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This is a place where Gestalt and Social Constructionism meet. ‘Ge-what and what?’ Already confused? You could well be. I’ll have a go at explaining it. I discovered these words whilst studying organisational and coaching psychology. They arise out of a background, a field of research, experience and practice where psychology and philosophy dance together to create meaning. They have become words that I love, carrying all kinds of exciting insights, ideas and potential.
Yet my point is that they only hold meaning, evoke a response, against a backdrop. My experience and understanding could be very different to yours and that will influence what we each notice, what sense we make of it and how we feel when we encounter it. So, for instance, if you are feeling irritated now by my use of academic-sounding language, your focus is likely to be on me, on my words, rather than on the personal background and experiences that influence your reaction. Gestalt describes this phenomenon as ‘Figure’ – for argument’s sake, the thing we notice, that is holding our attention, in the moment, and ‘Ground’ – the background to the ‘Figure’ that we are not noticing. Similarly, Social Constructionism proposes that it’s the hidden subconscious backdrop of our beliefs, values, interests, experiences etc. that create meaning and make sense of that which we notice and focus on. And, for most of the time – the background is completely invisible to us. So here are some ideas: You’re leading a team and people get stuck, fixated on an issue. Why is it so important to them? Check out the invisible backdrop as a way of resolving it. You’re facilitating an organisation through change and things start to feel derailed. Surface underlying cultural constructs and assumptions to enable a shift. You’re coaching a client who presents an issue, a relationship, as if it exists in a vacuum. Explore the invisible context, the ‘what else’, to create a solution.
66 Comments
leila
23/7/2016 02:51:55 pm
Thank you Nick for the article. Very interesting on both the 'academic-sounding language', as well as on the personal perception.
Nick Wright
23/7/2016 05:40:22 pm
Hi Leila and thank you for sharing such profound reflections. I'm intrigued by your comments about the 'shadow' (Jung), particularly in terms of turning the shadow into gold. I wonder if the shadow forms the backdrop to the light (and vice versa)..? In other words, does the light exist and hold meaning only against the backdrop of (in this case, in contrast to) the dark - and vice versa too? What do you think? On a related theme, you may be interested in this short piece: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/shadow All the best. Nick
leila
23/7/2016 06:02:06 pm
Absolutely Nick. Knowledge through its paradox is essential.
Nick Wright
23/7/2016 06:09:09 pm
Hi Leila. Now I'm even more interested to hear more. Do you have any examples of what that could entail in practice? Thanks! All the best. Nick
Michael Will
23/7/2016 06:04:33 pm
After the lack of success with formal, objective, symbolic reasoning, general artificial intelligence research is now turning to subjective, experiential constructionism. I see a lot of parallels between OD and AI.
Nick Wright
23/7/2016 06:07:27 pm
Hi Michael and thanks for posting such a fascinating response! I haven't heard of that parallel before. Can you say a bit more? Do you have any examples in mind to illustrate what it could look like in practice? All the best. Nick
Michael Will
23/7/2016 08:14:08 pm
Two blurbs I've written touch on these subjects, although they don't directly address OD vs AI:
Nick Wright
23/7/2016 08:14:40 pm
Thanks Michael! All the best. Nick
Richard John Barr
23/7/2016 08:05:49 pm
Love this nick -I would like to add a little to this if you don't mind - my thoughts are taking me in an interesting direction when I am reading this - as coaches we normally put our ego or IDD to one side and act as the catalyst as I have said before - a simple step I have always used to see the invisible as you call it. is C A R - C = context A= action R = result I have also made a simple poem up to link a few things up in this step - look at a star = Situation - Task - Action -Result put it into CAR- and always be in a BAD mood to do it BAD= Belief-Action - Desire - would love you're feedback on this - Rick
Nick Wright
23/7/2016 08:12:58 pm
Hi Richard and thanks for sharing some great acronyms! :) I think that elements such as Context, Situation, Belief etc. would certainly help to bring the backdrop into view. Action and Result do too - more subtly so, e.g. 'What would constitute success here?' says something about the beliefs, values, culture etc. of the context. Do you have any examples from experience of using CAR, STAR and/or BAD that you would be happy to share to show what it can look like in practice? All the best. Nick
Sarah Clark
23/7/2016 09:04:37 pm
Great article Nick.
