There are rules and habits in companies and organizations. In their overall construction, they generate “system processes” or “organizational habits”, i.e. rule-based repetitive automatisms. Destructive system processes are such organizational habits (control cycles) that have a self-destructive effect and are capable of causing lasting damage to the organization, even destroying it. Thus, negative energy in the system emanates from them.

For forward-thinking company managers, the following questions must be asked when it comes to the sustainable development of their organization:

1. How are destructive system processes (negative energies) identified in the company?
2. How are the most effective points of intervention identified?
3. How are destructive system processes effectively corrected (“disturbed”)?
4. How are constructive system dynamics (positive energies) released in the organization?
5. How are constructive system processes ensured in the long run?

The aim of systemic organizational development is to answer exactly these questions with the help of various methods of analysis by “mirroring”, “disturbance” and “learning”. These instruments help to positively influence the systemic landscape by breaking the regulatory cycles and promoting insight and willingness to innovate.

Often, the cycles are so well established and internalized that external support is needed to get to the bottom of the questions. Starting with an in-depth analysis of the system processes and dynamics via the conceptual response and implementation of all five concerns mentioned. The methods used here originate from the toolbox of systemic organizational development, which pursues the goal of “disturbing” systems in order to “break them up” for necessary innovations. The following table shows the necessary competencies of managers and employees caused by systemic organizational development.