In the late 20th century, advances in philosophy and biology transformed our understanding of language and communication. These breakthroughs were largely influenced by the work of Fernando Flores in language and action, Richard Strozzi-Heckler in the discipline of Somatic Leadership, biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, continental philosopher Martin Heidegger, and linguist John Searle. Combined, these innovations form the foundation of our coaching practice.
At opusdynamic, our work goes beyond merely identifying strategies and understanding new skills. Our focus is upon developing and integrating new competencies into everyday operations. We strive to change the way people understand and interpret themselves and those around them by adopting new competencies through recurrent practices. That said, recurrence is only a part of the story. Whilst we deepen our new practices via recurrence, we build our awareness and become more competent observers by reflection. Reflection is a process of stepping back from our experiences and in a mood of inquiry, asking questions.
Whilst discoveries gleaned through reflection are important, on their own they don’t develop the capacity to recurrently engage in taking competent action. Engaging in relevant active, rigorous and dynamic practices coupled with reflection enables you to see and experience what works and what does not work. This is not an exercise in intellectual understanding. To practice is to take daily action that supports change and provides a discipline for incorporating and
strengthening new values, skills and character qualities. Both reflection and practice are essential to cultivating and embodying wisdom, developing appropriate levels of skill and moving more effectively.
We can’t overemphasize how much our biological structure conditions our actions or reactions in response to perturbations from our environment. We can act only as we are structured to act. As change often produces perturbation, learning can be viewed as biological restructuring. When we are novices, we use our brains to override our current structural conditioning and imprint new behavior patterns. When the new behavior is integrated into our biological structures – embodied into our limbic system – we no longer need to use our thinking brain to get the behavior; it happens automatically.
A good example is public speaking. You can read all the books and tips ever written on delivering an effective speech, but the only way to truly master the skill is to get in front of an audience and speak.The mind understands, the body learns.
Our coaching facilitates the embodiment of new competencies and lasting change. If you are willing to observe, question and change your thoughts and behaviors, you’re one step closer to adopting more effective leadership and management practices. The key to success isn’t just understanding—it’s empowering yourself to move more powerfully with integrity and dignity.