Coaching is an effective practice, which can be used to influence many things in the modern organizations – ranging from individual’s performance to the functioning of teams and larger parts of the organizations. However, the concept of coaching itself is quite abstract and can include wide range of approaches. The way the social organizations are seen has many implications of how to think about the practice of organizational development and coaching. In this session, the different teleological assumptions, G.H.Mead’s philosophy and the modern approach of social constructionism to process consultation are used as sense-makers to build understanding of how coaches, process consultants and organizational developers could approach the complex organizations. Theoretical background of the presentation is based on the work of authors such as G.H.Mead, Norbert Elias, Ralph C. Stacey, Douglas Griffin, Patricia Shaw, Tom Andersen and John Shotter. The presentation seeks to form a dialogue between the different viewpoints that are used to make sense of the complex organizations by utilizing practical experiences coming from large-scale organizational transformation projects. Session is intended to all the people interested in complexity & coaching – especially for coaches, process consultants and people responsible for the organizational development activities.

1. Organizational Development
in Complex Environment
– Causality Assumptions
Ari-Pekka Skarp
www.skarpconsulting.fi/LESS2011.html

2. Purpose of the presentation
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

3. Causality Assumptions
Is the
movement
towards the
future that is
known or
unknown?
Is there outside
observer
controlling the
phenomenon?
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

4. Efficient Causality
The movement
Interaction of towards the
the parts in a future is
phenomenon stable and
isn’t considered predictable
to be without any
significant. notion of self-
organization.
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

5. Rationalist Causality
The rational
theory exists
before the
chosen action.
As all the
changes are Movement
due to human towards the
choice, there future is towards
isn’t any a known state,
notion of self- chosen by
organization. rational human
being.
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

6. “Motivating” staff with
Efficient & Rationalist Causality
Extrovert
Feelings
Introvert
Carrot & stick
Neurotic
Shame
Likes money
Discipline
Public recognition Challenges
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

7. Formative Causality
The system
“as a whole” is
moving
towards a
known, pre-
determined
final form or
The movement
more mature is produced by
form of itself. self-organizing
interaction of
the parts
towards that
pre-given form.
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

8. “Growing” teams with
Formative & Rationalist Causality
Setting boundaries:
Job roles, trainings, company values, location, goals & roadmaps, leaders, incentive
targets, metrics & measurements, purpose of the team…
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

9. “Growing” teams with
Formative & Rationalist Causality
Diversity: Different job roles, projects, competence areas, work tasks, ethnicity,
education, experiences, cross-functionality…
Project Mgr Product Owner
Quality Eng
Test Lead
ScrumMaster
Coach
Test Eng
Line Mgr
UX Designer
Epic Owner
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

10. Transformative Causality
Logic:
“either…or”,
The movement
“both…and” is towards an
à unknown state.
“at the same There is a
time” possibility for
continuity and
transformation
Gesture is at of the
the same time identities.
constraining and
enabling
different
possibilities for
the responses.
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

11. Emergence of a team in Transformative Causality
n ses
Respo
ing
Tu rn-tak
Inclusio
n
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

12. Analogies from the Complexity Sciences
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi

13. End of the presentation … or is it ?
“Like everyone else you were
born into bondage. Into a
prison that you cannot taste
or see or touch. A prison for
your mind.”
-Morpheus, “The Matrix”
www.skarpconsulting.fi/LESS2011.html
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© 2011 Ari-Pekka Skarp | www.skarpconsulting.fi