Those who are drawn to the systems-inspired approach focus on a heartfelt way of being in the world. We actively cultivate the relationships that will encourage people to buy in and to work toward a brighter future together.
Many come to our trainings because they are intrigued by the way that a systems-inspired coach or leader holds the space for others. We create relationship first, empowering the collective intelligence that reveals new possibilities.
Yet the systems that surround us are in motion, and voices seem more divided than ever.
A decline in connection and purpose
Thinking about what is currently emerging, CRR Global co-founder Marita Fridjhon points to research by Six Seconds which suggests that we are in an emotional recession. Their numbers show that global emotional intelligence scores declined by 5.54 percent between 2019 and 2023.
There has also been a drop in the ability to perform tasks of intrinsic value—what Six Seconds refer to as noble goals.
Noble goals are tied to ideals and purpose. Michael Miller of Six Seconds defines a noble goal in this way:
- It will not be completed in your lifetime.
- It is pointed outward, with the benefit going to others.
- It integrates different domains or dimensions of your life.
- It gets you out of bed, motivating and inspiring you at a deep level.
- No one is made ‘less than’ or wrong by your pursuit of a noble goal.
Divided opinion
Resources have been stretched thin over the past few years. We spend more time interacting through technology, and less in face-to-face conversation with our neighbors.
When pushed to the edge, there’s a greater tendency to criticize what is wrong than to focus on what is going right. Noble goals slip to the side.
Still, even with strong differences in opinion about how to move forward, the future belongs to all of us.
Marita is no stranger to the confusion and crisis that can accompany systemic change. She emphasizes that we can all create from what is emerging.
We belong to systems within systems, with conflict and opposing interests contained in the overlap. Bringing heart to our interactions can help us develop better strategies to address the complexity we face.
Heart is one of seven metaskills clearly identified in Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC™). This energy can show up in many ways – as kindness, compassion, encouragement, or a commitment to helping others.
To put heart into your efforts means that you are deeply invested. You take a risk and bring authenticity to the experience, allowing yourself to feel and to connect. Through heart, we cultivate empathy and an understanding of what it is like to stand in another’s experience. By holding heart as a value, we align with our purpose and integrity and return to our noble goals.
When we cultivate relationship, we begin to confront problems side by side rather than casting blame. We can draw on our collective intelligence to find better solutions, to adapt and to grow in ways that will benefit the system as a whole.
Reflective questions to align with heart
- Are you responding or reacting?
- Are you noticing what is working well?
- What is the two percent truth in an opposing opinion?
- Are relationship toxins showing up in the way you communicate?
- What is one small step you could take toward repairing a relationship?
Remember, heart can be fierce as well as soft. When we act from heart, we create ripples of possibility in the systems that surround us.
In continuing to expand our emotional, social and relationship systems intelligence, and by committing to supporting better relationship, we align with our own noble values and the purpose that drives us.
Open to heart, and hear what is being said across the divide of polarized opinion.
Thanks to Marita Fridjhon for the systems wisdom shared in this article, and to Amy Mindell, who first dreamed up the concept of metaskills.
