Systemic Methods for Collaboration

How can systemic approaches in consulting and coaching transform teams and companies? Vera Hofheinz and Christoph Jung explain the importance of systemic thinking for managing conflict and change in software development. Systemic interventions often start at the relationship level and promote long-term, positive change. Through systemic coaching and targeted impulses, teams can communicate and work more effectively. Using practical examples, Vera and Christoph show how these approaches can be applied in your own environment. Systemic work has the potential to make software development more efficient at all levels.

“So if you have a software team like this, it has its own dynamic, its own communication within the team and the systemics experts say (…) they develop a certain immunity to the outside, they don’t like anyone from outside interfering.” - Vera Hofheinz, Christoph Jung

Vera Hofheinz is a systemic coach and organizational developer. She has been a manager at andrena objects AG for more than 15 years. She designs agile change processes with a focus on the opportunity for personal development and growth of managers and employees. She stands for appreciative and equal cooperation at eye level.

Christoph Jung is an agile coach and organizational developer at andrena objects AG. He supports companies in working agile and shaping change processes by accompanying teams and managers. With experience in start-ups, medium-sized companies and corporations, his focus is on agile organizational development, strategy processes and systemic leadership.

Highlights of this Episode:

• Vera and Christoph share their systemic view of teams and companies
• Systemic approaches help to manage the complexity and speed of change in software development
• Systemicists look for connectivity in teams in order to initiate change
• Individual discussions and adapting to the team’s experience are important intervention techniques
• Systemic consulting promotes self-reflection and sustainable change
• Conflicts at high levels of escalation may require mediation
• Impulses for change can also be set from within the system
• Managers and teams can learn systemic principles in order to act more effectively
• The episode offers new perspectives on how teams can develop and overcome challenges

The power of systemic approaches in software development

In this podcast episode, I talk to Vera Hofheinz and Christoph Jung about systemic approaches in consulting and coaching, their relevance in software development and how these approaches can support teams and companies in dealing with change and developing future-proof skills.

What does ‘systemic’ actually mean?

In conversation with Vera and Christoph, it quickly becomes clear that ‘systemic’ goes far beyond the boundaries of traditional organizational consulting. It is about looking at communication systems and social dynamics in order to understand how people interact, organize themselves and cope with change. Systemic consulting uses this understanding to successfully guide groups or individuals through change processes. This approach views systems as independent entities with their own dynamics and looks for ways to use these for positive developments.

Systemic approaches in practice

Christoph uses an example from software development to illustrate the practical application of systemic methods: a software engineer tries to introduce quality metrics in the team, but is not well received. The solution was not to directly prescribe measures, but to raise awareness of the issue through one-to-one discussions. This type of intervention enables the team to develop their own solutions and thus leads to sustainable change. It is about finding the right ‘key’ for the team’s ‘lock’ - a starting point that enables the team itself to reflect and develop further.

The importance of sustainability and self-reflection

An important aspect of systemic work is the sustainability of change. Vera emphasizes that it is not about imposing short-term solutions, but rather about empowering teams to tackle their own problems and get out of deadlocked situations. Self-reflection plays a crucial role here: by learning to look at yourself from different perspectives and critically question your own actions, you can respond more effectively to challenges and bring about positive long-term change in the team.

Boundaries of systemic work

Despite all the advantages, there are also limits to what can be achieved through systemic approaches. Conflicts, for example, can reach a point where another form of intervention is needed. Christoph points out that sometimes mediation or even separation may be the only solution. However, this does not mean the failure of the systemic approach; rather, it shows the need for a wide range of tools and methods to deal with complex social dynamics.

Is it possible to set systemic impulses from within?

An exciting question is whether you can set systemic impulses yourself as part of a system. Christoph says yes: Even within a team or an organization, ways can be found to initiate reflection processes and bring about change. This often involves creative methods such as sociometric constellations or the use of external moderators to open up new perspectives. The key is to be open to new approaches and to be prepared to take unconventional paths.