CONFESSIONS OF A CORPORATE SHAMAN. Harrison Snow
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are detailed in this book. And, even though those case studies will walk you through the sequence of steps followed by the facilitator, it’s important for you to appreciate the three pillars—and the worldview they represent—that are behind those steps.
As the facilitator or leader you can’t take anyone to a place you have not gone to yourself. Any blind spot or lack of self-awareness limits your capacity in that area. The skillful use of self utilizes the knowledge that arises from the observation of yourself in relationships with others. In effect, you stay one step ahead of your client or group using the space provided by that step to facilitate what needs to unfold.
Systems thinking helps you see what should happen and what is in the way in that space. The process breaks a challenge or issue into its component parts and the desired outcome. Identifying those parts and physically mapping their relationship to each other illustrates the nature of the breakdown and where it occurred.
The knowing field is accessed through the use of representatives who stand in for key parts of the system. The interactions between the representatives uncover the insights and actions that lead to the desired outcome or solution.
In traditional societies, the shaman uses symbols and ritual to create a sacred space. In this space, he or she has access to a heightened state of awareness. According to Malidoma Patrice Somé, “. . . we enter into ritual in order to respond to the call of the soul.”4
Somé also says, “What goes wrong in the visible world is only the tip of the iceberg. So to correct a dysfunctional state of affairs effectively, one must first locate its hidden area, its symbolic dimension, work with it first and then assist in the restoration of the physical (visible) extension of it . . .”5
Both the shaman and the facilitator/leader are in service to others. Their ability to help others come to terms with the dysfunctions in their system depends, however, on the extent to which they have done the same with themselves. Whether it is through a vision quest or 360-degree feedback, some form of self-knowledge—through self-observation and reflection—is called for.
You may recall the motto on President Harry Truman’s desk: “The buck stops here.” The motto is fine for those who react to change but insufficient for those who will be the change they want in the world. “The buck starts here” is the motto for the holistic leader or facilitator who seeks to drive change. An experience I had when I was first introduced to the systemic approach demonstrates the central role the use of self plays.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
The first time I facilitated a constellation was at a training seminar in Holland. About a hundred people in the organizational development field came from around the world to a charming village outside Amsterdam. In my learning group we set up current business challenges using the constellation process. I had recently started working with a client on a change initiative. I was wondering if my assessment of the dynamics within the client system was on track. Even though the project was in the beginning stages, I felt I should have more engagement or traction. Was patience the answer or was there something else? Representatives for the leader and her three direct reports were selected and placed as indicated in Figure 1-1.
I stood outside the system and just observed. With her hands on her hips, the first manager communicated she was in charge. Was there any resentment about her style? Two of the other managers seemed to be aligned with her and accepting of her dominance. As the representatives noted their feelings and impulses toward each other, something seemed familiar to me, but unnamable. What could that be? I asked myself. Without dwelling on the question I decided to enter the system and notice what might change. The representative for the leader took a hard look at me and declared authoritatively, “We don’t want you here.”
Figure 1-1
Her tone took me back a step. Again, the message felt physically and emotionally familiar. Not only had I set up my client system, I had set up my own family system. The first manager was my older sister. The second manager, who was in a power struggle with the leader, was me. The third and fourth managers were my younger siblings who sided with my older sister. It was no accident I was working with this system. But was the client system actually as dysfunctional and triangulated as my family or was it just my projection? Before I could interact objectively with my actual clients, I realized, I had some family history to deal with. A door swung open that I did not know existed. The good news was that as I changed the inner fundamentals of my family relationships, the depth of my consulting work also would change.
The Mapping Key
The tapered side of each of the symbols in Figure 1-1 shows the direction each representative faced based on my sense of how they were relating to each other. The protocols below are used in this and all the other diagrams in this book to map the relationships between the different parts of the system:
Chapter 2
First Pillar:
Use of Self
Use of self as a model for change has two parts: the group and yourself. The place to start is with the group you lead as a manager or facilitator. An organizational system that needs your help has three subparts or components: the group, the issue, and the source of the issue. The group could be the organization you lead or the client you support or the people you work with. Figure 2-1 is a simple digram to show these three components.
Figure 2-1
As a leader or consultant you are always alert for issues that need to be addressed. Any issue is really a symptom. You know symptoms are not the problem. The cause is the problem. Low morale, poor productivity, declining revenues, questionable