Transcript The Capacities of Presencing

The Art & Practice of
Presencing
Developing Individual and Collective
Capacity
Omega Institute
June 13-15, 2008
Peter Senge
Lorri Lizza
Michael Marlowe
Capacity Building
What are the individual and collective capacities which
support Presencing?
Sensing
•Listening
•in-Learning
•sensing
Presencing
•Stillness
•Emerging
Realizing
•Intention
•Invitation
•Balance
Capacity Building
Realizing
Sensing
Balance
Listening
Invitation
In-Learning
Intention
Sensing
Emerging
Letting Come
Stillness
Presencing
Letting Go
Capacity Building
Realizing
Sensing
Balance
Listening
Invitation
In-Learning
Sensing
Letting Come
Intention
Emerging
Stillness
Presencing
Letting Go
Connection
“It’s really all about how a real sense of
connectedness arises with one another and with
the world. Without that experience of
connectedness, real sensing and presencing
won’t occur.”
Peter Senge - Presence
Connection
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We believe Everything and Everyone is
connected.
The capacities help us experience the
connections which exist already.
As we experience connection energy is available
to all of us
Leadership is about evoking, shaping and
sustaining energy in communities and
organizations.
Listening
Listening is the first movement in the energy
of Connection.
To listen: to be in direct contact with all that is
around you.
The Art of Listening
Self
Body
Thoughts
Feelings
Others
Ideas
Intention
Gifts
Communities
Dialogue
Prayers
Emerging
Organisms
Materials
Animals
Earth
The Art of Listening
In the history of humanity
our capacity to heal through
listening is one of our
greatest gifts.
The field created by a single
person listening invites healing.
The field created by a community
listening invites miracles.
Healing
Practices for Listening
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Breathe
Quiet
Happiness
Do one thing
Invite
Learning Journeys
Peer Shadowing
in-Learning
Listening is the first movement in the energy
of Connection.
in-Learning is the second movement in the
energy of Connection.
Stances
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Consider there are three common states or stances people,
relationships, teams, communities, and organizations create
in-Learning , in-knowing, in-wanting.
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The world says it values in-Learning and encourages all of
us to be in a constant state of in-wanting.
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In-knowing is rewarded over in-Learning , especially for
leadership.
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When faced with difference – lead with curiosity about the
nature of the difference.
Signposts for Stances
Lack of
Attachment
Curiosity
Energy of
ownership
Desire
shapes
worth
In-Wanting
Attachment
Mutual
Influence
Inviting
Seeking
comfort
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Stances are energetic postures we adopt.
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As energies they are not fixed and we can
shift and move back and forth with the
stances.
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in-Learning
We recognize the stance by the qualities
present
Know
what is
best
In-Knowing
All the ism’s
race, sex
Absolutely
right
The power in a question
does not reside in the question.
The power in a question
flows from the leader’s intention.
(Leaders and Listening)
Our Questions
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Each of us carries a set of questions we use to
navigate in the world.
Some of our questions run deeper inside us than
others and take time to make explicit.
There are questions of the mind, heart and spirit.
Presencing invites us to use questions of the
heart and spirit?
Our Questions
Most of our learnings are questions of the Mind.
Total Quality Management
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5 Whys?
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Where is waste?
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Where is error?
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What happens at
handoffs?
Systems Thinking
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What are the delays?
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What reinforces?
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What balances?
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What are unintended
consequences?
Presencing invites us to use questions of the heart and spirit.
The Questions of in-Learning
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What stance are we in as we move?
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What is our capacity to invite and hold diversity
of thought, feelings, beliefs?
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What is our relationship with the energy of
curiosity?
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I am curious - why am I responding this way?
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I am curious – why is he responding this way?
Sensing
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Sensing – to understand the nature, the
qualities, the patterns and energy present in a
situation or set of relationships.
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Sensing is a practice of noticing.
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Holding the stance of being in-learning opens
the door for sensing.
The Questions of Sensing
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What is the nature of this situation?
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What patterns are present?
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If it were a piece of music, a color, a fabric, what would
you notice?
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Are there wounds? What is their nature?
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What is the quality of intention in this situation and in
me?
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What is my part?
Presencing
Emerging
It is easy to miss what is emerging when you are
busy trying to shape outcomes.
Emerging
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Our traditions point us away from what is emerging.
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Leaders are rewarded for creating results by “knowing”
and “wanting”
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Working with the emerging is a process of joining.
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In exploring the emerging we hold children, literally and
energetically, as an important part of our considerations.
The Questions of Emerging
We learn to trust that all living systems (organisms) share growth as
a natural process and so ask these questions.
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What is naturally unfolding?
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What is trying to come forth?
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What is sustainable?
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What does this want to be?
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What are we missing?
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How are the children and the qualities of children?
Stillness
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Stillness invites connection.
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Stillness supports listening.
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Breathing is the first movement of Stillness.
Stillness
Our traditions point us away
from stillness.
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Familiar patterns of
movement
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We are rewarded for being
in visible movement - doing,
fixing, creating, destroying,
changing.
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Movement - physical,
mental, emotional, habits, shapes relationships.
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Talking, rehearsing
Multi-Tasking
Problem Solving
Directing and following
Conflict: defending and
attacking
Hiding and pretending
The Questions of Stillness
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How is the organism in movement?
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What does the movement contribute to?
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How is the movement of the organism helping
or hindering its experience of connection with
itself and others?
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What is the nature of the organism’s breathing?
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What is your relationship with stillness?
Intention
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Intention is the most underutilized energetic resource
used by all of us – individuals, leaders, communities.
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The nature of intention matters. It defines the nature of
the field created. (i.e. create wealth – create sustainability)
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We often hold more than one intention.
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We can be awake, asleep, or on autopilot to our
intentions.
Realizing
The Questions of Intention
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What are my intentions?
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What is the nature of my / our intentions?
(i.e. healing, growth, learning, wealth, comfort, control)
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Who benefits? Who is harmed?
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How is the intention “shared”?
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What is my practice for holding intention?
Invitation
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Individuals, teams, organizations, communities all have
invitations.
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Invitation is most easily recognized around qualities and
requirements. (personal space, influence, inclusion, intimacy,
opportunity)
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Invitations are often shaped by circumstance, history,
rules, norms
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There is great opportunity in creating and holding
invitations explicitly.
The Questions of Invitation?
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What is our invitation to the group?
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For partnership or for Membership
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What are the qualities and images of our
invitation?
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What is my invitation to speak?
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What does our invitation create? Are there
unintended consequences?
Balance
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Balance is an active
process, not an end state or
result.
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Much energy is spent
holding old forms of balance
in new situations.
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Letting Go leads to learning
new balance points.
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Fear leads to imbalance
and imbalance leads to
fear. This is a cycle.
Balance and healing are
frequent companions. The
energy of listening invites
balance and healing.
Seek out points of imbalance
there is much to be learned.
Attend to balance at points of
transition, transformation,
points of disruption, growth
and change.
The Questions of Balance
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Where in the organism is balance sought?
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How is balance being sought?
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What is the organism holding on to?
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What needs to be honored and let go?
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What is absent? What is present?
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What gifts are needed? What can I offer?
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What is the source of fear?
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