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September

JAN 11 & 12, 2024

NO TRAVEL NEEDED

NO TRAVEL

GUEST EXPERTS

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

LEARN & NETWORK

LEARN & CONNECT

Welcome


On January 11 and 12, 2024, the Systems-Centered® Research and Training Institute (SCTRI) will host the first international, online conference focused on organization development applications of Systems-Centered Theory (SCT®) developed by Yvonne M. Agazarian.

In this experiential conference, expert organizational development consultants and their client partners will engage participants to explore how SCT methods create an experience of collaboration and belonging that leads to high performance.

The Systems-Centered approach offers an effective way for organizations, teams, and individuals to build strong systems. Systems-Centered training is based on a theory of living human systems. With its unique method, SCT enables individuals to understand and influence living human systems in a way that builds belonging, adaptability, and efficiency in teams and organizations. Participants learn to take up their role as agents of change, for themselves and as members of their teams and organizations.

The conference expressly welcomes participants who will learn about applying SCT at work for the first time. It also offers exciting new insights for those who already have been working with the theory and methodology. Exploring the system dynamics of collaboration and its impact on organizational performance is relevant to many functional roles, including senior executives, mid-level managers, internal change agents, external consultants and coaches, and of course all team members. All are welcome and stand to benefit from this unique conference.

To participate in an SCT conference is to become a part of a “living human system.” A hallmark of the SCT method is the balance of didactic and experiential work. Each workshop will include an expert-led introduction of an SCT method or client case-study and a facilitated Systems-Centered exploration of the impact on workshop participants in their work contexts. There will also be experiential plenary Conference-as-a-Whole sessions at the end of each conference day. In this event, participants from all workshops come together to integrate their conference experiences. The result is an inclusive, leader and group-led approach to learning. Participate, belong, and explore how the theory of living human systems can develop and transform your world.

About SCTRI

The Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute (SCTRI) is a non-profit organization that supports training and research in the systems-centered approach. We are an international association of over 230 members from around the world and most of what we do is done by action groups of volunteer members. Our members include therapists, organizational consultants, pastoral educators, managers, educators, administrators, and curious people. Learn more at www.systemscentered.com

Conference Overview

8:45 - 9:00

Day 1, Conference Welcome and Kick-Off 

  • Peter Kunneman and Patricia Aerts, Conference Co-Directors
9:00 - 10:15

Day 1, Session 1 Options:

  • Decision-Making in Teams: How Does Using SCT's Functional Subgrouping Make a Difference? (Part 1 of 4). Presenter: Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D.
  • Maps for Taking Our Roles in Organizations (Part 1 of 2). Presenter: Rowena Davis, MSc
  • Impact of Survival Roles in Leadership and Management. Presenters: Annie MacIver, MA and Hella Ritz, Drs.
  • Strengthening Membership Behavior: An SCT Perspective on Self-Managing Organizations. Presenters: Diederick Janse, MSc and Erik Slotboom, MSc

Day 2, Session 1 Options:

  • Decision-Making in Teams: How Does Using SCT's Functional Subgrouping Make a Difference? (Part 3 of 4). Presenter: Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D.
  • Leveraging the Overlooked Power of Team Membership in Organizations. Presenters: Patricia Aerts, BA and Janneke Maas, MSc, BA
  • Optimizing Integration of Differences at Work. Presenter: Daniel Nordlander
  • Freeing Energy for Work - 4 Levels of System Interventions. Presenters: Jobbeke de Jong and Mark Bouman, MSc
10:15 - 10:45

Day 1, Break 1

Day 2, Break 1

10:45 - 12:00 PM

Day 1, Session 2 Options:

  • Decision-Making in Teams: How Does Using SCT's Functional Subgrouping Make a Difference? (Part 2 of 4). Presenter: Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D.
  • Maps for Taking Our Roles in Organizations (Part 2 of 2). Presenter: Rowena Davis, MSc
  • Vectoring the Flow of Fight Energy to the Team Goal. Presenter: Peter Kunneman and Hella Ritz, Drs.
  • Stress and Our Brain at Work - Neuroaffective and SCT Perspectives. Presenter: Mike Maher

Day 2, Session 2 Options:

  • Decision-Making in Teams: How Does Using SCT's Functional Subgrouping Make a Difference? (Part 4 of 4). Presenter: Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D.
  • Hierarchical IntelligenceTM (HQ): The Importance of Role, Goal, Context for the Partnership Between Executive and Senior Leadership Teams. Presenters: Michelle Lynskey, Ph.D. and Beulah Trey, Ph.D.
  • Using SCT in Your Daily Work. Presenter: Alida Zweidler-McKay, MBA
  • 10 Minute Coaching - A Practical Tool for System Development. Presenter: Katarina Billman, MS
  • Client Panel: Exploring the Impact of Using SCT. Presenters: Bernd Postma, MBA and Peter Kunneman
12:00 - 12:45

Day 1, Break 2

Day 2, Break 2

12:45 - 2:00

Day 1, Session 3:

  • Conference-as-a-Whole Group (Part 1 of 2). Presenters: Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D.; Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych; and Mike Maher, MA, PGCE

Day 2, Session 3:

  • Conference-as-a-Whole Group (Part 2 of 2). Presenters: Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D.; Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych; and Mike Maher, MA, PGCE

Scholarship Sponsors

Frequently Asked Questions


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The registration fee includes the entire conference. You are welcome and encouraged to attend as many sessions as you can.
The conference is designed to welcome all experience levels - including those who are learning about Systems-Centered Theory for the first time. Some workshops are designed to introduce and practice using foundational concepts, such as functional subgrouping. Other workshops will focus on the application of SCT methods in a way that is relatable for all participants.
The Large Group is open to all conference attendees where we will work together using SCT methods to explore our experiences in this large group. Large group provides a context to see how larger system dynamics influence all of us and how large groups can contain and integrate differences, both vital in organizational life.
You can learn more about systems-centered training by visiting these websites:

Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute (SCTRI)
SCT-Netherlands
SCTUK
SCT-Sweden

These books are also excellent resources:

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (Eds.) (2005). SCT in action: Applying the systems-centered approach in organizations. New York, NY: iUniverse. Reprint (2006). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Kunneman, P., & Nordhauzen, P. (2022). Leve het Team, Groepsdynamiek: van boosdoener tot bondgenoot. Amsterdam: Boom Publisher (in Dutch).

Sundlin, A.-L., & Sundlin, P. (2014). Taking up your role: How to shift between life and work without losing yourself. Cambridge, MA: Catalyst Communications Press.
No. However, a Certificate of Completion can be provided. Please contact Kathy Lum at admin@systemscentered.com
Yes. We are offering scholarships and you can apply when you register. You will be asked a few questions about your circumstances and goals for attending. You can register and defer payment until the applications are reviewed and scholarships are awarded in December. The deadline for applying is December 1.
The Conference Organizing system welcomes financial support from individuals and organizations who wish to underwrite scholarships for conference participants with limited financial means. Conference sponsorship (with website recognition) begins at $500 for a single conference participant. We welcome your sponsorship at any amount. If you are interested, please contact admin@systemscentered.com