Senge: Chapter 9 Personal Mastery. Prepared by James R. Burns PERSONAL MASTERY: Introduction The...

Prepared by James R. Burns

Senge: Chapter 9Senge: Chapter 9

Personal MasteryPersonal Mastery


PERSONAL MASTERY: PERSONAL MASTERY: IntroductionIntroduction

• The Spirit of the Learning OrganizationThe Spirit of the Learning Organization

• Mastery and ProficiencyMastery and Proficiency

• Why we want itWhy we want it

• ResistanceResistance

• The Discipline of Personal MasteryThe Discipline of Personal Mastery

• Holding creative TensionHolding creative Tension


Introduction, ContinuedIntroduction, Continued• STRUCTURAL CONFLICT: THE POWER OF STRUCTURAL CONFLICT: THE POWER OF

YOUR POWERLESSNESSYOUR POWERLESSNESS

• Commitment to the TruthCommitment to the Truth

• Using the SubconsciousUsing the Subconscious

• Personal Mastery and the Fifth DisciplinePersonal Mastery and the Fifth Discipline

• Fostering Personal Mastery in the Fostering Personal Mastery in the OrganizationOrganization


Personal Mastery = Personal Mastery = Personal Growth & Personal Growth & LearningLearning

• People with high levels of PM are People with high levels of PM are continually expanding their ability to continually expanding their ability to create the results in life they truly create the results in life they truly seek.seek.


Mastery and ProficiencyMastery and Proficiency• Goes beyond competence and skillsGoes beyond competence and skills

• First, we must continually clarify what is First, we must continually clarify what is important to us.important to us.

• Second, we must learn how to see current Second, we must learn how to see current reality more clearly.reality more clearly.

• The gap between what we want and what The gap between what we want and what our current reality is generates creative our current reality is generates creative tensiontension


What its like to have lots What its like to have lots of PMof PM

• For such people, a vision is a calling For such people, a vision is a calling rather than just a good idearather than just a good idea

• PM is not something you possess, it PM is not something you possess, it is a process--a lifelong disciplineis a process--a lifelong discipline

• People with lots of PM are more People with lots of PM are more committed, they take more initiativecommitted, they take more initiative


Employers want PM for Employers want PM for their employees becausetheir employees because

• Full personal development has a strong Full personal development has a strong impact on individual happinessimpact on individual happiness

• Work should be seen as an opportunity to Work should be seen as an opportunity to build something to last, something of valuebuild something to last, something of value

• PM is a means toward the organization’s PM is a means toward the organization’s endsends


ResistanceResistance

• Many individuals and organizations do resist Many individuals and organizations do resist PMPM

• No one will ever be able to measure how No one will ever be able to measure how much PM contributes to productivity and the much PM contributes to productivity and the bottom linebottom line

• Cynicism: humanistic management over Cynicism: humanistic management over promised itself to firms in the 1970spromised itself to firms in the 1970s


More ResistanceMore Resistance• Could it threaten the established order of a Could it threaten the established order of a

well-managed company? YES!!well-managed company? YES!!

• TO EMPOWER PEOPLE IN AN UNALIGNED TO EMPOWER PEOPLE IN AN UNALIGNED ORGANIZATION CAN BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVEORGANIZATION CAN BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE– Without this alignment, organizational stress will Without this alignment, organizational stress will

increaseincrease

• ““People don’t resist change. They resist being People don’t resist change. They resist being changed..”changed..”


The Discipline of Personal The Discipline of Personal MasteryMastery• PM is a discipline, a series of principles and PM is a discipline, a series of principles and

practices that continually expand PMpractices that continually expand PM

• Most adults have little sense of real visionMost adults have little sense of real vision

• Our personal vision must be positiveOur personal vision must be positive– An example of diminished vision is focusing on the An example of diminished vision is focusing on the

means rather than the ends or resultsmeans rather than the ends or results

– The ability to focus on ultimate intrinsic desires, not The ability to focus on ultimate intrinsic desires, not only on secondary goals, is a cornerstone of PMonly on secondary goals, is a cornerstone of PM


Holding creative TensionHolding creative Tension

• The gap between our vision and our current reality is The gap between our vision and our current reality is called called creative tensioncreative tension

• The principle of creative tension is central to the principle The principle of creative tension is central to the principle of PM, integrating all elements of the disciplineof PM, integrating all elements of the discipline

• Still creative tension often leads to anxiety, sadness, Still creative tension often leads to anxiety, sadness, discouragement or worry.discouragement or worry.

• But these negative emotions are But these negative emotions are emotional tensionemotional tension and and not creative tensionnot creative tension

• Watch out for the eroding goals archetypeWatch out for the eroding goals archetype


““STRUCTURAL CONFLICT”: STRUCTURAL CONFLICT”: THE POWER OF YOUR THE POWER OF YOUR POWERLESSNESSPOWERLESSNESS• Many of us have a dominant belief that we are Many of us have a dominant belief that we are

not able to fulfill our desiresnot able to fulfill our desires– a by-product of growing upa by-product of growing up

• We believe in our powerlessness--our inability We believe in our powerlessness--our inability to bring into being all the things we really care to bring into being all the things we really care about.about.

