The term ‘feedback’ describes a mechanism in which the result of a process is fed back into the process itself in order to influence its future behaviour. These concepts were developed particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries when engineers and scientists were looking for ways to control systems such as machines or electrical circuits. This cybernetic feedback model was applied as a metaphor to human systems and has influenced thinking about performance improvement ever since. Today, feedback is used as a tool for coaching, continuous improvement and leadership development. This model sets clear, measurable goals, defines corrective actions and enables iterative improvement. It is based on a view that strongly resonates with the way we understand the human world - perhaps mirroring the logical, iterative processes we use in software development and systems management. While a feedback model based on cybernetics assumes a stable environment in which cause-and-effect chains are predictable and treats human development as just another system to be optimised, complex human interactions require a different approach. When dealing with intrinsic human qualities, emer
gent properties of non-linear processes and relationship dynamics, the model falls short.

Leadership Choices became the first German coaching company to join the global B Corp movement in March 2024 - what's that all about?

Well, I thought - why not ask them? At the end of February I facilitated a panel Q[&]A session in my role as Guildford Area Coordinator of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. On the panel were heads of HR, Learning and Development and Organisational Development from 3 multinationals based in and around the Guildford area. So, what are these buyers of coaching looking for? The key requirements seemed to me to be twofold – quality assurance and value for money.

Whenever people come together or work together, there can be situations where different 
viewpoints, interests, and needs collide. Sometimes this also leads to conflicts. A respectful 
approach to others may be a first step.

Recently, I described to a department head what happens during coaching. In response, he told me 
how he goes about handling his employees: he constantly must explain to them what they are 
supposed to do and how they should go about doing it. And how he would do all of this with the 
patience of an angel. Even the smallest, most mundane things, they can’t manage on their own, he 
told me. 

“We have tried it all” said the Head of Personnel and Communication when I asked her for the different formats of the yearly top management meeting in December. Impressive budgets, celebrity speakers, exotic locations, risky body work – the span ranges from a top athlete, who explains „how he made it to the top“ to highly emotional motivational speakers bouncing on stage in front of surprised managers, to a breakneck climbing trip or the breakout from a so-called Panic Room.

A conversation with David Ebermann

Executives often fall - after several years in the same position - internally sidelined and wait there for too long (for different reasons) before actively seeking the confrontation with their employer. The result: Most executives come to the conclusion that they should have tackled this issue much earlier.

"The future is female!" was the title Margarete Mitscherlich published in 1987. My father gave me the book for my diploma! What a prophecy!!!

Time for an interim balance 25 years later: is my and our future female?

In the late 80s I was one of the 32% female students. My eldest daughter is currently studying in Amsterdam, making her one of 55% of all students.

Resilience is the core competence for the time after the crisis. What we are currently learning is that plans don't work out, predictions don't come true, and priorities change by the hour.