The Systemic Development Partnership

Systemic Leadership and Communication Practice

The pragmatics of systemic communication and leadership theory

January 23-24, 2017, 9:30-16:30
Elm Grove Conference Centre, Oak Suite, Roehampton Lane, Roehampton, London, SW15 5PH

A workshop for managers, leaders and consultants who are interested to apply post modern thinking in relation to their leadership, consultancy and organisational development work.

Most managers would agree that the complexity of their leadership challenge exceeds the simplicity of contemporary leadership theories, which offer little instructive significance to decision making. Inspired by post modern theory we take the view that leaders’ decision making can be informed by their positioning within a system, which is shaped by the leader herself and by processes of communication and coordination in the organisation.

Drawing on post modern communication theory, systemic practice and case vignettes, Christine Oliver and Martin Miksits offer concepts that embrace the complexity experienced in real leadership challenges, that make it possible for leaders to make sense of and orientate to the uniqueness of their situation, and invite ways of expanding choices for leaders to act in relation to challenges.

In this two day workshop participants will

• appreciate communication as the ‘stuff’ that creates leadership, coordination and performance in organisations
• understand post modern communication theory as foundational to systemic leadership approaches and the possibilities it adds over conventional communication and leadership theories
• reflect and learn from their own practice and experience of leadership practice, for instance in relation to strategy, performance management, organisational learning and change, applying postmodern and systemic concepts
• develop specific reflections and actions for their leadership situations in relation to relevant practice contexts

To facilitate dialogue and learning the number of participants is limited to 16.

Theoretical foundations

• Systemic and social constructionist theory of communication (CMM)
• Dialogic organisational development approaches
• Critical management theory
• Research into systemic reflexivity and organisational emergence

Programme

Day1

• Developments in communication theory – the bridge from modern to post-modern
• Leadership as a practice of shaping contexts and morality in communication
• Discussion of cases and implications for leadership practice

Day2

• Systemic approaches to real leadership situations
• Applying systemic perspectives to the wider organisation
• Participant related case work and reflections

Facilitators

Dr. Christine Oliver and Dr. Martin Miksits

Time and Venue

Elm Grove Conference Centre, Oak Suite, Roehampton Lane, Roehampton,
London, SW15 5PH, January 23-24, 2017, 9:30am – 4:30pm

The Elm Grove Conference Centre is situated at the main campus of the University of Roehampton, just a five minute bus ride from Barnes mainline station and minutes from the A3. There are also regular bus services from Putney, Wimbledon and Hammersmith which all have underground stations direct to central London. This location is within easy reach of Heathrow airport and has a number of car parking spaces available on site.

Location Map – Elm Grove Conference Centre, Roehampton Lane, London, SW15 5PH

Directions

Train

Please note that Elm Grove is a 15 minute walk from Barnes train
station or if you prefer :

• Take a bus by exiting the station crossing over the bridge
  towards Roehampton the 72 or 265 bus stops are on the left
  of the road.
• Alight at Roehampton University Main Entrance bus stop;
  walk up towards the traffic lights, cross over the road. The
  main gate is straight in front of you.
• Enter through the gate and Elm Grove is in front of you and
  slightly to the left.

Alternatively, taxis are available at Barnes rail station situated in the station car park.

Nearest London Underground stations

Hammersmith (District, Piccadilly, Hammersmith & City lines)

• Then take 72 bus towards Roehampton

Putney Bridge (District line towards Wimbledon)

• Then take the 265 bus towards Tolworth

Taxi services are available at these stations.

Travelling by car

Please contact us about parking, as there is limited availability on site.

Cost and Registration

The cost for the two day workshop is £500, for applications and payments received prior to October 31, 2016 a reduced early bird fee of £380 applies. This also includes coffee, tea, pastries and a gourmet sandwich lunch served with crisps and fresh fruit.

We are happy to advise on nearby accomodation for participants who are interested.

To register please complete the application form and send it to registration@systemicdevelopment.eu or fax it to +43 1 2020632-99.

Dr Martin Miksits

Dr Christine Oliver

Systemic Strategic Leadership Practice

Integrating and inclusive discourses

April 18-20, 2016, 9:30-16:30
Chambers Suites, Parkstead House, Roehampton, London, SW15 4JD

A workshop for managers, leaders and consultants, interested to develop their thinking and practice in designing, facilitating and sustaining systemic strategic change.

