Being Present

Did you know Peter Senge, the proponent of the learning
organization, considers presence a very important ingredient for the modern
organization?   I was very pleased to see
my interest in being present supported by a influential business author.  

I have written several blogs about being present starting
with “The Power of Now” and with my experimenting with “The Presence
Process.” 

 I found Senge adding ideas to my understanding of presence.  He talks about being open.  At the first level he talks about an open
mind, next an open heart and finally an open will. 

To have an open mind, I must note my reaction to ideas that
I hear with do not agree with my perception. 
My initial reaction is likely dismissal, however if I have an open mind,
I will pause and consider another point of view.  This practice is not simple.

I am in the process of trying get people in my golf club to
enter all their eighteen hole scores into the handicap computer.  For some background see some of my previous
blogs.  My view is that anybody who does
not enter his scores is cheating himself and his fellow competitors.  However other people have a different point
of view and they do not consier themselves cheaters.  People who like to have low handicaps do not
put in high scores “because it does not reflect their true ability.”   People who like to have high handicaps do
not enter low scores “because ………”   The
test of my “open mind” is to not simply dismiss these people as cheaters but
attempt understand their private logic.

My emotional reaction of anger and frustration is certainly
not demonstrating my open heart.   My
challenge will be enter their world and show respect and love to them.  I do not have to agree with their point of
view to acknowledge them as persons deserving of respect and love.  I find it so easy to dismiss them.  I am in the process of learning. 

 I find the concept of "open will" more difficult to comprehend
and I suspect I need to have an open mind to the idea before I can make
progress.

Peter Senge talks about Shared Vision as the first of his
five disciplines for a learning organization. 
He says “shared” does not mean downloading from the leadership but but
being a vision embraces by all.  I expect
my vision of the handicap system is not shared by the men of my golf club.  Without that shared vision, several people
are proposing an policing and enforcement system.  However the other element of my vision of the
handicap issue is the club has a shared vision. 

I think I need to be more present and open to the other
members of our club and likely more patient. 
 

Leave a Reply

captcha *