A friend recently asked me, “Why System Work?”
He understood that "System" refers to the human system, but he was curious about "Work." What does it mean?
The answer depends on the context. At its core, it implies that navigating human systems—whether in families, workplaces, or communities—requires effort and intentionality. However, there's a deeper meaning that I’d like to highlight.
"System Work" also refers to the work that takes place during the course itself. And it’s not just the participants who are working; the facilitator and staffers are also engaged in their own critical work.
This post will focus on the work of the facilitator, with future posts exploring the work of staffers and participants.
The Facilitator’s Work
The facilitator’s work is often visible, but what kind of work are they actually doing to ensure participants’ learning?
Their primary responsibility is to serve the system, and this involves three key types of work.
1. Content
First, there’s content work. This is about delivering the material, but the effort behind creating that material is far from simple.
What participants see is the result of a deep synthesis of leadership models and experiences drawn from fields like Organizational Development (OD), Systems Thinking, Gestalt psychology, and coaching. These insights are gathered from diverse global perspectives, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Germany, Netherlands, Hungary, and South Africa.
It takes countless iterations to refine this material, which must be adaptable enough to meet the diverse needs of participants. The facilitator must be well-versed in all this knowledge to effectively serve every individual in the room.
All of this is then presented in a way that intentionally enhances the learning experience.
2. Task
Task work is about how the content is delivered and involves careful resource allocation:
- Time: How long should the lecture be? How much time for exercises or discussions? When do we take breaks, and for how long?
- Pacing: Should the facilitator slow down for one participant or keep the pace for the rest?
- Discussion: How many participants are in one group to deepen the learning? Is it a dyad, triad, quad, etc?
These choices affect how well the content resonates with the participants.
3. Maintenance
Finally, there’s maintenance work, which addresses the natural friction and fracture that arise within any diverse group.
One example is the one-on-one conversations that often happen after the course. Some participants might have lingering questions or want to dive deeper. It’s also crucial to check if any boundaries were unintentionally crossed during the course. If so, the facilitator must take care to address these moments and ensure closure.
Jokes and lightness can also be a form of maintenance. Whether easing initial tension or defusing a difficult moment mid-course, well-timed humor helps build rapport and keep the group cohesive.
Conclusion
Throughout the System Work course, the facilitator juggles these three types of work—content, task, and maintenance.
All three are equally important, and every decision must be made intentionally, as it will shape how the learning process unfolds.
PS: Interested in learning about the participants' work during the System Work course? Click here to find out.