Conventional approaches to strategic change tend to assume linear reasoning, emphasising the formulation of goals, the development of strategic plans and clear communication of the plan to the organisation. Strategic decision making and change are often associated with power, control and resistance. However the word ‘strategy’ relates to the words ‘act’ and ‘agent’. How might strategic change processes facilitate coordinated action, positioning organisational and team members for success through multiple engagements of organisational members and their interests, abilities and resources, maximising potential for creative collective agency?

With this interest in mind, Martin Miksits and Christine Oliver invite you to integrate clear, structured processes of strategic inquiry with dialogical sensibilities paying attention to narratives and patterns of relationship, communication and power amongst a diversity of organisational stake-holders.

Drawing on post modern communication theory, processes of dialogical inquiry, systemic practice, insights from the general strategic literature and case vignettes, they offer a framework for conceptualising, designing and sustaining strategic development, valuing insights from systemic and linear models of practice, enabling a focus on specific past and future achievements at the task and relational level.

In this three day workshop participants will

• Engage with strategic challenges relevant to their management and consultancy contexts
• Appreciate living strategy as a moral context for coordination and action
• Understand strategic development as a collaborative, dialogical, ethical and imaginative achievement
• Experience a strategic planning framework inclusive of modern and post-modern perspectives
• Develop specific actions for strategic leadership in management and consultancy contexts
• Develop specific reflections and actions for their leadership situations in relation to relevant practice contexts

There will be a pre-workshop questionnaire for participants to explore systemic strategic challenges in their leadership or consulting context.

To facilitate dialogue and learning the number of participants is limited to 16.

Systemic Strategic Leadership Practice – Theoretical foundations

• Systemic and social constructionist theory of communication (CMM)
• Dialogic organisational development approaches
• Classical theory of strategic decision making and process design
• Appreciative and reflexive inquiry
• Social learning theory
• Ethical frameworks for decision making

Programme

Day 1

• Strategic planning introduced in the wider context of an inclusive systemic leadership model
• Participant inquiry into own system, purposes, network of communication, strategic challenge (based on pre-workshop questionnaire)
• Development of a reflexive and appreciative critique of strategic planning and positioning in participants organisations
• Participant aim formulation [Define]

Day 2

• Mapping of resources available and useful to participants [Discover]
• Domains theory and leadership
• The 6D Strategy Process and resources
• Participants map opportunities and dilemmas for strategic development or strategic consulting [Dream]

Day 3

• Ethical decision making
• Determining contexts and relationships relevant to participants’ decision making [Decide]
• Progression in connection with aims – emergent learning to be developed [Design & Deliver]
• Developing a consultation system for closing the gap on learning

Facilitators

Dr. Christine Oliver and Dr. Martin Miksits

Time and Venue

Chambers Suites, Parkstead House, Roehampton, London, SW15 4JD,
April 18-20, 2016, 9:30am – 4:30pm

Parkstead House is situated in Whitelands College of the University of Roehampton, just a five minute bus ride from Barnes mainline station and minutes from the A3. There are also regular bus services from Putney, Wimbledon and Hammersmith which all have underground stations direct to central London. This location is within easy reach of Heathrow airport and has a number of car parking spaces available on site. Directions are provided further down this post.

Location Map – Whitelands College, Parkstead House

Directions

Train

The nearest station is Barnes, from which it is about 25 minutes walk to Whitelands Campus, or take buses 72 or 265, which stop outside all campuses. Trains to Barnes run from Clapham Junction, London Waterloo, Staines and Windsor.

Tube

District/ Piccadilly/ Hammersmith & City lines to Hammersmith. From the tube station, go to bus stop K in the Lower Bus Station next to the shopping centre (see the map of Hammersmith Bus Station on the TfL website) and take bus 72 to all campuses.

District line to Putney Bridge. From outside the tube station, take bus 265 to all campuses.

Bus

Buses that stop nearby: 72, 265, 493, 170, 493. Travelling up Roehampton Lane, alight at the stop just before the junction with Danebury Avenue. Turn right down Danebury Avenue and then take the immediate left onto Holybourne Avenue. Whitelands is a minute’s walk on the right-hand side. If you are travelling from the direction of the A3 alight at the stop just after the junction with Danebury Avenue.

Cost and Registration

The cost for the three day workshop is £590. For applications and payments received prior to February 29, 2016, a reduced early bird fee of £450 applies. This also includes coffee, tea, pastries and a gourmet sandwich lunch served with crisps and fresh fruit.

