, but continue to zoom and you will see how our skin is covered in a microbiome of bacteria. Bacteria which occupy our skin in the same way that humans occupy the surface of the planet earth.
Accepting that everything relates to eventing is accepting that all known physical matter is part of the same single infinitely complex system. A system our human minds can hardly comprehend let alone fully understand.
Spotting repeating pattens
In the natural world, there is the concept of repeating fractal patterns. Think about the way that an ice sheet breaks up as it starts to melt, the way that salt crystals form on a salt lake, the pattens of leaves, trees, coastlines, mountains, seashells…. the list goes on.
Never ending fractal patterns are everywhere.
This concept also applies to your life and your behaviour pattens. If you spot a “growth area” where you think you need to improve at work. Similar situations and behaviour patterns will also be manifesting outside of work.
When you want to develop an aspect of yourself, you do this across the entire arena of your life simultaneously. There is no separation between work and life as you are the same person the whole time.
The posture of attentive presence
People often talk about adopting a mindset to perform effectively in situations, instead of mindset, systemic coaching uses the principle of adopting a posture.
A posture involved the whole mind, body and spirit. It is a way of being much more so than just a way of thinking.
Attentive presence is all about paying attention to what is happening within the present moment. Not trying to force it or predict it, simply being ready for things to unfold.
Creating the void
A void is an empty space. The art of coaching is in creating a space for your clients to grow and expand in to. With this knowledge this is some thing that you can do for yourself.
Mindfulness practice and the posture of attentive presence create the right conditions for new perspectives and ways of thinking to emerge.
The second law of thermo dynamics
Why does creating a void work? Because of the second law of thermo dynamics. The entropy of a closed system will always increase.
Entropy being a measure of disorder.
When you create a void in your mind, a still open space. The second law of thermo dynamics will ensure that the universe obliges to help you fill it.
This is just the way the universe works. You don’t need to try and discover new perspectives… simply create the right conditions and they will emerge.
Don’t Overlook Synchronicity
What is synchronicity?
Your gut instinct of how these seemingly change events related to each other is very often true. It is just that in the reason-based society we live in we have been educated not to pay attention.
This is because nobody as yet has been able to explain how the phenomenon works, as such no person of reason is expected to put any faith in the manifestation of synchronistic events.
This is not about forcing dots to be joined which don’t actually relate to each other, this is simply another example of fractal patterns emerging within our lives.
Remember that everything is comprised of energy and so is interrelated and connected systemically.
Trusting in the process
There is a way to play the game, and once you know the rules there is no reason to force it. Using the void and attentive presence you can unlock your true potential and discover the limitless possibilities which exist inside you.
You just need to trust that the process works and commit yourself to it fully.
So What?
This little collection of insights barely scratches the surface of systemic coaching. They are simply enough to give you a glimpse of what it is all about.
Here is a link to a site which piqued my interest in systemic coaching. I would strongly recommend a number of Alain Cardon’s books on the subject too.
The site and books hold some insightful knowledge that could help you see your life with a fresh perspective.
Enjoy, for now.