I would have paid . . .

We just got back from a very full day (8:00 am-10:00 pm) that included classroom learning this morning followed by a visit to Shelburne Farms. The farm is 1400 acres owned by a non profit that sustains 80% of their operating costs by revenue from farm projects and is focused on sustainability. They have developed a powerful working relationship with the Burlington school system and community.

This morning provided me with a wonderful learning experience that if I had known it would happen I would have paid to be here. Peter (yes I now call him Peter not Mr. Senge) shared with us the concept of creative tension, a concept that we have been sharing in our system for over a decade. I learned that there is more to it than what I took from reading his books. I had not seen the connection to emotional tension and what people, including us, do when faced with this tension. I have been much more focused on ladders of inference that I now believe I should have integrated more with mental models and creative tension.

Another big aha for me was a connection I am beginning to form between the tension concept and what Heifitz talks about in his work with technical and adaptive change. Creative tension results from the gap between our current reality and the vision of a better place. In the absence of this better place we live constantly in our current reality that for many is a comfortable place to be. When we are disrupted or when what we are doing doesn't seem to be working we look for changes to improve the situation. In the absence of a shared vision we look for changes that are tied to our current reality that will be technical, tweaks to something that works a little or that we heard of or have read about.

In this same disruptive situation if it is caused by the gap I believe we are much more likely to begin thinking about changes that will be adaptive because the conversations will be driven more by a focus on what we want to be, not from our current reality. I'm still a little fuzzy on this and it may not be totally accurate, but I look forward to sharing with my support group.

Also this afternoon our team was able to meet for three hours in a beautiful house on the grounds and Peter spent the entire time supporting our conversation. It was very energizing for me and thanks to the others in our group he was able to hear some of the Tahoma journey. Later, I shared some of the documents we have used in our leadership training and how his foundation principles have influenced our PLC journeys. It was rewarding for him to see this and for us to have him share positive thoughts about what we are doing and where we are going.

The days have been long, but for the most part I have been rewarded with learning opportunities and the dissonance that makes me be reflective about my practice. And yes, Nancy, I have even begun to network a little, just a little.