Nick Wright
23/7/2016 09:05:59 pm
Thanks Sarah! All the best. Nick
Cath Norris, MA, BA, Dip Couns
24/7/2016 09:10:31 am
Hi Nick, I love your encouragement to explore context with folks. :)
Nick Wright
24/7/2016 09:17:04 am
Thanks Cath. I think what you share points to a really interesting use of self in coaching and how that which we experience with the client in the 'field' (another great Gestalt insight!) could point to significant factors in the client context, not simply in the client themselves. (Factor sounds too clinical, but I'm struggling to find a better word). You reminded me of this short piece I wrote a while ago that, I think, resonates with your insights on and approach to this: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/listening-for-a-voice Let me know what that evokes for you? All the best. Nick
Cath Norris, MA, BA, Dip Couns
24/7/2016 09:53:28 am
Lovely Nick, I love the way you've so clearly identified the voices which we are listening for. It resonates with some of my Process work learning. The 'voice of God' is related to as the 'essence level', where confusion ceases and there is a resounding sense of oneness - which reminds me of the work by David Mearns on relational depth.
Nick Wright
24/7/2016 09:57:55 am
Thanks Cath. I think the notions of body and sentience you describe here resonate very well with Gestalt notions of sensation and field. Do you have any examples from experience where you have drawn on this kind of insight to raise awareness and insight into the client's wider context? All the best. Nick
Cheryl Hudgins
24/7/2016 09:24:23 am
Socratic questioning
Nick Wright
24/7/2016 09:26:52 am
Thanks Sarah. What kind of Socratic questions might you pose to enable the client to explore that which - until now - lays invisible in the client's subconscious and wider cultural context? All the best. Nick
Aldo Delli Paoli
24/7/2016 11:13:19 am
Very enjoyable and well-written article.
Nick Wright
24/7/2016 11:14:12 am
Hi Aldo and thank you for your kind and encouraging feedback. All the best. Nick
Cath Norris, MA, BA, Dip Couns
24/7/2016 11:20:21 am
Yes Nick, working with a young guy who felt disconnected from his feelings, I noticed that when he did talk from his feelings there was a disconnect, a kind of sideways jump occurring around his heart as he brought them to the surface. I had a distinct, visceral sense of this in my own body but couldn't have clearly named the physical cues, they were very subtle, it was more of an internal energetic shift that I was noticing in my own body. I fed it back and it brought up the moment and circumstances of his disconnection which he was able to acknowledge and move through.
Nick Wright
24/7/2016 11:27:19 am
Thanks Cath. I can see that as an example of intrapersonal awareness and shift for the client. It makes me wonder what 'disconnected from feelings' could also reveal about the client's situation, e.g. a cultural environment (e.g. family, work) where emotion (or expression of it) is not valued or is discouraged or frowned upon. This is of interest to me as an OD practitioner and coach because, where patterns in such experiences become apparent, it can point to something in a wider team or organisational culture that could be worth paying attention to too. All the best. Nick
Cath Norris, MA, BA, Dip Couns
24/7/2016 12:53:14 pm
Yes Nick, exactly. In this instance the client was addressing issues on an intra-personal level but transpose this to a group setting and the underlying themes take on a much broader context - isolated parenting and it's impact on children, the cultural social field and dominant paradigms informing this belief system, the collective implications...
Fabio Polese
24/7/2016 12:54:48 pm
Nice Nick. in my work two things proved to be effective over and over again in the situations you described: context and assumptions. challenging the latter is something you already mentioned. as for the former, taking a step back to look at the bigger picture always helps, at least in clarifying the importance of an activity towards reaching the end goal.
Nick Wright
24/7/2016 01:01:23 pm
Thanks Fabio. Yes, paying attention to the bigger picture can be useful and informative. One of the interesting challenges is knowing - if that is possible - what the bigger picture is. We select certain information as significant and important and create a narrative around it to provide a sense of coherence. The inherent issue in this is that we select on the basis of presuppositions we already hold. I think this is where insights from social constructionism can be so important. Is the bigger picture something that is intrinsically 'there' - in which case our endeavour is to discover it - or it it something we create and construe - in which case our endeavour is to create one that works for us. What do you think? All the best. Nick
Thea Khama
24/7/2016 05:53:09 pm
It is the experienced intention of listening for your clientele's listening, in other words, their bigger perspective... Or perspective or feeling prompting what they are saying.
