Introduction

As mentioned in the January newsletter, organisational constellations provide powerful and creative ways to clarifying and resolving complex, possibly intractable issues associated with organisations. In this newsletter I am going to focus on some key themes that underpin the approach.   I will show you how using the underlying ideas associated with constellations can be used without necessarily doing a constellation.    So without further ado, let's look at the underpinning framework.

Underlying themes  

Systems theory supports the idea that systems basically are self-regulating structures, which seek to maintain balance and yet allow change.   Bert Hellinger has observed that certain elements appear to be key to gaining/having a healthy balanced system.   These underlying elements inform a constellator's way of working both when using the central tool, the constellation, and the discussions and actions that may take place before and after a constellation - and even without a constellation having been undertaken.   This includes what suggestions s/he may put forward to address certain situations when acting as a consultant or coach.  

Figure 1   Five main themes

Give and take	Hierarchy	Belonging
Time		Roles and functions

There are five main themes (see Figure 1), which have been shown through observation to have an impact on presenting issues.   Fundamental to all these themes are the importance of:

• Acknowledging the truth of a particular situation, and
• Honouring/respecting the place of each component.

Similar solutions could come from other approaches.   The difference is the framework from which the proposed solutions are derived and the slant that this gives.

1        Time Organisations, and those that work with and within them, cannot escape the impact of the past.   The past has bearing on what happens now and in the future.   In organisations 'time' includes: •  the founding of the organisation: who founded it, the founding values and strategic direction.   In this way creativity/innovation tend to fall within this theme;

• length of service; and

•  age (with service having priority over age).

These factors can influence the organisation's performance positively or negatively, depending on the situation.   Here are some practical implications of 'time':

•  When a new manager is appointed to take over an existing department and its staff, it is useful for this manager to overtly acknowledge that yes, s/he is new to the team and has less service than them and yet s/he is the manager and has rightful authority over them (this is referring to another theme which covers roles and functions).   I am amazed how such a simple action clears the air and people feel respected for what they offer to the situation, at the same time accept that the new manager has the right to manage them despite his/her limited service.

•  When an ex-Robert Maxwell company was acquired, the new Managing Director recognised openly the important part Maxwell played in the development and success of the company.   People were allowed to honour his role in founding the company.   I noticed that people relaxed and appreciated that Maxwell's positive contributions were being acknowledged and attention was not just focussed on his wrong doings.   Their input to discussions and decisions increased quite considerably over the next few months.

2        Belonging

The drive to belong has a significant influence on individuals.   An organisation's cultural values and norms play a role in belonging as people usually want to fit in with the norms as part of the drive to belong.   Another issue is loyalty.   The difference between families and organisations is that you always belong, whether you like it or not, to your family.   In organisations, it is normal for you leave at some stage, even if it is due to retirement.   The right to belong to an organisation is based on your competence and the needs of the organisation.   Each organisation has a purpose and your feelings of belonging come from serving that purpose.   This is why it is important for each department within an organisation to be truly aligned with the organisation's overall purpose otherwise loyalty and belonging feelings may be split and/or in conflict.

The issue of belonging is a key aspect that needs attention in mergers and acquisitions.   When I worked with two information technology companies who wanted to develop a partnership alliance, part of what needed to be - and was - discussed was how to balance the potentially conflicting loyalties between the employing company and the partnership alliance.   When these matters are addressed proactively, people know where they stand and what to do, releasing their energy to focus on their work rather than worrying about what conflict might happen or has happened.   Another example relates to breaking old patterns of loyalty.   It helps to state the obvious: eg ' that was then and this is now' or 'that was how it was and that was appropriate then - this is how it is now'.   Naturally how these statements are delivered is important, as they need to be said with authenticity. 

3        Give and take It is impossible to be alive without an exchange with the environment - breathing air, eating, exchanging with people.   This creates a bond.   If the give and take is sufficiently matched in the eyes of the givers and receivers, then the bond is on equal terms.   If either party so wishes in these circumstances, it is possibly to make a clean break.

However, when there is imbalance then the two participants stay connected.   Our sensitivity to give and take prompts us to act, even if it is only with words.   Sometimes actions may be positive while on other occasions they can be negative.

