The Art & Practice of Presencing

Developing Individual and Collective Capacity

Peter Senge

Lorri Lizza

Michael Marlowe

Omega InstituteJune 13-15, 2008

Capacity Building

What are the individual and collective capacities which support Presencing?

Sensing•Listening•in-Learning •sensing

Presencing•Stillness•Emerging

Realizing•Intention•Invitation•Balance

Letting Come

Listening

Letting Go

Sensing

Presencing

Realizing

InvitationIn-Learning

Stillness

Emerging

Intention

Balance

Capacity Building

Sensing

Letting Come

Listening

Letting Go

Sensing

Presencing

Realizing

InvitationIn-Learning

Stillness

Emerging

Intention

Balance

Capacity Building

Sensing

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 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

Body Thoughts Feelings

Ideas Intention Gifts

Dialogue Prayers Emerging

EarthAnimalsMaterials

Self

Others

Communities

Organisms

The Art of Listening

Healing

The field created by a single person listening invites healing. The field created by a community listening invites miracles.

In the history of humanity our capacity to heal through listening is one of our greatest gifts.

Practices for Listening

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 Consider there are three common states or stances people,

relationships, teams, communities, and organizations create in-Learning , in-knowing, in-wanting.

The world says it values in-Learning and encourages all of us to be in a constant state of in-wanting.

In-knowing is rewarded over in-Learning , especially for leadership.

When faced with difference – lead with curiosity about the nature of the difference.

Signposts for Stances

Stances are energetic postures we adopt. As energies they are not fixed and we can

shift and move back and forth with the stances.

We recognize the stance by the qualities present

in-Learning

Inviting

Curiosity

Mutual Influence

Know what is best

Absolutely right

Lack of Attachment

In-Knowing

All the ism’s race, sex

In-WantingSeeking comfort

Energy of ownership

Desire shapes worth

Attachment

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 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

Total Quality Management 5 Whys? Where is waste? Where is error? What happens at

handoffs?

Systems Thinking What are the delays? What reinforces? What balances? What are unintended

consequences?

Most of our learnings are questions of the Mind.

Presencing invites us to use questions of the heart and spirit.

The Questions of in-Learning What stance are we in as we move?

What is our capacity to invite and hold diversity of thought, feelings, beliefs?

What is our relationship with the energy of curiosity?

I am curious - why am I responding this way?

I am curious – why is he responding this way?

Sensing

Sensing – to understand the nature, the qualities, the patterns and energy present in a situation or set of relationships.

Sensing is a practice of noticing.

Holding the stance of being in-learning opens the door for sensing.

The Questions of Sensing

What is the nature of this situation?

What patterns are present?

If it were a piece of music, a color, a fabric, what would you notice?

Are there wounds? What is their nature?

What is the quality of intention in this situation and in me?

What is my part?

Presencing

Emerging

It is easy to miss what is emerging when you are busy trying to shape outcomes.

Emerging Our traditions point us away from what is emerging.

Leaders are rewarded for creating results by “knowing” and “wanting”

Working with the emerging is a process of joining.

In exploring the emerging we hold children, literally and energetically, as an important part of our considerations.

The Questions of Emerging

What is naturally unfolding?

What is trying to come forth?

What is sustainable?

What does this want to be?

What are we missing?

How are the children and the qualities of children?

We learn to trust that all living systems (organisms) share growth as a natural process and so ask these questions.

Stillness

Stillness invites connection.

Stillness supports listening.

Breathing is the first movement of Stillness.

Stillness

Our traditions point us away from stillness.

We are rewarded for being in visible movement - doing, fixing, creating, destroying, changing.

Movement - physical, mental, emotional, habits, - shapes relationships.

Familiar patterns of movement Talking, rehearsing Multi-Tasking Problem Solving Directing and following Conflict: defending and

attacking Hiding and pretending

The Questions of Stillness How is the organism in movement?

What does the movement contribute to?

How is the movement of the organism helping or hindering its experience of connection with itself and others?

What is the nature of the organism’s breathing?

What is your relationship with stillness?

Intention Intention is the most underutilized energetic resource

used by all of us – individuals, leaders, communities.

The nature of intention matters. It defines the nature of the field created. (i.e. create wealth – create sustainability)

We often hold more than one intention.

We can be awake, asleep, or on autopilot to our intentions.

Realizing

The Questions of Intention What are my intentions?

What is the nature of my / our intentions? (i.e. healing, growth, learning, wealth, comfort, control)

Who benefits? Who is harmed?

How is the intention “shared”?

What is my practice for holding intention?

Invitation Individuals, teams, organizations, communities all have

invitations.

Invitation is most easily recognized around qualities and requirements. (personal space, influence, inclusion, intimacy, opportunity)

Invitations are often shaped by circumstance, history, rules, norms

There is great opportunity in creating and holding invitations explicitly.

The Questions of Invitation? What is our invitation to the group?

For partnership or for Membership

What are the qualities and images of our invitation?

What is my invitation to speak?

What does our invitation create? Are there unintended consequences?

Balance Balance is an active

process, not an end state or result.

Much energy is spent holding old forms of balance in new situations.

Letting Go leads to learning new balance points.

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 Where in the organism is balance sought?

How is balance being sought?

What is the organism holding on to?

What needs to be honored and let go?

What is absent? What is present?

What gifts are needed? What can I offer?

What is the source of fear?

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