Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed in complex business situations?
Then it’s the right time to look into ecosystem constellations as an intuitive approach to visualize the invisible, and to consider solving a problem as an organized whole and in multi-directional relationships. It’s a viable way to get on with any tricky challenge by paying empathetic attention.
Unfortunately, most business people are not used to this type of listening.
Our typical reflex is to weigh options against each other, only including the obvious elements in our reasoning.
Many struggle with looking at a system as a whole for the following reasons:
- Thinking of problem solution in a linear fashion, a cause-effect relation
- Working on each of the puzzle pieces individually rather than looking at their relations
- Deciding in a binary way, making good/bad and either-this/or-that choices.
There is a light way to navigate complexity by looking at the entire landscape, switching into other roles and experiencing system dynamics.
Here’s how an ecosystem constellation works, step by step:
Step 1: Developing a clear intention
Create focus for the entire process.
Often you will find that “How Might We” (HMW) questions are helpful for framing a problem. This type of question is about planting a seed from which the future can grow organically. An example question could be: “How might we make the ecosystem of XY relevant for daily work?”
Step 2: Drawing a map of the current state
Collect all the relevant stakeholders and themes that may impact the solution of your problem.
You step into the roles of these elements and position them on a virtual whiteboard, followed by a deeper reflection.
Step 3: Observe the evolution
While many leaders immediately have a desired end state in mind, it’s important to next see your system emerge by sensing and visualizing future potential and ideating a prototype.
After concluding a constellation, plan in some time for open sense-making. It’s crucial to develop a common understanding of the emerging solution to take appropriate and aligned action. Get in touch via hartmut@huebner.io to start right away!