Here are some examples of how an awareness of the importance of give and take may influence how you handle future situations:

•  Redundancy : acknowledge truthfully what the situation is: this increases the chance of people experiencing a clean finish and can start afresh rather than continue to hang on with a grievance.   If reality is not acknowledged, people can hold a grievance even when they may have benefited in the long run.   This is true for both the people who stay as well as those who leave.   If the organisation acts inappropriately this imbalance will remain influencing the future of the organisation: for example, I worked for one organisation that was acquired by another, whose UK business was smaller.   The acquired organisation remained predominantly intact while the UK arm of the acquiring company was integrated into the acquired business and many jobs were made redundant.   Only one section remained 85% the same as it had a unique business.   Although the apparent unfairness was acknowledged occasionally on an individual basis, it was not expressed openly between organisations.   The section that generally remained whole, fought directly and indirectly against the integration, and frequently voiced the imbalance of being the acquirer and yet losing the most.    We needed to acknowledge to all the reality of the unfairness and listen more explicitly to make it clear that not only did we respect them but also we valued them.  

•  Payment :   getting the whole remuneration package right, for the individual and the organisation, is so important.   As most of us know, if an individual feels that s/he is underpaid, quite often s/he will make attempts to re-coup the amount, consciously and/or unconsciously: for instance, take days off sick when not that ill (if ill at all); take advantage of the organisation's consumables and equipment (paper, pens, post-it notes, computers) for personal use; keep rigidly to working times; et cetera.   If the organisation feels it has overpaid someone it too has ways of trying to gain the difference back: for example, being less responsive to 'give and take' requests; sticking to the letter of procedures rather then the spirit; overusing unpaid overtime opportunities; et cetera.   I am sure you can think of other examples and, indeed, I would be interested to learn about them.

4        Roles and functions People need to be respected for what they do and who they are.   Leaders need to lead, managers need to manage, and staff need to follow, and so on.   Problems arise when there is disagreement or lack of clarity about roles and functions.   I imagine you thinking 'this is not new'.   I know!   Remember I am outlining the underlining framework within which it has been observed that constellations work.

What is different is viewing other functions as having roles eg the competition, the market, the product.   In one constellation I watched, what was brought to the issue holder's attention was the importance to his client of having the option of going elsewhere, even if he didn't want to go.   It made the client more at ease with making commitments with the issue-holder's organisation, knowing that he was choosing the best option rather than having to live with the one and only route.   Seeing clients, suppliers, competition, et cetera, as having roles gives you a different lens through which to look.   I had one client who was a very slow payer, he did not keep a promise of giving first option on delivering two workshops that I had developed without payment, and when I had to work with the main director on a project, I did not enjoy the experience.   When I asked myself 'Why do I still do work for him?' my response was, 'because I need the money I eventually receive from him'.   When I asked 'what role does he play?' I realised that although money was part of it, he also met my need to be wanted and I had not thought of this when answering the first question.

5        Hierarchy

Where a person or group fits within the hierarchy is important. Leaders carry the most responsibility for the organisation's survival and growth.   Leaders serve the organisational system and to do this they need to be in service to those who report to them.   This fits in with Robert Greenleaf's concept servant leadership [1].   Normally it is believed that people below us in the hierarchy are there to serve us.

When leaders display servant leadership attributes, it frees the direct reports to work to greater effect for the organisation.   This does not mean that the leader drops everything when s/he gets a request from a direct report.   People understand priorities - they just need to be clear, consistent and communicated.   What helps is to have different people's priorities/goals working towards to same direction.   Where they might be in conflict with each other in certain situations, it is important to have already worked out what will happen.   For instance, in the past quality assurance was often a separate function from production and these two functions were frequently in conflict due to the conflict between quality, quantity and deadlines.   However, when organisations started to clarify their quality expectations/standards and return quality back to being a production responsibility conflict diminished.

Conclusion

The key points I would like you to go away with from this newsletter are:

•  Voice out loud what is known, even though it appears obvious;

•  When you find it difficult to respect someone for the topic under focus, find something which enables you to acknowledge you respect him/her for a particular attribute (eg the client I did not like working with was very good at getting business); and

•  If conflict is in the air, consider what might be out of balance and your contribution to the situation - remember everything in the environment influences the state of affairs.

The resulting follow through may appear to be full of small and/or obvious changes, but then most of us recognise that sometimes it is difficult to see what is staring in our face.   Furthermore, it is often the small things that make the difference - for instance, a colleague admitting that he has less experience than you rather than hiding behind an arrogant stance, a manager supporting his staff rather than stepping in and doing it him/herself, and a Managing Director acknowledging that some things are unfair and that is how it is.    Honesty is so powerful!   Naturally how honesty is delivered also matters.  

References

[1] For more information about servant leadership and Robert Greenleaf's role in its development, have a look at the website http://www.greenleaf.org/leadership/servant-leadership/What-is-Servant-Leadership.html .  

Franke, U (2003), The River Never Looks Back , Carl-Auer-Systeme Verlag, Munchen

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