The “Seeing Systems” Workshop (The Organization Workshop™)

• Also known globally as “The Organization Workshop,” this simulation exercise was created by organization expert and leadership guru Barry Oshry of Power and Systems™. Because it is the antidote to system blindness, we prefer to call it the “Seeing Systems Workshop” because that is the promise of the experience.
• Based on over 35 years of intensive fieldwork and research, the Seeing Systems Workshop reliably lives up to its name by enabling participants to clearly see themselves, and the system of which they are a part, often for the first time. The lights go and people no longer stumble over the furniture.
• As a result, participants truly ‘see’ their own role in partnership breakdowns and find a new opening for creating and maintaining effective partnerships across all organizational boundaries. And once they have ‘seen’ the system…they won’t be able to ‘un-see’ it again.

In a fast-paced and high-energy simulated exercise, participants take on the roles of Tops, Bottoms, Middles and Customers in a real business, where real cash money is at stake, in your local currency. Time pressure is intense, and in this context, many breakdowns occur, which challenge the players to stay focused on Partnerships while still achieving business objectives. This workshop has been delivered successfully all over the world and is guaranteed to transcend cultural differences.

Participants will learn:
• The true meaning of Partnerships, why they often break down and what to do about it.
• The nature of the ‘worlds’ that are waiting for anyone who takes up a role as Top, Bottom, Middle or Customer. (People experience all of these worlds in a single day in the real world …mostly without realizing it.) Plus, concrete strategies for operating effectively in any of these roles.
• Strategies for staying focused on being effective, in partnership with others, in the midst of breakdowns, surprises, frustrations, and never-ending complexity and challenge.
• How to move resiliently between ‘worlds’ grounded in a commitment to business success through effective Partnerships.
• The challenging dynamic of “Middle Space” and how to use it effectively and creatively.
• The true nature of the “Elephant in the Room.” And much more.

• We heartily recommend that “Seeing Systems” be used as a foundation experience for any organization that is serious about developing leaders. Who needs a leader that is blind to the system they are in? 
• Ideally, participants will come from every part of the organization…even Customers outside the organization will benefit from the experience.
• “Seeing Systems” opens a door to deep understanding of the forces that throw organizations off balance and shows people how to effectively deal with and transcend those forces.
• We can safely say that there is nothing else like the “Seeing Systems” Workshop and that it has transformative potential for any organization that wants to thrive amidst the chaos and complexity of business life.

Why do you need “Seeing Systems” in your leadership development program?

• Develop leaders with a systemic perspective and that will give your organization an edge in a chaotic, unpredictable, and competitive world.
• Create the foundation for your people, at all levels, to experience the power of Partnership in a way that is unforgettable and long-lasting.
• Establish a common language for leadership mindsets that reverberates across all organizational boundaries.
• Eliminate silo thinking and replace it with a new spirit of collaboration and Partnership.
• Inspire your people to see a bigger picture, beyond petty differences and conflicts, take off the blinders, and set the stage for a high-performing culture.