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Recognising and working with multiple realities in organizations

Organisations are now more than ever becoming increasingly recognized as dynamic integrated organisms, more like human systems! The fact that human systems are complex makes organisations equally complex, and this presupposes a need for a more integrated heightened level of awareness if we are to make any headway in transforming organisations, whether as leaders within those organisations or Organisational Development interveners.

All human systems, organisations included, are characterized by various interacting agents, with an agent being anything that has an identity. For example, other identities of a manager may include, coach, mentor, parent, etc. all at the same time. These identities are influenced by different belief systems, biases, and perceptual filters which are formed over a number of years in our past.

As people fluidly move among identities within organisations, they observe and interpret the goings-on in those organisations unconsciously, more like in an ‘auto-pilot’ mode. Awareness builds a bridge of deliverance from operating in ‘auto-pilot’ mode to the ‘present moment’ mode and is therefore an act of transporting the ‘auto pilot’ into consciousness in order to create a Whole Experience.

The main feeder to our auto-pilot functioning is the patterns which our brain recognizes from past experiences. What we pay attention to, and ultimately what we choose to attend to within our roles in leading organisations is influenced these patterns from the past. To this end, without too much effort and consciousness we base our decisions for the future on extrapolations of patterns we have seen in the past. These patterns shape our personal preferences and individual styles regarding where to focus our attention in leading our teams within organisations.

How can we begin to shift from this auto-pilot mode into a powerful awareness?

From past experience in working with the concept of awareness in clients, the following are examples of simple practices any manager can take to transform support their own and their teams’ heightening of awareness:

Step 1: Being intentional about recognising and distinguishing patterns from the past, biases, etc and what is happening ‘in the moment’
Biases have a history and are from the past. Emotions on the other hand live in the present and influence how we interpret things in the present moment. A good place for a manager to start working with awareness is by paying attention to:

• Their own emotions and their experience of those emotions
• What impact the manner in which they express those emotions has on themselves and the people around them
• Their ability to intentionally regulate and channel their emotions in such a way that they own the emotions, and not allow the emotions to own them

Step 2: Being intentional about simply ‘naming’ what emerges/unfolds in the moment as opposed to interpreting it
This simple act of noting and sharing what is without interpretation serves as an intervention in itself. Simply pointing to what is, is non-threatening and often acts as an invitation to look at a situation with an open mind because it removes defensiveness from the person being observed. Out of this simple process, themes can be extrapolated. Themes are usually informed by issues which people have energy around.

Step 3: Creation of shared understanding
Together with members of a team, work with emerging themes to create a common and shared understanding of issues at hand.

• Focus on the energy around emerging themes / figures from our selective naming and sharing of ‘what is’
• Define and work on themes that embrace both a desire for, and resistance to change
• Support the energy that is being mobilized with a view to moving everyone towards a common direction

Step 4: Acting out of intent
Awareness ensures that whatever action is taken is not random, but is determined what we see. The intention flowing from what we see is linked what we intend to achieve. Practice putting in check the linear cause-and-effect thinking that makes us unable to see the multiple potential of the moment.

As managers and leaders, with awareness half our battle is won! Awareness is the difference that can, does, and will transform individuals and organisations alike.

by Lenyalo Motsei, a Consultant with WorldsView

Lenyalo is a graduate of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland’s International Organisation & Systems Development (IOSD) programme. The ideas in this article draw on Gestalt principles to apply to managerial and leadership effectiveness