a philosophy for change

Gestalt
by Trevor Bentley & Susan Congram
a philosophy for change
Gestalt
by Trevor Bentley & Susan Congram
Susan Congram PhD has been teaching Gestalt in
organisations since the early 90s, lecturing worldwide. She
gained a PhD in 2013 at Cardiff University, her research
investigated social, cultural and collective influences that
underlie leadership, which included field theory. This research
led to Sue founding leaderfulwomen.org, a not-for-profit
organisation using the principles of Gestalt to increase
women's (and men's) awareness of the contribution of
feminine ways of thinking to the management and leadership
of organisations.
Sue has authored books, papers and chapters on leadership,
psychology, Gestalt and field theory, and coaching.
Trevor Bentley PhD works with boards of directors and
senior executive teams as a corporate spellcracker, introducing
them to inspirational leadership and the art of breaking through
old patterns that block creativity and success. He has been
practising Gestalt since the early 90's and is co-leader in the
Gestalt in Organisations programme. He combines his Gestalt
approach with a broad experience of organisational
development, the subject of his PhD.
Trevor is the author of over 30 books and numerous
published articles on the subject of business and leadership.
Contents
Unfinished business ............................. 4
Interrupting process flow .................. 11
Sharpening awareness ........................ 15
Business as unusual ............................. 22
Integrating extremes .......................... 27
The paradox of change ...................... 33
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business
Every event, activity and process has a
natural flow that begins with sensory
awareness and ends when we are
satisfied. The flow follows a cycle; I
use the analogy of a wave to illustrate
this (see Figure 1). The wave provides
a useful metaphor to describe the
Gestalt Cycle of Experience.
The wave form starts with sensations
that emerge out of 'sea depths',
otherwise known as the fertile void in
Gestalt. The notion of the sea implies
a wealth of riches, many untapped,
which inform and are informed by our
life experiences. Sensations, needs and
Unfinished
feelings seeking attention eventually
reach our awareness. As awareness
increases so energy increases.
This is like the energy in a rising wave
and is the mobilising force that pushes
the wave forward. In the workplace
this equates with drive and motivation.
If you have ever been surfing you will
have noticed that some waves have
more energy in them than others;
and some are quite deceptive, falling
flat just as you begin to ride them. In
such a case the rising energy meets an
undercurrent pulling in the opposite
direction, thus changing the force going
Figure 1. The wave
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ways. To experience the cycle you just
simply follow through your moment to
moment experiences.
Try the following.
Next time you go to lunch notice
how hungry you are, or not. Are
you eating because it is lunch time,
or are you eating because you are
hungry? Or both?
Notice the noises and smells
that are around and if you buy
your lunch, the full range of food
available. Flavour each mouthful of
food as though it is the first time
you have ever tasted it and notice
how thoughts or conversations
distract your attention from this.
Pay attention to how you feel as
you return to the workplace. Was
it a good meal? Have you satisfied
your hunger? Did colleagues
interfere with the process or
enhance it by joining you?
Gestalt practice is working with
process. Process is about relationship;
with ourselves, with other people
and with the environment. Good
relationship engenders good contact, a
rich and engaging process. The Gestalt
Cycle is a dynamic process of moving
into and away from contact.
forward. This is similar to human
experiences where mobilising forces
harness excitement, energy, drive and
motivation towards action, then meet
counter forces which diminish the
energy for action.
This mobilising phase before action is
one of exploring options and making
decisions. Assuming the mobilisation
is not blocked, the energy is eventually
turned into action - the crest of
the wave.
Having caught the crest of the wave,
surfers will know that full contact is
the point at which they can release
their full potential, they are at one with
the wave. Surfing at this peak is often
used in advertising photographs where
the surf of the wave is just curling
behind surfer. A feeling of full contact
with the rolling energy force can be
experienced when you are in full flow
of a task (either on your own or with
others); that feeling when everything is
going right and 'nothing will stop you
from achieving your goal'.
Completion is the phase where the
wave begins to tail off and glides up
the beach. You then start to assess
how well you did. It is the point of
celebrating successes and learning
from failures. Reviews are typical in
this phase of the cycle in organisations.
Successful completion leads to letting
go and moving on, it is the withdrawal
phase; the point of basking on the
beach feeling exhausted and satisfied
at the exhilaration felt from your
surfing experience. In other words
the healthy completion of a fully
experienced cycle.