Nick Wight
24/7/2016 06:07:53 pm
Many thanks, Thea. I think, 'Why you think it is so important we focus on this' is a great question. A slight rephrasing could be something like: 'What could the fact you are raising this here and now tell us about the wider context you are operating in at the moment?' For example, a supervision client once approached me to ask if I would help them to write a strategy document for their organisation. I responded that, yes, I could do it. However, I also inquired into why the client was bringing it to me rather than, say, to their own leader. At first they looked surprised...then they explained that they were struggling badly in their relationship with the leader. I asked, therefore, whether they would like us to focus on the strategy or on their relationship with their leader. They responded, 'My relationship with my leader'. It was as if the relationship with the leader provided the invisible backdrop to what they were bringing to me. This simple inquiry made the invisible visible. In Gestalt language, the 'Ground' now became 'Figure' and shifted the entire focus of our work together and what it enabled as a result. All the best. Nick
Janelle Davidson
25/7/2016 08:23:34 am
A timely article when our new organisation is experiencing change at every turn. Thank you penning and sharing this.
Nick Wright
25/7/2016 08:31:56 am
Thanks Janelle. :)
Michael G. Sheppard
25/7/2016 05:29:03 pm
That is truly the biggest challenge teachers face today. There are a multitude of problems going in our students' lives. In order to overcome them, educators need to see the invisible wall, or gap, that is preventing them from reaching that level of excellence.
Nick Wright
25/7/2016 05:35:17 pm
Thanks Michael. I think the challenge you mention poses really interesting and important questions for educators and educational establishments, e.g. 'What are we here to do?', 'What is our role in relation to the student?', 'What is influencing students' abilities to achieve their potential?', 'Where are the boundaries for us as educators?', 'What other agencies do we need to work with to ensure student support, challenge and success?' etc. Some of these questions relate to specific individual student circumstances; some to the wider systems of which students, educators and institutions are a part. All the best. Nick
Joaquim Saramago
26/7/2016 08:10:21 pm
Portanto o todo é a soma das partes..maybe one new model social..Geo-social. Invisible in one context at resolution at conflicts.
Nick Wright
26/7/2016 08:10:52 pm
Thanks Joaquim. 'The whole is the sum of the parts'. I think that's a great way of thinking about interdependencies in human systems. All the best. Nick
ANIL SAINI ( PhD.MBA.PGDM.DIS.DME.NCVT)
26/7/2016 08:12:03 pm
Wondrful.
Nick Wright
26/7/2016 08:12:38 pm
Thank you, Anil. All the best. Nick
Alubba Fenix
27/7/2016 10:21:57 am
Nice post Nick. There is a great quote that I feel encapsulates a lot of the thinking in this area - "Everyone interprets everything in terms of his own experience. If you say anything which does not touch a precisely similar spot in another man's brain, he either misunderstands you, or doesn't understand you at all."
Nick Wright
27/7/2016 10:27:33 am
Thanks Alubba. There are interesting parallels in NLP, e.g. vis a vis mental maps. When I did my theological studies, I remember Peter Cotterell, the Principal, talking about 'presuppositional pools'. The idea is that what we hear, notice, interpret, understand etc. is always influenced and filtered by what we already believe. Different people and groups have different presuppositional pools - hence the risk of not undestanding or misunderstanding, even if a common language is used. It's one reason why e.g. humour is sometimes difficult to use cross-culturally. All the best. Nick
Dr. Brent Oberholtzer
27/7/2016 10:29:17 am
Sometimes the answer is both and which throws off a lot of consultants in their practice. When we are asked for or only looking for the response we miss the point of " both, and".
Nick Wright
27/7/2016 10:38:55 am
Thanks Brent. Interestingly, in Gestalt psychology, it is very difficult to see both 'figure' and 'ground' at the same time because each is a question of perception and, in effect, exists in the context of or in contrast to the other. This is where images such as the famous 'Is it a duck or a rabbit?' can be a useful illustration. We can switch our focus, our interpretation, to see one or the other but it can be very hard to see both at the same time. Social constructionism adds an interesting dimension to this by adding that the image of 'duck' or 'rabbit' that we perceive is socially and culturally constructed. That is, people from a different culture that had no awareness or experience of 'duck' or 'rabbit' may see something completely different in the same image. So a valuable 'both, and' approach can be (a) to find ways to shift our focus between figure and ground and (b) to consider what that which we perceive says about our existing personal and cultural beliefs and assumptions - and that could be open to useful exploration challenge. Does that make sense? All the best. Nick
Ravi Vyas
27/7/2016 01:21:06 pm
Awesome. While I have no background in psychology, I can sure appreciate the way you explain the concept. In my cryptic way, I visualize this as peeling the onion. Only the coach cannot peel it, but has to get the client to do so for himself / herself.
