Comfortable with emergence? Sure.. that is…until things actually emerge!

I had a lively conversation with a Lead Team this week!

During initial conversations I tested their appetite for emergence, uncertainty and going with the flow. They said they were comfortable with it. 

But once we got started? A different story!

The Lead Team pushed back. Team members who'd been there a while referred back to a team programme they'd done years ago. By all accounts, it had worked brilliantly: clear goals, defined steps and KPIs. (So, brilliant BTW that no one could recall the content).

More recent members talked about work they'd done in previous organisations, arguing it applies here too.

I get it. There's a lot of pressure, and grasping the familiar and tangible can be reassuring.

A predetermined plan provides safety, but it can also shut out different perspectives, ignore what's emerging and constrain possibilities. 

Systemic Team Coaching creates space for emergence, for different perspectives, working with the system, experimentation and learning – and sometimes a bit of discomfort is where the real growth happens.

Advice from Michael, a leader I’ve quoted may times before:

"Systems are complex, don’t fixate on the outcome you visualised at the beginning. Instead, focus on and trust the process. Outcomes will emerge from the system, develop organically, and differ from your original vision. Those outcomes may in fact be greater than what you anticipated."

Curious about what might emerge if you tried a different approach? Get in touch!