Seeing the System

When you learn to see the systems you engage in and understand how the role each of us unwittingly play affects yours and everyone’s performance, you’ll discover new ways of thinking and working with others.

It only makes sense to learn how each part of the system engages with and affects each other. Because people working in different capacities on seemingly unconnected projects all seek similar solutions and face similar challenges. Approaching a challenge with systems thinking leads to the discovery of root cause solutions to previously unknown, system-wide challenges.

Developing a more effective system begins with more effective individuals… beginning at the top. When leaders better recognize the unintended consequences of their well-intentioned actions on others and themselves, they can change the part of the system that they have the most control over: themselves. The most effective leaders consistently work on their own development.

Evolving Perspectives

Vertical Development is our ability to continually evolve as strategic, complex, interdependent and systemic thinkers. It refers to our awareness of the challenges we humans face from living in our subjective minds, and having our opinions, assumptions and stories guide decision making.

New perspectives and approaches require stepping outside of what we think we know and meeting the world with a curious, blank slate… where we seek to understand versus seek to be understood.

As a coach and a consultant, I seek to understand where my clients are, where they want to go and how to get there. And that begins with better understanding of their leadership style, emotional intelligence skill level, and how they communicate.

Whether coaching individual leaders or teams, my social justice work equips me to approach everyone with an inclusive, equity-based lens. I assist clients to think more objectively and increase the number of perspectives they can hold simultaneously, without letting go of their own, and without judging any of them.

Cultural Assessments

I adhere to the proven knowledge that becoming a more effective organization begins with gathering data. I assess and develop strategic analyses for a wide-ranging array of organizations using: Focus Groups, SWOT/SOAR Analyses, online surveys, one-on-one interviews and onsite intercepts.

The surveys result in concise, actionable data. Assessment reports are designed to work as a roadmap to achieving your cultural goals. It includes implementable strategies to overcome the challenges facing individuals, teams and the system... with individual and group coaching along the way.

For individuals and teams, we* offer these assessment tools:

The Leadership Circle 360 for individuals, teams and organizations (How behaviors and mindset enable or constrain intended leadership impact), The Enneagram Assessment (Personality Type Driven), The EQ (Emotional Intelligence Test), and The Hogan Assessment (Strategic self-awareness).

Workshop Facilitation

Along with individual and team coaching sessions, our team* has assisted many organizations with our purposefully designed interactive workshops.

Examples of some of our interactive workshops:

• Change Management - Improving Organizational Culture/Systems
• Self-Awareness Skills
• VMCL (Systems Thinking approach to Vision, Mission, Capacity, Learning)
• Emotionally Intelligent Communication
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Crucial Conversations
• Relationship Building: The Power of TED (The Empowerment Dynamic)
• Board of Director Development and Governance
• Strategic Planning and Visioning (We work with multiple models including but not limited to, La Piana’s, “ Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World,” and Kahane’s, “Transformative Scenario Planning”.)
• Building Equitable, Inclusive Cultures