I am about to embark on a 2 day workshop with client where the focus is on helping a senior team be more effective in how they work together. The work ahead for this team is a challenging one. Whilst I can't provide details what I can say is that all of them are hijacked by their individual system. Ron Heifitz in the program I took at Harvard back in May said "you can't lead the system if you are hijacked by the system". In other words if we are rusted on to our own beliefs, assumptions, roles, needs and hungers that it makes it hard to step up on to the balcony and see what's going on in the broader system. If you are rusted on it makes it hard to "progress the work". In this case the work is helping the team be more effective and to dramatically increase it's revenue. Part of our role as coaches or facilitators is to create a holding environment that allows our clients to step away from their own individual system, which is not easy, and see what's going on in the larger system whether it be a relationship, a team or an organisation.
To do that it is important to understand your own individual system - What are your "chimes" that make noise for you and hijack your ability to step up and see the broader system. Is it a need for competence, a need for approval, a need for control and structure, a need for power or a need for belonging or a need for Independence. It is important to know what it is for you, when it rings and how you can acknowledge it but not surrender to it. It is not easy to do so. If you find that you are constantly hijacked by your own individual system then you may need coaching or even counselling to help let go and gain perspective.
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