• Page 157 illustrates the conflict--out vision Page 157 illustrates the conflict--out vision pulling us forward, while our belief in pulling us forward, while our belief in powerlessness pulls us backpowerlessness pulls us back


Eliminating self-limiting Eliminating self-limiting beliefsbeliefs

• Many of us do not believe that we Many of us do not believe that we are worthy or deserving to have are worthy or deserving to have what we truly desirewhat we truly desire

• Manifestations are: loss of energy, Manifestations are: loss of energy, not able to finish the job, unexpected not able to finish the job, unexpected obstacles develop, people let us obstacles develop, people let us down, we don’t believe we can do itdown, we don’t believe we can do it


Strategies for coping with Strategies for coping with self-limiting beliefs--Bro self-limiting beliefs--Bro Ray FritzRay Fritz

• Letting our vision erodeLetting our vision erode

• Conflict ManipulationConflict Manipulation

• Will powerWill power


Focusing on what we Focusing on what we don’t want: conflict don’t want: conflict manipulation (negative manipulation (negative vision)vision)

– The way many athletic coaches manipulate The way many athletic coaches manipulate and motivate their playersand motivate their players

– The way many managers point out the highly The way many managers point out the highly unpleasant consequences if the company’s unpleasant consequences if the company’s goals are not achievedgoals are not achieved

• Do you really want to live your life in a Do you really want to live your life in a state of fear of failure?state of fear of failure?

• For such people, there is little joy in lifeFor such people, there is little joy in life


Third-strategy--WILL Third-strategy--WILL POWERPOWER

• We psych ourselves up to overpower all We psych ourselves up to overpower all forms of resistance to achieving our goalsforms of resistance to achieving our goals

• We motivate ourselves through We motivate ourselves through heightened volitionheightened volition

• This dogged determination gets things This dogged determination gets things done at work, but doesn’t turn the trick done at work, but doesn’t turn the trick at homeat home


The bottom line of Self-The bottom line of Self-Limiting Beliefs (SLBs)Limiting Beliefs (SLBs)

• They are hard to change--They are hard to change--psychologists widely concurpsychologists widely concur


To change SLBs, we need To change SLBs, we need a COMMITMENT TO THE a COMMITMENT TO THE TRUTHTRUTH

• Tell yourself the truthTell yourself the truth

• Continually broadening our awarenessContinually broadening our awareness

• Continually deepening our understanding Continually deepening our understanding of the structures underlying current of the structures underlying current eventsevents

• First, must recognize the structural First, must recognize the structural conflict--recognize the patternsconflict--recognize the patterns


Structures of which we Structures of which we are unaware hold us are unaware hold us prisonerprisoner

• Discovering these structures at Discovering these structures at work is the stock-and-trade of work is the stock-and-trade of people with high levels of PMpeople with high levels of PM


Truth--seeing reality more Truth--seeing reality more and more as it isand more as it is

• Pure observation--BuddhistsPure observation--Buddhists

• Witnessing--HindusWitnessing--Hindus

• ““What a tragedy that many must What a tragedy that many must die before he wakes up”--Korandie before he wakes up”--Koran

• ““You shall know the truth and the You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”--Christianitytruth shall set you free”--Christianity


Using the Subconscious; Using the Subconscious; Or, You Don’t Really Need Or, You Don’t Really Need to Figure it all outto Figure it all out

• People with high levels of PM can accomplish People with high levels of PM can accomplish extraordinarily complex tasks with grace and extraordinarily complex tasks with grace and easeease

• The subconscious is intimately involved in PM: The subconscious is intimately involved in PM: through it, through it, all of usall of us deal with complexity deal with complexity

• The aspect of our mind that is exceedingly The aspect of our mind that is exceedingly capable of dealing with complexity is called capable of dealing with complexity is called the subconscious the subconscious


Subconscious--Subconscious--• What distinguishes people with high What distinguishes people with high

levels of personal mastery is they have levels of personal mastery is they have developed a higher level of rapport developed a higher level of rapport between their normal awareness and between their normal awareness and their subconscioustheir subconscious

• Subconscious capacity is larger by a Subconscious capacity is larger by a factor of 10 as compared to the factor of 10 as compared to the consciousconscious


The Core Values of PMThe Core Values of PM

• Integrate reason and intuitionIntegrate reason and intuition

• See your connectedness to the See your connectedness to the worldworld

• Be compassionateBe compassionate

• Be committed to the wholeBe committed to the whole


Fostering PM in an Fostering PM in an OrganizationOrganization

• You can’t force employees into PM--You can’t force employees into PM--to do so is the most sure-fire way to to do so is the most sure-fire way to impede the genuine spread of impede the genuine spread of commitment to PMcommitment to PM

• Leaders must foster a climate in Leaders must foster a climate in with the principles of PM are with the principles of PM are practiced in daily lifepracticed in daily life


The Organizational The Organizational ClimateClimate• establishing visions, being committed establishing visions, being committed

to the truth, challenging the status to the truth, challenging the status quoquo

• Will reinforce the idea that PM is truly Will reinforce the idea that PM is truly valued in the organizationvalued in the organization

• Will reinforce the idea that PM is a Will reinforce the idea that PM is a continual, ongoing processcontinual, ongoing process


The Climate, ContinuedThe Climate, Continued

• Work to develop all five disciplines Work to develop all five disciplines at the same timeat the same time

• Leaders should be a modelLeaders should be a model


If you can’t picture it, you If you can’t picture it, you won’t make itwon’t make it

• You have to know where you are You have to know where you are headedheaded

• Choose your companions as if your Choose your companions as if your life depended on itlife depended on it

• Leaders know when to put their foot Leaders know when to put their foot down, and when to back downdown, and when to back down


Copyright C 2000 by Copyright C 2000 by James R. BurnsJames R. Burns

• All rights reserved world-wide. All rights reserved world-wide. CLEAR Project Steering Committee CLEAR Project Steering Committee members have a right to use these members have a right to use these slides in their presentations. slides in their presentations. However, they do not have the right However, they do not have the right to remove this copyright or to remove to remove this copyright or to remove the “prepared by….” footnote that the “prepared by….” footnote that appears at the bottom of each slide.appears at the bottom of each slide.

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