Theory U is a change management process originally developed
by Dr.Friedrich Glasl and Dirk Lemson. They
sought to develop a method by which consciousness is used to handle conflict
and processes manifested in relationship dynamics and conflicts. The Theory was
then picked up by Dr. Otto Scharmer who included the concepts of presencing and
capitalism. It is this presencing that releases creative and productive energy.
The original theory analyzed technical/instrumental
subsystems, social subsystems and cultural subsystems. It is a process of
transforming observations into intuition and then decisions. In general, one would understand the facts of
the workplace, forming a picture of how the organization operates, understand
the implicit and overt values within the workplace, envision the future, and
aligning the pieces to that future. The process is one of developing conscious
awareness of the workplace and putting into action effort to achieve future
goals.
Dr. Otto Scharmer took the theory to the next level by
incorporating the concepts of thinking, conversing, structuring, and global
ecosystems. As people work in patterns they are often locked into ways of
thinking that limit the organizations potential. By empathizing with customer’s
needs and fellow employees they can create new understandings and new patterns
that better strengthen the market response. Actions become more purposeful and focused on
root truths.
The concept of presencing indicates that at the bottom of
the U is the current self and future self that resonate with each other
bringing forward a new path to development. As each of our selves interacts
with each other we begin to become more effortful in our actions, more creative
in our productions, and more clear in our thinking. It is a process of
understanding our true selves at a deeper level. It is about moving beyond surface assumptions.
Most managers and employees work from a false sense of self.
This self has come from societal expectations, misinterpretations, and lack of
understanding. It is that same power that artists and visionaries use to
develop a better impression of the world. It is that place where the best of
self exerts itself on the environment. Michelangelo described it as the place
where the sculptor, “releases the hand
from the marble that holds it prisoner” or Picasso’s concept of where the “mind finds its way to the crystallization of
its dream.”
Scharmer, O. (2009). Theory
U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler
Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-57675-763-5
