We have found that the more the following principles are allowed to inform our work with the client... the more our 'integrated, minimal intervention' approach becomes possible... and the more successful we are likely to be in helping clients to lead and deliver sustainable change:

• Respectful, authentic contracting: Contract with the head of the business as 'partners', building a strong relationship while also focusing on actual business needs. Use his/her authority and sponsorship carefully to progress the work - while also forming authentic relationships with other key leaders.
  
  
• Focused, productive diagnostic: Make any diagnostic phase as sharp and focused as possible - and conduct it not as 'experts', but as a dialogue that generates productive discussion and relationships, which in turn actually starts the process of changing dynamics and opening up new possibilities.
  
  
• Balancing structured and emergent change: Adopt an optimal balance between a structured, programmatic approach, providing a helpful rhythm and pace to the work, and an emergent approach, such that the work is always seen to be connected to the issues and energy of the day – and is seen to be responsive to feedback.
  
  
• Working at both systemic and personal levels: Understand that ‘behaviours’ are often deeply rooted in underlying ‘systemic’ factors such as loyalties to the historical, ‘tectonic plates’ of an organisation. This means that as well as the more usual ‘cognitive’, coaching approach to leadership development, there is a need to provide ‘experiences’ that illuminate – and enable leaders to collectively change - underlying structural blockages to behavioural change. In this way, the work becomes sustainable and self-propelling.
  
  
• Leverage leadership: Ensure leaders understand their responsibilities, are well positioned to deliver, and build their capability to support them to ‘step up’.
  
  
• Join up task and process: Make sure any work strongly focused on 'content' - such as strategy, planning, individual responsibilities etc. is complemented by work on 'process' eg. strengthening the human relationships and system dynamics necessary actually to deliver. Similarly, ensure that any 'development' work focused on eg. leadership styles, team relationships etc. includes due consideration of the actual business need and the 'real work’ to be faced.
  
  
• Refreshing interventions: Develop the license to surprise - while remaining grounded and respectful. This keeps our interventions fresh, and serves to continually open new channels of communication with those in the client system, while also growing their capacity to respond healthily and productively to change!