1. THE WHOLE SYSTEMS APPROACH (WSA):
Using the entire system to change and run the
business.
TITLE.
Good evening everyone and welcome to my presentation. I know I’ve met some of
you, but just for the benefit of those I haven’t my name is Álvaro. I would like to say
that if you have any questions throughout the presentation, please stop me at any
time and I will be happy to answer them. Additionally, if any of you wanted to
have the slights of the presentation, here is my email address (poner dirección de
correo electrónico).
Imagine we are a company. For example, Argos, Inc. (Incorporated), and we
produce whatever you can imagine. I’m going to give you a paper with your
position in this company. In that paper you’ll se your job and your behaviour.
Please, cut the part where you can see your behaviour, keeping in mind that you
have to act in that way, and show the another one (you can stick it on your t-shirt).
INDEX.
I’ve divided my presentation in 3 parts. They are:
Firstly, an introduction to the method we’ll learn tonight.
Secondly, we’ll be covering everything about the Whole Systems Approach.
Finally, I’ll share with you my conclusions of this project.
INTRODUCTION.
What I want to do this evening is to talk about the structuring methods. These
methods are useful to organize the system to create the desired future. They rely
on an effective plan and result in redefined relationships among people and
redesigned work practices.
Let’s have a look at this video, issued by Endesa (a Spanish company) in 2008.
(VÍDEO)
This advertisement reminds me that everybody who runs a company ‘wants to
have a child’, in the way that his/her company could be compared to his/her son.
In this way, children (as a company) need different things throughout the time,
adapting to change.
Álvaro Santamaría Peñalva
1
Leadership and change management.

2. THE WHOLE SYSTEMS APPROACH (WSA).
Let’s now move on to the main part of the presentation, where we’ll learn
everything about the Whole Systems Approach.
WHAT IS THE WHOLE SYSTEMS APPROACH?
The Whole Systems Approach is a framework for effectively weaving multiple
organizational change initiatives into a well-designed, highly effective, coherent
whole.
The purpose is to achieve organization-wide change and large-scale employee
engagement, buy-in and results though enhanced leadership, and employee
commitment and accountability.
In this way, every system within the organization is evaluated, created, modified or
redesigned and then integrated and aligned; involving every stakeholder in the
process.
WHEN AND WHERE IS THE WSA USED?
The WSA framework is valuable when:
12345-
A need to fundamentally change or transform is evident.
A number of existing efforts require integration into a comprehensive whole.
Large-scale engagement of all constituencies is desired.
A new organizational focus is required.
A new possibility could potentially yield significant value or enhanced
capability.
6- Current efforts lack speed, results, or broad ownership.
WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES FROM USING THIS METHOD?
The WSA framework focuses on:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Increasing leadership effectiveness.
Large-scale engagement.
Creating changeable organizations.
Producing exceptional business results.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE WSA
FRAMEWORK?
Companies investing in the WSA can expect to:
1- Accelerate the speed of change implementation.
Álvaro Santamaría Peñalva
2
Leadership and change management.

3. 2- Stimulate cooperation, engender commitment and reinforce teamwork.
3- Generate organizational-wide ownership of efforts with all stakeholders.
4- Produce results that could not have been accomplished using traditional
methods.
5- Develop organizational self-reliance and resliency for sustaining a thriving
organization.
6- Achieve successful fundamental change and corporate reinvention.
HOW DOES WSA WORK?
JUEGO.
Are you with me so far? Ok, let me have a break here with a game I want to
share with you. In this game, I’ll tell to the “Head of the organization” what I
want you to do in our company. Acting as if you had the role you have with
your ‘job’, you have to talk to the person who is below you in the hierarchy of
the company, telling him/her what you want him/her to do. In the end, I’ll ask
to some of the workers what they are expected to do, and we all will check if it’s
the same thing that I said. For this game we have 3 minutes, so please be
quickly talking to your mates.
(Phrase: I want you to increase the sales of the company by increasing the
motivation of the personnel).
(Roles: 1 Head of the organization; some Directors of different departments,
CEO, CFO, COO...; and some workers. Each oone of them has different
behaviours, such as lazy, angry, serious, active, talkative...).
The purpose of this game is to let you know that one of the most important things
in the WSA framework is the communication among people, from the head of the
organization to the new worker who started the last week. It doesn’t matter if
you’re shy, angry, serious... Everybody has to be enough motivated and
communicated for doing his/her best in the work.
The WSA is centered on 3 core models and a systematic process.
FIGURE 1.
As you can see in the figure 1, it represents the conditions of thriving
organizations. Leadership is responsible for creating and maintaining the
conditions that allow the organization to thrive. Some of them could be
(señalando al gráfico) the relationships, information and the participation,
FIGURE 2.
Let me show you right now the figure 2, which represents the alignment model. In
this way, the line of sight is achieved by aligning the organization (señalando al
gráfico) from organizational identity (mission/vision/values and strategy) to
team and individual results).
Álvaro Santamaría Peñalva
3
Leadership and change management.

4. FIGURE 3.
In this graphic we can see the six systems or organizational effectiveness. These sis
systems ensures that the organization continues to be healthy and that changes are
sustained.
FIGURE 4.
Finally, in the figure 4 you can see the whole system phases of transformation.
Four phases provide the process framework for transforming an organization and
sustaining the changes once they are made. In all of them one of the most
important things is the communication among people, as we’ve been able to check
in the game we’ve played.
CONCLUSIONS.
This brings me to the last point of my presentation, when I’ll show you the
conclusions of my research.
The world where we live is changing faster and faster nowadays. The people, the
companies... everything and everybody is getting used to living in a busy world (or
maybe not), and we are expected to be able to change as fast as we can.
One of the most important things I’ve learnt from this project has been the
communication. When we want to use the Whole Systems Approach is important
to know that everybody has to be involved in the process. This requires
communication among everybody, from the board of directors to the customers,
including the workers.
Then, I’ve seen that the companies have changed the way in which they operate in
the market throughout the years. Thus, while they were used to being focused on
the product and the decissions of the board of directives, nowadays they are focus
on the customers and the cooperation among the personnel.
Nowadays, concepts such as the motivation of the workers or their training are
really important. Thus, people are engaged on the company.
Finally, it’s important to notice that once we are using the WSA, we should keep
learning from it and doing action reviews, using a feedback as much as possible.
ENDING.
That covers all I wanted to say today. Let me just run over the key points again.
We’ve been talking about the introduction of the presentation (with the video);
secondly we’ve had a look at the Whole Systems Approach method; and finally,
we’ve seen the conclusions.
Álvaro Santamaría Peñalva
4
Leadership and change management.

5. Thank you very much for your attention and if you had any questions or
comments, I’ll do my best to answer them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Edited by Holman, P.; Devane, T.; Cady, S.. ‘The change handbook: The Definitive
Resource on Today’s Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems’. 2nd ed. rev. and
expanded. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2009. p-441-448. ISBN:
9781576753798.
Álvaro Santamaría Peñalva
5
Leadership and change management.