Learning as a Student
I regularly reflect on my time as a social work student in the early 1990s. It was a wonderful period of learning and discovery. The course was groundbreaking in its use of experimental ways of learning—placements, reflective journalling, guest speakers, and video recording of group work.
Tony Vinson’s work in Wilful Obstruction—his experiences as the Corrective Services Commissioner—is a great case study into change and transition in the NSW Public Sector. Vinson’s work as a change leader and prison reformer was decades ahead of its time.
The key takeaway from the course was the need to link the individual or group to the broader system. This approach provided a framework to guide interactions in both a group and individual context. It also worked in reverse, informing the social worker about the nature of the interaction they were having with the individual or group in context. It seems very simple, but at the time it was a great innovation.
Discovering Virginia Satir
In all my time as a social worker, I had not heard of Virginia Satir. That may have had something to do with a bias towards British and European social theory. I came across the Satir model through the Lean Change network and by reading Gerry Weinberg. Daryl Conner has also mentioned the huge influence Virginia Satir had on his career in change management. This is unsurprising, because social work is built on supporting individuals and small groups as they navigate complex systems.
The Satir Change Model Explained
The Satir model consists of three distinct phases: late-stage status quo, chaos, and new status quo. Each phase is bounded by events.
Late-stage status quo is disrupted by a foreign element—an event that either forces the system into chaos or prompts an attempt to return to the old ways of operating. Chaos is a challenging period where energy and output are often low, because the system is searching for a new way of coping or working.
Experimentation is crucial during this time. It is through experimentation that an innovating idea emerges, propelling the system forward into a new status quo.
My Personal Connection
Personally, the Satir model resonates with me. The family dynamics I grew up in bounced around in late-stage status quo for many years before the foreign element of my father’s job loss plunged the family into chaos and, ultimately, over time into a new status quo. More recently, my journey from salaried employee to change consultant has loosely followed the Satir change curve.
Applying the Model in Practice
This week I used the Satir model in two facilitated workshops.
In the first, with a start-up, I used the model to support the organisation to develop a unifying story from individual stories of late-stage status quo and chaos. Following the Satir model in our storytelling delivered some profound—and galvanising—insights into the innovative idea at the heart of this company.
In the second workshop, the model was used to help the organisation understand both individual and group responses to change. This more descriptive journey of the change curve, and the power of experimentation during chaos, provided the participants with many light-bulb moments.
Closing Reflection
The versatility and efficacy of this model is profound because it is steeped in thousands of personal and group stories. It remains one of the most human and practical frameworks I’ve ever used in guiding change.
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