Massachusetts Bay OD Learning GroupBlue Cross Blue Shield

Landmark Center, BostonSeptember 19, 2007

Presencing: Leading From the Future as it Emerges

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

The Blind Spot of Leadership

Process of Painting

Completed Painting

Blank Canvas

Source: Who

Process: How

Results: What

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

“The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition

of the intervenor.”

William O’Brien, former CEO of the Hanover Insurance Company

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

Open Will

Open Heart

Open Mind

LISTENING 2: from outside

disconfirming [new] data

Co-sensing Co-presencing Co-creating© 2004 C.O. Scharmer

Downloading habits of judgment

reconfirming old opinions & judgments

precise listening, noticing differences

LISTENING 3: from within

seeing through another person‘s eyesemotional connection

empathic listening

LISTENING 1: from habits

LISTENING 4: from Source

connecting to an emerging future whole; shift in identity and self

generative listening (from the future wanting to emerge)

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

Three Types of Complexity

Social complexity:Actors have different views and interests

Dynamic complexity:Cause and effect are

distant in space and timeEmerging complexity:Disruptive patterns of

innovation and change

⇒ Whole system approach

⇒ Multi-stakeholder approach

⇒ Sensing and presencing approach

4. regenerating

1.reacting

3.reframing

2.redesigning

thinking

process, structure

Source of identity, inspiration

and will

manifest action

Four Levels of Responding to Change

social complexity

emerging complexity

dynamic complexity

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

Two Sources of Learning, Two Learning Cycles

A. Learning by reflecting on the experiences of the past

act - observe - reflect - plan - act

B. Learning from the future as it emerges (presencing)

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

The U Process of Presencing in A Nutshell

© 2007 C.O. Scharmer

Downloading

Observe,observe,observe

Retreat and reflect:Allow the inner

knowing to emerge

Act in an instant

Downloading:Talking nice

Debate:Talking tough

Dialogue: Reflective inquiry

Collective creativity: Generative flow

Saying what I thinkExchange of divergent viewsI am my point of viewAdaptive System

Seeing what we say and doFrom defending to Inquiry into viewpointsI can change my viewSelf-reflective System

Saying what they want to hearEmpty phrasespolite, cautiousAutistic System

Speaking from what is moving throughCo-creating something newpresence of an emerging future WholeGenerative System

© 2006 C.O. Scharmer

suspending

deep dive

letting-go

Open Will

Open Heart

Open Mind

Seeingwith fresh eyes

Sensing from the field

Prototyping: co-create strategic microcosms

Crystallizing vision and intention

embodying

enacting

letting-come

Who is my Self? What is my Work?

Presencing connecting to Source

Performing:achieve results through

practices, infrastructures

AccessYour...

Co-sensing: Places and practices

of observation

Co-presencing: Places and practices of stillness

Co-creating: Places and practices

of prototyping

Downloading patterns of the past

© 2006 C.O. Scharmer

VOC

VOJ

VOF

Downloading:Talking nice, politenessrule-reenacting

Debate:Talking toughrule-revealing

Listening 1:Downloadinghabits of thought

Listening 2:Factual, object-focused

Listening 3:Empathic listening

Listening 4:Generative listening

Centralized:Machine bureaucracy

Decentralized:divisionalized

Networkedrelational

EcosystemBa

Micro:THINKING/LISTENING

Meso:CONVERSING/LANGUAGING

Macro:ORGANIZING/STRUCTURING

Mundo:Mechanism of COORDINATING

Hierarchy:Central plan

Market:competition

Dialogue:(mutual adjustment)

Collective Presence:Seeing from the emerging Whole

Dialogueinquiryrule-reflecting

Presencing:Collective creativity, flowrule-generating

Field 1: Operating from the old me-world

Field 2: Operating from the current it-world

Field 3: Operating from the current you-world

Field 4: Operating from the highest future possiblity that Is wanting to emerge

Field Structure of Attention

suspending

deep dive

letting-go

Open Will

Open Heart

Open Mind

2. Observing:Attend with Your Wide Open Mind

3. Sensing:Connect with

Your Heart

6. Prototyping: Integrate Head,

Heart, Hand

5. Crystallizing:Access the

Power of Intention

embodying

enacting

letting-come

Who is my Self? What is my Work?

4. Presencing:Connect to the Deepest Source

of Your Self and Will

7. Performing:Play the

“Macro Violin”

1. Holding the Space:Listen to What Life

Calls You to Do

© 2004 C.O. Scharmer

Resources and Literature:

Scharmer, C. Otto (2007). Theory U: Leading from the Emerging Future As It Emerges. The Social Technology of Presencing), Cambridge, MA: SoL Press.

Senge, P., C. O. Scharmer, J. Jaworski, and B. S. Flowers. (2004). Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, Cambridge, MA: SoL Press.

Scharmer, C.O. (2001). Self-transcending knowledge: Sensing and Organizing Around Emerging Opportunities. In: Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 5, no. 2: 137–150.

www.ottoscharmer.comwww.theoryU.comwww.dialogonleadership.org www.presence.netwww.presencing.org