Exploration in an Organisation: Behind the Scenes of Transformation — Introduction

Hi everyone!

This is A Beginner’s Mind Chronicles. Last month I had the opportunity to introduce myself in the article “I Am Wind”. Today, I would like to present the series of upcoming publications for the next few months, around exploration in an organisation. It will be divided into five parts, each one of which is illustrated by one image inside the big circle. I would like to dig into “what actually happens behind the scenes of transformation?”

Often liberating, conscious transformation is probably one of the most exciting, yet challenging, life experiences. And it generally preceded and accompanied by exploration. Most of us go through this continuous process as in, all the time — whether we are individuals or a collective, whether we realise it or not.

Peter Senge outlines five main elements of what he calls a learning organisation, a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. Those five elements are: 1) questioning our mental models and dominant frames, 2) clarifying and deepening our [shared] vision, 3) continuous learning: dynamic self-learning, professional and personal development, 4) systemic thinking and 5) team learning and dialogue. This is an interesting starting point and I would like to look further into that, perhaps go into the more subtle details of what this process involves.

Today I also wanted to share some definitions of exploration as food for thought. Here on the upper right circle, you’ll see that they range from broad to deep. But before relating my own perspective on all of this, I was curious about your take on it. What do those images and definitions evoke to you? How does this process of exploration and transformation translate into, not only the big picture or frame, but also your daily experience? How do you explore yourself and your surroundings? When in the transformation process do you actually start noticing a shift? What motivates you to transform? So I would like to invite you to join the conversation, maybe comment on this post: does thinking about your experience of exploration and transformation, whether in your organisation or in other aspects of your life, trigger any particular feelings, questions or tips that you would like to share?

This has been written and narrated by Atikah Lorot:

Globetrotter. Violinist. Salsa dancer. Climber. Tea-lover. Boundary-challenger. Change-explorer. Confidence-builder. Supporter of your organisational journey.

This publication is part of a series written in the framework of a partnership project “Atikah’s Collaborative Leadership Journey” between the author and Round Sky Solutions and in tandem with the author’s participation in the Level 1 Certification course in Collaborative Leadership.

Originally published at www.roundskysolutions.com on January 24, 2018.