What is Systems Coaching?

All of us are a part of numerous systems, including family, community (affinity or otherwise), and work. Although we don’t typically give these systems much thought, they are nevertheless important parts of our lives because they go a long way in determining how satisfied we feel.

An overabundance of self-help books tout enlightenment and, specifically, how it could help us handle any and all circumstances that come our way, but I want to challenge such a notion and state that, when you’re part of a system that encroaches upon who you are, what you believe in, and that doesn’t help you thrive, you cannot realize your full potential. Many companies including interviews around culture fit, when they are hiring, for exactly this reason. Companies want to make sure the person they are hiring will fit in with the values of their system and be successful in it. The problem is that it’s hard to tell who someone is from a series of interviews because people demonstrate their character over time through their interactions with others. 

Hiring for ‘culture fit’ is not enough and it’s time to start thinking about our systems, the roles we play in them and how we can navigate them in more empowering ways. It is unfair to place the onus to deal with toxic systems on individuals when we, as leaders, can do more to build systems that work for everyone. As a coach, it is my job to work with leaders and teams to create systems that embody the values they espouse and that deliver their desired results.

Even though I focus on coaching clients and their businesses, I like to remind people that the concepts around systems coaching are relevant to every facet of their lives. If you can understand your role at work, you can apply what you have learned everywhere. We don’t exist in a vacuum, and considering our part in one system can help us circumnavigate any system.

What is Systems Coaching?

There are multiple types of systems related to businesses and how they run, but as a coach, I place a large emphasis on relationship systems. 

To understand relationship systems, let’s take two people in a relationship—that is, two people and one relationship between them:

That’s a pretty simple system but anyone who has been in a partnership knows that you have to work hard to maintain a strong relationship. 

Let’s take a team example, where you have seven people working together. In that relationship system, you have twenty-one relationships between all the team members, of varying strength.

That’s a lot of relationships that have to be maintained to create a healthy team, and it takes work. 

Why understanding relationship systems is important

We should all genuinely care about understanding our systems because it will help us create systems we all want to become a part of.

Recognizing patterns and dynamics in any system is the first step towards changing them. So many of us have unwittingly experienced both the positive and the negative aspects of systems without quite being able to articulate why. If you don't do anything other than recognize the inner workings of a system, you are already taking an important step towards changing your system. I have seen tremendous growth from people who simply acknowledge their role in a system and how they feel about what is going on around them. 

For anyone who doesn’t feel happy in their systems, be it family, work, or within any other group, recognizing patterns and taking steps towards changing them is empowering. I believe we can all create the group dynamics we want, but it takes work and coaching to do it.

People often say that a leader creates culture and that they are the key to creating healthy systems. I would amend that by saying a leader does create the culture and defines expectations around behavior and performance, but they can’t affect change in all parts of the system because they are not present during every interaction between team members. Executives oversee huge teams and they rarely meet everyone that works for them. In those situations, you need both leadership and systems coaching. I have met so many leaders who wanted to create a certain culture only to find out that behavior they condemn was still rampant at the company.

When I worked at Nike, the CEO was a humble and hardworking man who had a strict code of ethics. Unfortunately, during his tenure, he found out how unfairly women were being treated and he was dumbfounded, angry and in disbelief. I still remember the stress on his face when he addressed the company after all of the stories had come to light. I have no doubt he was genuine in his reproach, but it happened without his knowledge.

In such a situation, having a clear system of accountability at each level of the company is needed. Every voice has to count and allowing people to speak up when the reality of employee behavior doesn’t align with company’s values is how change, not to mention growth, occurs.

Another common example is when there is conflict among your staff and you, as the boss, have to determine what exactly happened. That’s hard to do when you have varied relationships with your team members, who have their own assorted relationships with each other. In those cases, as a leader it makes more sense to empower your team to resolve their own conflict once you have set expectations around behavior. Teams that know how to move through conflict together will be able to self-organize, manage their workload better, and satisfy company objectives more easily.

Empowered employees equal empowered teams, and empowered teams get results. Understanding systems helps you create a collaborative work environment, which yields the best solutions. Innovation is bred from diversity of thought, but diversity of thought can only arise when teams feel safe enough to share their diverse opinions.

As a coach, my job is to help people feel empowered enough to create team dynamics that make going to work a positive, stress-free experience. We spend so much time with our co-workers that it’s worth the time and effort to create a healthy team dynamic in which everyone can thrive.

For leaders wondering what the ROI on a systems coaching investment is, it’s undoubted, I have never worked with a healthy team that didn’t get results as long as the underlying strategy, goals and expectations were clear to everyone. Healthy team dynamics are the foundation of a successful business.