It could be argued that by its very nature one who counsels does so in order to reach a solution, a cure, or a process by which a person or system can move forward. Many people do not realize that systems get sick, become dysfunctional, and ultimately veer of the path that was once the strategic plan. The situation becomes problematic when the organization or entity was created to serve the needs of others. In many instances, systems derail because of poor management, complacency, or other factors that cause the entity to lose focus. Senge (1990) contends that in order to understand why this happens, one has to understand that all aspects of a system are interconnected therefore, it is conceivable that even a person performing the most medial of tasks can have either a positive or a negative impact on the entire system. In fact suggests Senge (1990), positive ramifications are not limited to the internal workings of a system, events can occur internal to a system that can have an impact external to the organization, institution, or type of entity. .
One example is the complacent employee who reaches a point of dissatisfaction with the company she works for. In this instances, she is a customer service representative who has to address product complaints. Her position requires her to be patient, supportive, and work with the customer in order to satisfy the issue. However, because the representative has moved from commitment to compliance, she is rude, curt, and disrespectful. The result of her behavior is the company loses one of its biggest clients. Now, examine this same situation in a mental health setting, one could only imagine that if the counselor handled a client with the same level of rudeness, the result could be a nervous breakdown, increased substance abuse, and in the worst case scenario suicide. The report examines the dynamics associated with systems that are both healthy and unhealthy.
