I was lucky enough to be coached by John Whittington at two critical times in my career. Helping me understand and find my place in the constellations around me from both an organizational and personal perspective allowed me to make critical decisions. As a result, I felt able to move forward with confidence, in a different direction to one I might have taken had I been loyal to old patterns. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take up the invitation in this book to map your own system. John's clarity on the importance of respectful endings also has particular romance and I have used the learnings several times myself and with others, with resolving, positive impact. This is an invaluable book that is both a piece of thought leadership and a very practical guide. * Helen Hyde, Former Personnel Director, Waitrose, and Board Director, The John Lewis Partnership *
The fact that this book is now in its third edition is a testament to its value to coaches interested in systemic and embodied enquiry. John Whittington communicates with incisive simplicity the theory, methods and core practices of constellations, and helps make this powerful approach accessible and inviting . He also locates constellations within the broader panoply of systemic approaches to organizational coaching. I particularly welcome, in this edition, his greater focus on the centrality of belonging; of the origins of many patterns of relating taht come up at work, in our own family systems; and of the imperative of coaches doing our own inner work on 'self-as-instrument' of client outcomes. As an enriching companion-piece to support and explain experiential work with constellations, I highly recommend this book. * Ty Francis, PhD Coach, facilitator, filmmaker and author *
What I find particularly useful about this book is John Whittington's focus on the cycle of joining, belonging and leaving organizational systems. We spend so much energy as leaders, as members of organizational systems and as other kinds of professionals on the start. The recruitment, the incentives and the whole 'hoopla' of moving towards and into an organization. In fact, as John points out, it is attending respectfully to endings and leavings where both the dignity of the individual and the integrity of the field of the organizational system can be built and maintained. Since first working with this methodology some years ago I've continued to find the combination of the philosophy behind constellations and the very practical application of them in my development and the teams I lead very clarifying. * Sarah Weir, Chief Executive, Design Council, UK *
Working with constellations has impacted all aspects of my life. The process is visual and immediately actionable. Leading a creative business is about making things, being productive, constructive. For me this comes down to priorities, alignment of the system and allocation of time and energy - these are finite - and I have not experienced a more effective way to orient myself than this approach. The way I and my co-founders planned the business, went to market, talked with people, the way we executed. Everything became clearer and more aligned. Things changed at the level of the system. Ten years later and on another continent, the methodology described in this book is one that has resourced and clarified me, not just as a leader of an international business but as a human being. * Ben Wolstenholme, Founder and CEO, Madefire, San Francisco *
The simple, practical application of systemic constellations described in this book belies their hidden depths. They are immediately accessible while repaying much study and reflection; they are based on universal observable truths yet express the uniqueness of every human soul. With his gentle provocativeness, John Whittington engages us int his world of paradoxes, guides us through the jungle of uncertainty and delivers us safely into understanding. The genius of this book lies in John's ability to invite coaches and leaders from multiple contexts to see things differently. This third edition of a much-loved book charts the further development of John's thinking, confidence and voice. He is a thought-leader who is a delight to listen to and a joy to read. * Alison Hardingham, Coach, trainer, author and business psychologist *
I've recommended the previous editions of this book to many coaches I train because it's full of practical ways of working with the unspoken. This edition also goes further into the underlying thinking behind constellations which has some of its root in TA: acknowledging and working 'what is', transgenerational messages and loyalties, and co-created exchange systems with their out-of-awareness dynamics. I recommend this edition because it freshly emphasizes the importance of working with phenomenology, the human need to belong and organizational leaders' responsibility to take a systemic stance. It will be a benefit to all coaches who are curious about what clients will reveal to themselves when they are willing to work in the field of invisible dynamics, deeper than the social level of the coaching conversation. * Rosemary Napper, Coach, Training and Supervising Transactional Analyst *