Nick Wright
27/7/2016 01:27:17 pm
Many thanks Ravi. The onion is a really interesting metaphor. From a Gestalt perspective, you could ask, perhaps: 'As we focus on the onion, what are we not noticing that that could explain why the onion is the focus of our attention? ' From a social constructionist perspective, we could ask, say: 'What does the meaning and value we attribute to the onion reveal to us about this cultural context?' Does that make sense? All the best. Nick
Biodun Naomi Bamgboye
27/7/2016 09:52:23 pm
Understanding the invisible and learning how to manage it can make the difference between success and collapse of an organisation. There is so much hidden value that organisations and companies don't recognise and therefore don't manage and use, and these include experiences, education, networks, beliefs, interests, culture etc. Combining the practise of organisational development with an understanding of Intellectual/Intangible capital management gives one into a deeper insight and understanding into what you describe here so aptly.
Nick Wright
27/7/2016 09:57:50 pm
Hi Biodun and thanks for the note. Yes, if people in an organisation can be enabled to notice what they are noticing, paying attention to, prioritising etc. and, conversely, what they are not noticing - including cultural dynammics, untapped potential etc - it can make a very big difference. A challenge can be to do this well as people and organisations sometimes choose, albeit subconsciously, to not-see or find themselves so fixated on conventional ways of seeing things that they struggle to see outside of them. Does that make sense? All the best. Nick
Biodun Naomi Bamgboye
28/7/2016 11:15:37 am
Certainly makes sense Nick, it is a challenge for the OD consultant first to train our eyes to recognise the value of those intangibles and then to challenge the organisation/business to see them as well by using their own experiences and stories that reflect this which many times they have subconsciously blocked out.
Miranda Whitamore
28/7/2016 10:47:12 am
In a similar situation, I heard someone ask "How is it the sideshow is taking over the main event?". Rather blunt, but it surfaced the issues and refocused the discussion.
Nick Wright
28/7/2016 11:08:19 am
Thanks Miranda. I really like that 'sideshow vs main event' question. It raises so many other interesting questions that could usefully be explored further. Here are some examples:
Eric Lynn
28/7/2016 12:44:36 pm
Paradoxical Questioning ...
Nick Wright
28/7/2016 12:46:27 pm
Thanks Eric. When I read your note, Buddhist koans came to mind. Do you have any examples of 'paradoxical questions' you could share? How might it be to share them without sharing them? ;) All the best. Nick
Eric Lynn
28/7/2016 02:57:54 pm
Ah koans ... the ultimate in subtlety! A couple of immediate thoughts: (1) Which Question am I afraid of asking? Why? (2) The classical happy hippos in the mud metaphor ... What do I/we need to do to ensure that nothing changes?
Nick Wright
28/7/2016 02:58:25 pm
Thanks Eric. Great questions! :) All the best. Nick
Teri Johnson
31/7/2016 12:36:13 pm
One question I ask to get under the surface: "What is important to you about that?"
Nick Wright
31/7/2016 12:39:56 pm
Thanks Teri. I often pose a similar question: 'What matters most to you in this?' We can extend that to wider culture and context by following that line of exploration further, e.g. 'What makes this so important to you?', 'What does it reveal about your personal and cultural values?', 'Why this, why now?' etc. All the best. Nick
Teri Johnson
31/7/2016 08:32:00 pm
These kinds of conversations have made me much less interested in small talk - the people who are willing to really look at themselves and go deep are much more interesting to me these days. Thanks for posing the question.
leila
1/8/2016 12:40:30 pm
i see that we're back full circle to the first ideas thrown into this interesting exchange of ideas Nick.
