One of the most unique and transformative aspects of the Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC™) methodology is the use of Metaskills. These are not techniques you apply, or models you follow — they are the way you show up as a coach, leader or facilitator.
In the ORSC model, we often talk about tools and skills — both vital for creating lasting impact in systems coaching. But Metaskills take us deeper, offering a lens on the quality of presence we bring to our work. They influence how we apply our tools, how we engage our skills, and how the system experiences us.
So, are Metaskills a skill or a tool? Let’s explore.
What Is a Metaskill?
Originally coined by psychotherapist AMY MINDELL who holds a M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology and is a diplomate of the Process Oriented Psychology Center of Zurich. In her book, Metaskills: The Spiritual Art of Therapy, (1994/2001)
a Metaskill is the attitudinal stance a coach takes when engaging with a client or system. It’s the emotional or energetic tone behind your actions — the quality of your presence that shapes every word you say and every silence you hold.
In ORSC, some commonly referenced Metaskills include:
- Heart
- Deep democracy
- Respect
- Playfulness
- Enquiry Awareness
- Collaboration/Partnership
- Commitment
For example, you might use a tool like Lands Work to explore team conflict — but doing so with the Metaskill of Deep Democracy versus judgement will drastically shift the outcome. The system senses your stance, and that changes what becomes possible.
Metaskills as Skills
In many ways, Metaskills function like a skill. They require self-awareness, intentionality, and practice. You learn to observe yourself in action — noticing what energy you’re bringing to the coaching space, and how that’s impacting the system.
In ORSC training, participants are continually invited to become more conscious of their own Metaskills:
- What stance do you take when a client becomes emotional?
- How do you hold space when you don’t have the answer?
- Are you bringing a tone of invitation or interrogation?
These questions build your capacity — your ability to be with what’s emerging, and to influence the emotional field in service of the system. That makes Metaskills a relational skill: one you cultivate and refine over time.
Metaskills as Tools Lets discuss
https://www.aamindell.net/about-amy-and-arny
And yet, Metaskills can also be intentionally deployed. In ORSC you learn and practice how to use Metaskills (via Metaskills Wheel) to solve a problem. By stepping into different emotional infused spaces we can bring in new perspectives to solve a problem. Just imagine what this invites, the knowing that I can use the organisational values to provide a new way of looking at an issue, a project, even a team member.
For example:
- When a team is stuck in heavy conflict, you might consciously bring playfulness to lighten the energy and create movement.
- When the system is confused or uncertain, you might apply clarity and calm to reduce anxiety.
- When deep emotion surfaces, you might switch into reverence or compassion, creating safety for the system to go further.
In these moments, the Metaskill becomes something you do, not just something you are. It’s an intervention — an intentional energetic shift — that helps surface new information and support the system’s evolution.
That makes Metaskills both art and technique.
Why Metaskills Matter in Systems Coaching
Relationship Systems Intelligence (RSI™), the foundation of ORSC, teaches that every system has its own intelligence and voice. The coach’s job is to help that voice emerge — to create conditions where the system can speak, reflect, and grow.
Your Metaskills are the conditions. They are the subtle signals the system receives about what is welcome, what is safe, and what is possible.
Coaches and leaders who understand Metaskills:
- Build stronger psychological safety
- Invite deeper honesty and exploration
- Maintain neutrality in emotionally charged moments
- Align their presence with their purpose
In complex or conflicted environments — which are increasingly the norm — Metaskills often become more important than the content of what is said. They are the invisible architecture of trust.
Learning to Use Metaskills in ORSC Training
In the ORSC series, Metaskills are not taught in isolation — they are embodied through experiential learning, real-time coaching, and peer reflection. From your very first training, you’re asked to reflect not just on what you’re doing, but on how you’re doing it.
Some ways Metaskills are developed in the ORSC journey include:
- Receiving feedback on your energetic presence
- Practising tools with different Metaskill stances
- Observing the impact of Metaskills in triad work
- Reflecting on your ‘default’ Metaskills and expanding your range
Over time, you learn to sense the emotional field of the system and adjust your presence accordingly — not reactively, but intentionally and in service of the system’s next step.
Final Thought: The Power of Inner Work
Ultimately, the work of Metaskills is inner work. It’s not just about coaching others — it’s about becoming the kind of presence that elevates every relationship system you enter.
In today’s complex, high-stakes environments, people don’t just need better tools — they need leaders and coaches who embody trust, creativity, empathy and clarity. Metaskills are how we become those people.
Want to experience the power of Metaskills in action?
Join us in September for ORSC Fundamentals, our introduction to systems coaching. You’ll learn practical tools you can use immediately — and begin developing the deeper presence that sets systemic coaches apart.
