[S]ince our foundation in 1987, we have engaged in an ongoing search for multiple ways that can draw out and build the inherent leadership of people and communities to challenge and change unjust structures, and policies. One of our core principles is that people who live with inequality and injustice must participate in their own development, engage confidently with prevailing power structures and hold those structures to account for their failure to adequately address inequality.

Lasting, sustainable change requires us to work within systems, to deepen understanding and learning especially in situations where there are very different perspectives and priorities. We strive to stimulate creative thinking and actions and build effective working relationships that are based on more honest communication.

Structural dynamics has really helped us sharpen our practice model. As we have become more familiar with its theory and practice we are enjoying integrating SD into many of our interventions. As a learning organisation we put a lot of store in ‘walking our talk’; we never ask our clients to participate in something we haven’t done ourselves. CAN itself is currently in the throes of major upheaval and change, we are greatly helped through this by drawing on our learning about managing change in high stakes situations using SD theory and practice. As we tackle our own complex organisational issues we are drawing heavily on the knowledge we have gained from staff and management’s participation in using the Behavioural Baseline Instrument.  This information has enabled us to create the most effective teams to manage the various aspects of this change. Whether it is overseeing a ‘deep think in’ with/in the entire organisation or devising a new business plan our selection is informed by individuals behavioural profile and what is needed structurally to help achieve the best result.

Structural Dynamics has brought an additional rigour and scrutiny to all our interventions with others, which in turn has impacted on every aspect of our practice. When we are commissioned to carry out work, applying a SD lens has helped us become clearer about the purpose of our intervention and in many cases the work itself. Examples of this include:

• Use of the individual and team Baseline Instrument with a group of CEO’s and Managers from the Voluntary sector participating in a Leadership Development Programme. This involved individual leadership coaching, using profiles to create mixed groups to facilitate active inquiry into profile clashes, exploring the impact of stuck behaviours on self and others, exploration and inquiry into differences and diversity structurally.
• Using the 4 player model with a staff group within an Adult Education organisation to strengthen participant’s skills in facilitative tuition, increasing tutors self-awareness towards becoming more effective in the classroom
• Facilitating a staff team to overcome stuck patterns of conflict using structural story and facilitating high stakes conversations.

Monica Manning