Navigating Change — Theory U

Zen Benefiel

Theory U is a change management method and a framework for transforming business, society, and self. Developed by Otto Scharmer, it emphasizes the importance of connecting to the deepest sources of self to bring about profound changes in individuals, organizations, and society.

The process of Theory U is shaped like a “U” and involves five key stages:

1. Co-Initiating: This stage involves building common intent and suspending past habits of judgment. It’s about coming together as a group and starting to open up to new possibilities.
2. Co-Sensing: In this stage, participants are encouraged to see from the edges of the system. It involves going to places of most potential and observing with fresh eyes, empathizing deeply to understand how others experience the situation.
3. Presencing: This is a pivotal point in the U where participants connect to the deepest source of self and will. It is a moment of profound reflection, where one lets go of old identities and intentions and allows a new sense of self and purpose to emerge.
4. Co-Creating: Emerging from the bottom of the U, this stage is about prototyping the new in living examples to explore the future by doing. It involves rapid cycles of thinking, doing, and reflecting to learn by doing and develop practical…