Systemic coaching: What is it and how does it differ from other forms?

Compared to traditional coaching, systemic coaching takes a broader view, considering the larger system in which individuals operate. Authors Prof. Peter Hawkins and Eve Turner argue that coaching must now “step up to deliver value to all the stakeholders of the coachee—including those they lead, colleagues, investors, customers, partners, their local community, and the wider ecology.”

While traditional coaching—as defined by Anthony Grant—aims to “facilitate the enhancement of life experience and goal attainment in the personal and professional life of non-clinical clients,” systemic coaching expands this framework. It includes the wider ecosystem surrounding the individual, adding an important new dimension to the coaching process.

What Is Systemic Coaching?

Coach and author John Whittington defines systemic coaching as “an approach to coaching which coaches the individual client or team with the system in mind—exploring the part in the whole, and the whole in the part—to unlock the potential and performance of both.”

By acknowledging the broader system (e.g. organization, team, industry), systemic coaching offers context and deeper insights. Rooted in systems theory, which explores how elements interact within a whole, systemic coaching encourages clients to reflect on the dynamics and relationships in their environment—not just their own behavior.

While there are different approaches, the core idea remains the same: systemic coaching helps individuals and teams understand their place within larger systems and how these systems influence outcomes.

How Does Systemic Coaching Work?

While implementation can vary, most systemic coaching engagements include three core elements:

1. Applying a systemic perspective
2. Illustrating the system
3. Aligning individual and organizational goals

1. Apply a Systemic Perspective

Systemic coaching can be applied in both one-on-one and team settings. It’s not the same as team or organizational coaching, although it includes those dimensions. The key difference is the mindset: systemic coaching views individuals within the context of the systems they are part of—teams, departments, organizations, and beyond.

Every team is itself a system and part of broader systems (industry, culture, regulations). Systemic coaching acknowledges these layers to enhance self-awareness and group effectiveness.

2. Illustrate the System

A common method used in systemic coaching is system mapping, often through a practice called constellations. Coachees are invited to visually represent the system they operate in—using sticky notes, physical objects, or drawings—to identify relationships, tensions, and influence points.

In one-on-one settings, these maps may include key stakeholders and forces. In team sessions, the whole group collaborates to map their internal and external environment. According to Whittington, this technique helps surface the "inner picture" of the system and reveal hidden relationship dynamics.

3. Align Individual and Organizational Goals

Systemic coaching also focuses on aligning the goals of the individual with those of the wider organization. Executive coach Paul Lawrence notes that a systemic approach helps avoid “over-simplistic analyses and solutions.”

Rather than treating personal goals in isolation, systemic coaching encourages collaboration and alignment—leading to more integrated and sustainable outcomes.

What Are the Benefits of Systemic Coaching?

Traditional coaching is well-known for its positive return on investment (ROI), with studies showing it boosts confidence, job satisfaction, goal attainment, and overall wellbeing. Organizations benefit through higher engagement, improved retention, and increased revenue.

Systemic coaching builds on this foundation by addressing:

Tackling System Dynamics

Systemic coaching helps individuals confront deeper, systemic challenges such as dysfunctional team behavior, organizational silos, and internal conflict. As Whittington puts it in Systemic Coaching and Constellations, “Working only at the level of the individual means you may remove the symptom, but the dynamic—if it belongs to the system—will simply re-emerge.”

Improving Organizational Health

Traditional coaching often focuses on individual wellbeing. Systemic coaching, however, also evaluates the health of the organization itself. Whittington states, “In a healthy system, everyone who has contributed is acknowledged and the history of the system is spoken about—including the difficulties.” Healthy systems foster psychological safety, trust, motivation, and long-term success.

Getting Started with Systemic Coaching

If you're looking to improve collaboration, innovation, psychological safety, or retention, systemic coaching might be the right approach. Coaches like CoachHub’s Doris Friedl, a certified systemic integration coach, offer this expertise.

Friedl uses a blend of systemic constructivist methods, Carl Rogers’ client-centered approach, and techniques from Milton H. Erickson’s hypnotherapy. When choosing a systemic coach, consider asking:

• What methods and coaching techniques do you use?
  Look for experience with systemic or integrative approaches that include systems thinking.
• What is your coaching expertise?
  Coaches should ideally have training in systemic approaches such as Integrative Systemic Coaching.
• What type of systemic coaching experience do you bring?
  Ensure they’ve worked with individuals or organizations on the specific issues you're facing.

The Role of Systemic Coaching Today

Systemic coaching is a relatively new discipline, emerging from the family therapy movement of the 1960s and 70s. Authors like Whittington (2012) and Hawkins & Turner (2021) have brought it into the business world—expanding how we think about coaching's potential.

Jonathan Passmore has gone further, integrating systemic coaching into a broader framework that combines humanistic, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and systemic methods to create an Integrated Coaching model.

Compared to traditional coaching, systemic coaching offers a deeper, more interconnected approach. It’s especially valuable for leaders and organizations looking to create meaningful change—not just at the individual level, but across entire systems.

If you want to deliver value not just to coachees, but to teams, organizations, and wider stakeholders—systemic coaching might be the solution you’re looking for.