Constellations as a tool for developing governance systems
When governing bodies get stuck, Constellations may provide a means to unlock things and help move thinking forward.
Constellations are a powerful tool in systems coaching. There are lots of different versions and varieties from different coaching schools and traditions, but there are some core elements that tend to be part of any deployment of constellations in a group setting. The process starts by identifying a topic or issue that a human system (i.e. board, leadership team, department etc.) is working through, and giving it a name or a title expressed in non-judgmental language. This name / title then goes in the middle of a chart, wall, floormat, etc., and around it are placed representations of systemic influences that have a bearing upon it. These can be people, ideas, functions… anything that is present in the system. This forms a physical ‘constellation’, which can then be viewed (and physicalised), and around which coaching can occur.
The benefit of this process includes making tangible those aspects of the human system that can otherwise remain hidden from view – key relationships, hidden pressures, obligations, rewards, incentives, worries and fears… Skillful coaching can ask questions of the system, examining what would happen if certain parts of the system changed or shifted, how it might feel to stand in a particular position or perspective, or what may be trying to happen. The physical nature of the constellation can lend itself to aspects of somatic coaching, using movement, posture and sensation to connect people to new information about the system of which they are a part.
A highly accessible and clear account of constellations is provided in this great video resource from John Whittington.
All of the above means that constellations can be a great resource when working with a board or other type of governing body. Boards are themselves a human system, and the organisations they serve provide a set of macro systems in which the board is a nested part. This complexity can often mean that, for reasons that are not always visible to start with, things can easily feel ‘stuck’ from time to time. To make progress, boards need to surface aspects of their system(s) in order to understand different perspectives and possibilities. While it is ideal for a board to work with an external coach or facilitator for this type of work, constellations can also be facilitated internally either by the chair or by members of the board taking on the facilitation role on behalf of the group. However they are implemented, constellations are a powerful governance practice and a very useful addition to a board’s toolkit during meetings and strategy sessions given their power to transform thinking and generate profound understanding.