It all started with other coaches at the company. Lisa repeatedly observed how they approached problems using systemic methods and was inspired by their approach and the new perspectives it generated. This sparked a desire in her to learn more about these methods. Added to this was a thought that had been on her mind for some time: The traditional role of the scrum master is currently undergoing a noticeable shift. Many teams have long since stopped working strictly by the book, and what matters now is less about pure process knowledge and more about the ability to truly support people and teams - for example, during conflicts or in development phases.

The underlying principle can best be explained this way: Systemic coaching does not focus on individual people or isolated situations, but always on the bigger picture - that is, how people, teams, and structures are interconnected and influence one another. A conflict between two people is rarely just a conflict between two people. Most of the time, there’s an entire system behind it. It is precisely this perspective that has changed the most for Lisa as a result of her training. When something isn’t working somewhere, she now takes a closer look and asks herself what underlying connections might be at play.

The training itself lasted about a year, taking place once a week on Mondays and entirely remotely, which worked perfectly with her part-time job and family life. Lisa was able to count on empiriecom’s support both in terms of time and finances - something she didn’t take for granted, but rather something she truly appreciates.

Both professionally and personally, there were aspects that pushed her to her limits. She challenged herself the most: becoming more aware of her own patterns, strengths, and blind spots. Added to this were topics that border on the limits of coaching. For example, psychological stress ranging from burnout to more severe crises. Here, the focus was less on providing answers and more on understanding exactly where coaching ends and professional help must begin. And in doing so, learning to address difficult personal issues more openly rather than avoiding them.

In the end, what surprised her most was something else: how much more deeply she could apply methods she was already familiar with from her day-to-day work. Much of what was familiar to her suddenly took on a whole new meaning when viewed through a systemic lens. In the end, this shifted her own way of thinking more than she would have expected.

For Lisa, it’s clear that the new methods are now an integral part of her team’s daily routine - not as a major new program, but woven into the existing structures. Her guiding principle is “helping people help themselves”: not dictating solutions, but supporting people in finding their own. In the long run, this also strengthens personal responsibility within the team. Looking ahead, she can also envision coaching individual team members one-on-one if the need arises - for example, when organizational changes raise new questions and someone needs someone to talk to.

For anyone considering pursuing a similar training program, Lisa has this advice: The most important prerequisite is a genuine interest in how other people think and what truly matters to them. And she’s happy to share the insight that has stuck with her the most: Everyone already carries their own solution within them; a coach’s job isn’t to provide it, but to help them find it by asking the right questions.

We’re simply proud of Lisa. A year of hard work alongside her regular job - and now she’s sharing her new knowledge with all of us. There’s a simple reason why we support this kind of professional development: We see with Lisa and the other in-house coaches just how much it enhances teamwork. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution that every company has to follow, but it’s a building block that works really well for us right now.