Nick Wright
1/8/2016 03:18:35 pm
Thanks Leila. Yes, it was you who introduced me to koans! I'm intrigued by your comment: 'Self or Organizations; it is an invitation for the specific to dive into the collective.' Can you say a bit more about what you mean, perhaps with an example to illustrate what it could look like in practice? All the best. Nick
Katherine Hyslop
1/8/2016 02:50:17 pm
Sociology ! Sociological thinking! Yes - very interesting to see ideas migrate and have useful application in other areas of thought. Coaching principally focuses on the individual of course however context and social construct has deep significant meaning for the way an individual behaves responds ; values beliefs etc
Nick Wright
1/8/2016 03:02:30 pm
Hi Katherine. Yes, there are clear parallels and insights between fields such as sociology and organisation development. My sense is that conventional ideas in both fields are being challenged by social constructionism which is, in my view, a very good thing! I agree that coaching tends to focus on the individual - although I'm noticing a more recent shift towards team coaching too - and yet an exploration of wider influences can be so beneficial. As an example of a coaching case study that starts to shift focus from intrapersonal issues to wider contextual issues, you may find this short piece interesting..? http://www.nick-wright.com/what-is-really-going-on-here.html All the best. Nick
Katherine Hyslop
1/8/2016 03:31:14 pm
Yes Nick thanks All very relevant. Dare I venture to suggest that deeper sociological thinking would strain the very notion of how we predominantly ''think' / '' process'' eg ''problem-solving''. We may think we are sufficiently adaptable as to eg embrace other ''models''. Humans are unable to be for example: truly value free. 2 plus 2 = 4 yes but if we pick up the themes in your article clearly our ''value free'' state is severely challenged. The very thought path ways we tread eg ''team building '' and ''values and beliefs'' etc are themselves social constructs emanating from within a wider construction which is social; and all that such entails but yes - I think it is useful to cross pollinate and etc.,; thanks for sharing!! I do believe that Sociological thinking has much to contribute / challenge Thanks K R Katherine.
Nick Wright
1/8/2016 03:37:19 pm
Thanks Katherine. I think you expressed social constructionism very well! If I was being playful, I would challenge '2 plus 2 equals 4' as a socially-constructed idea that holds true in mathematics but not necessarily in other areas. :) Are you familiar with Kenneth Gergen's and Vivien Burr's work in this area? I find them so incredibly insightful, challenging and inspiring. All the best. Nick
Yosara Geerlings
2/8/2016 01:28:56 pm
I find that Clean Questions (Clean Language) work well to find out about the invisible experience of anything ..
Nick Wright
2/8/2016 01:30:28 pm
Thanks for the note, Yosara. Do you have any examples from experience that you would be willing to share with us to illustrate what the clean questions approach could look like in practice - particularly in terms of surfacing the 'invisible'? Thanks! All the best. Nick
Eric Lynn
2/8/2016 02:05:10 pm
Yosara: What exactly do you mean by "Clean Questions"? I've never heard the term before.
Mark Molitor
3/8/2016 10:53:17 am
Thanks for sharing this clear and practical explanation of the theory Nick. Learning (and as a coach, teaching) mindfulness practices certainly assists with recognising that there's background in play and then helps in openly exploring that too.
Nick Wright
3/8/2016 11:03:44 am
Hi Mark and thanks for the note. Do you have any practical examples of using mindfulness to illuminate the background that you would be happy to share? I'd love to hear more.
Yosara Geerlings
8/8/2016 10:06:56 am
Hi, I have been on a holiday, there for this belated reply. Clean Language is a technique that explores what happens in the unconscious thinking through asking about metaphors. It is a technique that keeps the experience of a client in tact or clean. A question like: "what is most important" assumes that there must be something most important. Clean Questions are clean of any kind of assumptions. For example: and when ....(their words) what is that like? or: and what happens when ... (their words) or: and is there any thing else about ...(their words). A book: Metaphors in Mind by Penny Tompkins and James Lawley. And I do organize online training for coaches that would like to add Clean Language to their coaching pallet.
Nick Wright
8/8/2016 10:17:54 am
Thanks Yosara - and welcome back! Hope you had a good holiday. :) I feel drawn to the clean questions idea...although I'm not entirely convinced that any language or intervention is ever entirely 'clean' or assumption-free - but I'm open to be challenged (in a clean way) on that! Leave a Reply. |
Nick WrightI'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? Get in touch! 
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