1. An Introduction to a Systems Approach
Jan M Portillo
Manchester
31 January 2013

2. Outline
• Introductions
• Introduction to a Systems Approach
• Designing a Partnership Alliance
• Constellating Tool
• Practising Coaching Skills
• Exploration and Reflection
Learning Outcomes
• To understand the potential impact of being intentional
• To develop awareness and use of a systems tool
• To practise key coaching skills of listening, questioning and feedback
• To explore how these approaches may be applied in practice

3. 3
Ground Rules & Introductions
•Your name, role and organisation
•How would you like this workshop to feel?
•One thing you’re proud of?
•One thing you’re passionate about?
•Thank your partner!

4. A Systems Overview
No one is an island……
We live our lives in a sea of connections
We’re all part of complex systems...
Touch one thread and the whole system moves.
A system is composed of many parts
And…..
the sum is greater than those parts.

5. Creating intentional and conscious relationships
• What is the atmosphere you want to create between you & around you?
• What would help this partnership to flourish?
• How do you want to behave when things get hard?
• What can you count on from each other?
• What will you commit to for one another?

6. Designing the Partnership Alliance
• Designing a Partnership Alliance
• Creating atmosphere
• Sharing responsibility

7. Designing the Alliance
•Identifying the relationship’s ‘Third Entity’

8. Designing the Alliance
•Identifying the relationship’s ‘Third Entity’

9. What is a Systems Approach?
• Systems coaching works with the relationship.
• The coach’s job is to contribute to the skills
of creating conscious intentional relationship.
• By revealing the system to itself, the coach helps the system
see its own strengths, its obstacles, its potential.
• Underpinning philosophy is the system can find its own answers.

10. Systems Coaching
•Designing a Partnership Alliance
•Building rapport and empathy
•Asking open and curious questions
•Actively listening at level 3
•Being aware and attentive to non-verbal language, intuition
•Remaining non-judgmental
•Raising awareness and understanding

11. Constellating a System
•A method for revealing the system
•Recreating the system visually
•Coaching process helps gain overview and deeper understanding
•Moves towards action

12. What have you gained?
How might you use this approach?

13. Thank you for partnering!
Jan M Portillo
Manchester
31 January 2013