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Attended the Broader Perspectives conference run by School of Coaching. Some great presentations and good to hear Nancy Kline for the first time on Thinking Environments.
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The hypothesis - that current models of team development are essentially linear and the result of investigation through the lens of outmoded management theory (taylorism). It is possible that Complex Adaptive Systems theory has new perspectives to offer that offer useful insights and new grounding. However it also challenges the notion of coach or facilitator as an independent external agent.
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David Webster shared some research into team coaching and development, in particular how he feels that we need to develop new models to understand team development. He made the interesting point that Tuckman's work (Forming, storming etc) was developed from therapeutic groups and even Tuckman pointed out that it had no external validation in the team development context.Â
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My observation is that much of the existing cannon of research is either an overflow from therapeutic models and research or a product of the prevailing managerialist orthodoxy. Even the punctuated equilibrium model and soft systems are essentially linear - reflections of the hierarchical taylorist perspective. It also assumes that the intervention of the coach or facilitator is essentially externalised and independent of the process itself - a catalyst.
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A possible fruitful line of enquiry and lens for thinking is the Complex Adaptive Systems approach. So will let you know how I get on.
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