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U Process Part 5: Enacting Change
April 6th, 2009 by Joe Bartmann
Part of a series on the U Process. Read the others here.
A while back, I started a series of posts on a change model called the U Process, developed by C. Otto Scharmer. Before picking up where I left off, I want to give you a quick review.
Three Steps in the U Process
U Process is a lens to look at tough problems through-a different, deeper path from problem to true solution. Most rural communities are in the thick of some long, very tough problems, and the U can be a model for designing a better planning process. Mike has written about the ups and downs of planning for change in Miner County, South Dakota using a method like this.
At a basic level, U Process has three verses:
- Uncovering the current reality. This is the journey down the left side of the “U,” a practice in suspending our own subconscious judgment long enough to truly listen and observe the whole with new eyes and ears. It’s a deep dive into seeing the tangled mess and roots of our problems by inviting more people and perspectives into the question.
- Letting deeper solutions emerge. The bottom of the “U” is where shared purpose emerges as a better solution-if we allow ourselves to let go of seeking, and let answers bubble up. Uncovering this kind of solution is not about making a decision, but about surrendering to an inner knowing about what needs to be done and opening our hearts and will to that challenge. It’s much like, as we immerse ourselves in the questions of the left side of the U, there are hundreds of fragmented pieces. But then, suddenly, all those pieces come together as one and we see that it is a beautiful vase. The pieces of the whole become one as we dig in.
- Enacting a new reality with transformational action. Once we’ve committed to being the change we want to create, we move up the right side of the “U” in a curious, determined manner. It’s this third segment that I’ll pick up on with this post.
Prototyping
When we find ourselves at the bottom of that U, where we’ve had an “Ah-ha!” about the problems we seem stuck in, there are two choices.
- The first choice is to accept it and live with it.
- The second, is to say, “I will be a host for this change!”
Nothing gets better until you change. Otto Scharmer describes that ah-ha as something new that wants to be born through us. It really is that kind of feeling sometimes-we’ve all experienced it, I think.
So, assuming you choose to be the change, moving up the right side of the U is mostly about trial and error-failing fast and forward while we experiment with the future as it comes. “Do not put yourself in a box of your past failures,: explains Scharmer, “Reflect on your failure, and get up and keep going.”
This is about just doing it. Not worrying about getting things perfect or planning everything to death. Just find the courage to do something toward making that new reality that you can now see more clearly. Move it forward. Start now. Test it and gather feedback and adjust. Then test it again.
The Doers Know It
This part of the U Process is very familiar to rural communities, especially the “do-ers” in your community who seem to be in the middle of every project or effort. What’s different about the U is having the patience and discipline to travel that path down and through the bottom before tackling things head on. It’s the difference between surface level answers (that often become bigger problems later) and real solutions.
As you continue to practice this, and connect up with others who are interested in the same change, you build a powerful network and community. At some point, the things that seemed odd and unconventional before, suddenly become normal. People begin behaving in ways that serve the whole community. Things get better because the root of the problem is dug out over time. This is a sign that you’ve travelled the U.
Practicing the U is not really learning a process, it’s just recognizing how you’ve already journeyed through the U so often in your life, and applying that wisdom to solving tough problems. When you forget how.
Tags: C. Otto Scharmer, theory, u process
Posted in Community Engagement, Rural | Comments (
3 )
March 11th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I just came across your posts about the U Process. I’ve seen many summaries of Theory U. These are some of the best. Thank you for putting them out there!
March 12th, 2010 at 7:06 am
Thanks Michael. Your comment caused me to go back and reread these posts. And in the process, my batteries have been charged.
March 13th, 2010 at 7:51 am
Thanks for the love Michael B. The wisdom of the U has made a giant impact in my work and life. Otto Scharmer and his colleagues teach a terrific web-based class on Theory U at http://www.presencing.com. I was in the inaugural class a couple years back.
I’d love to hear some of the insights you’ve had in studying the U too.