We are happy to advise on nearby accomodation for participants who are interested.

To register please complete the application form and send it to registration@systemicdevelopment.eu or fax it to +43 1 2533033 8780.

Dr Martin Miksits                             Dr Christine Oliver

Systemic Leadership and Communication Practice

The pragmatics of systemic communication and leadership theory

September 25-26, 2015, 9:30-16:30
Chambers Suites, Parkstead House, Roehampton, London, SW15 4JD

A workshop for managers, leaders and consultants who are interested to apply post modern thinking in relation to their leadership, consultancy and organisational development work.

Most managers would agree that the complexity of their leadership challenge exceeds the simplicity of contemporary leadership theories, which offer little instructive significance to decision making. Inspired by post modern theory we take the view that leaders’ decision making can be informed by their positioning within a system, which is shaped by the leader herself and by processes of communication and coordination in the organisation.

Drawing on post modern communication theory, systemic practice and case vignettes, Christine Oliver and Martin Miksits offer concepts that embrace the complexity experienced in real leadership challenges, that make it possible for leaders to make sense of and orientate to the uniqueness of their situation, and invite ways of expanding choices for leaders to act in relation to challenges.

In this two day workshop participants will

• appreciate communication as the ‘stuff’ that creates leadership, coordination and performance in organisations
• understand post modern communication theory as foundational to systemic leadership approaches and the possibilities it adds over conventional communication and leadership theories
• reflect and learn from their own practice and experience of leadership practice, for instance in relation to strategy, performance management, organisational learning and change, applying postmodern and systemic concepts
• develop specific reflections and actions for their leadership situations in relation to relevant practice contexts

To facilitate dialogue and learning the number of participants is limited to 16.

Theoretical foundations

• Systemic and social constructionist theory of communication (CMM)
• Dialogic organisational development approaches
• Critical management theory
• Research into systemic reflexivity and organisational emergence

Programme

Day1

• Developments in communication theory – the bridge from modern to post-modern
• Leadership as a practice of shaping contexts and morality in communication
• Discussion of cases and implications for leadership practice

Day2

• Systemic approaches to real leadership situations
• Applying systemic perspectives to the wider organisation
• Participant related case work and reflections

Facilitators

Dr. Christine Oliver and Dr. Martin Miksits

Time and Venue

Chambers Suites, Parkstead House, Roehampton, London, SW15 4JD,
September 25&26, 9:30am – 4:30pm

Parkstead House

Chambers Suites

Parkstead House is situated in Whitelands College of the University of Roehampton, just a five minute bus ride from Barnes mainline station and minutes from the A3. There are also regular bus services  from Putney, Wimbledon and Hammersmith which all have underground stations direct to central London. This location is within easy reach of Heathrow airport and has a number of car parking spaces available on site. Directions are provided further down this post.

Location Map – Whitelands College, Parkstead House

Directions

Train

The nearest station is Barnes, from which it is about 25 minutes walk to Whitelands Campus, or take buses 72 or 265, which stop outside all campuses. Trains to Barnes run from Clapham Junction, London Waterloo, Staines and Windsor.

Tube

District/ Piccadilly/ Hammersmith & City lines to Hammersmith. From the tube station, go to bus stop K in the Lower Bus Station next to the shopping centre (see the map of Hammersmith Bus Station on the TfL website) and take bus 72 to all campuses.

District line to Putney Bridge. From outside the tube station, take bus 265 to all campuses.

Bus

Buses that stop nearby: 72, 265, 493, 170, 493. Travelling up Roehampton Lane, alight at the stop just before the junction with Danebury Avenue. Turn right down Danebury Avenue and then take the immediate left onto Holybourne Avenue. Whitelands is a minute’s walk on the right-hand side. If you are travelling from the direction of the A3 alight at the stop just after the junction with Danebury Avenue.

Cost and Registration

The cost for the two day workshop is £500, for applications and payments received prior to July 31 a reduced early bird fee of £350 applies. This also includes coffee, tea, pastries and a gourmet sandwich lunch served with crisps and fresh fruit.

We are happy to advise on nearby accomodation for participants who are interested.

To register please complete the application form and send it to registration@systemicdevelopment.eu or fax it to +43 1 2533033 8780.

Dr Martin Miksits                                    Dr Christine Oliver