The cycle describes a process. We
are constantly in this process in many
Wave hopping
When a cycle is broken, disturbed or
interrupted we are left with unfinished
business. Just like falling off the surf
board or losing the wave energy. The
result is that we will return again and
again to try to complete the cycle,
or we will suffer the anxiety and
frustration of never finishing. We can
see this process occurring frequently
in many organisations where individual
people and teams leap from action to
action without adequate time spent
in other parts of the cycle. I call this
'wave hopping'; frequently referred
to as 'the futile void', in contrast to
the fertile void of a healthy cycle (see
Figure 2).
If we move the surface line up or
down the diagram according to where
the leap occurs we can see where
the incomplete gestalt begins and
ends. This is a useful exercise to do
as it identifies where the unfinished
business exists in the culture of a
group of people. So if the leap occurs
at full contact then reflective learning
is missed, assessments of success are
excluded, with no satisfaction and
recognition for outcomes achieved.
This will lead to low morale, repeated
errors, and people seeking recognition
(completion of unfinished business)
through other, inappropriate, channels.
On hitting the next wave, straight into
action, means going into action without
consideration of assessing the real
needs, as opposed to perceived needs.
When people act on assumptions
rather than seeking facts the energy
is built on 'firefighting' or imported
from previous tasks which remain
unfinished. There is no time to
experience the fertile void or expand
awareness where innovation arises and
assumptions are questioned. Contact
with self, others and the environment
is diminished with little opportunity for
growth and change.
When attempting to change a
wavehopping culture, knowing where
people 'take off' and 'land' is important.
Figure 2. Wave hopping
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To begin to work with what's in the
sea when people are on the crest of
the wave is often too big a gap. What
is likely to be much more productive in
promoting development and change is
moving step by step into the neglected
parts of the wave. In this way people
become aware of what interests and
motivates them and how to harness
this into the business. Their awareness
increases and by encouraging reviews,
which is a place to assess successes
and gain recognition, their experience
moves healthily towards completion.
Going around
in circles
A different experience of unfinished
business is when we find ourselves
'going around in circles' or feeling like
'we have been here before' (see
Figure 3).
At times we find ourselves in a
situation where we are blocked
somewhere in the cycle, either by
Figure 3. Going around in circles
ourselves (ie 'I was too scared to say
anything'- afraid to say what I wanted)
or by others ('You will not talk to me
in that manner' therefore not listened
to). We walk away feeling incomplete.
Then when we meet situations that
resemble those where the unfinished
business occurred, we play out a
pattern which has become fixed, as a
way of trying to complete it. Usually
we are unaware of our fixed patterns
of behaviour. Change occurs when we
find a way to effectively complete the
Gestalt, or our behaviour is brought
to our attention and we realise how
we have become stuck. For example,
if I have a fear of failure due to severe
punishment for failures in my school
days, my pattern might be to avoid
taking action, therefore avoiding putting
myself in a position where I can be
assessed and fail. I might be very
good at coming up with ideas - and
getting recognition for this - but doing
anything with these ideas becomes
difficult. I become blocked before
action. Being encouraged to recognise
this pattern and then coached through
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to take risks and complete a cycle
fully allows me to challenge the belief I
carry, and to change.
The cycle can become blocked at
any point. The earlier the block the
more difficult it is to identify and take
forward to complete the cycle. When
you feel like you are going around in
circles, there probably exists a fixed
Gestalt caused by unfinished business
from an encounter somewhere in
your past.
Creative adaption
Unfinished business describes a
process where needs have not been
met. Yet we can be very creative
in getting our needs met in other
ways. We frequently refer to this as
manipulation or game playing; where
people manipulate others and the
environment in order to get what they
want when the natural route has been
blocked. We see this in children who
behave badly in order to get attention
and recognition when their needs are
not sufficiently met. Such behaviours
in adulthood are inappropriate but by
that time they have become so habitual
that we do not realise they are there,
or that we play them out.
Think of your own behaviours. How
do you 'get around' your partner
when you want something that you
know might cause a problem. Or
how do you get recognition at work
when people are too busy to notice
what you are doing?
There are four high-profile needs
that people in the workplace
strive for:
To get the job done.
To get the job right.
To get along with people.
To get recognition.
People are very clever at adapting ways
to meet these needs. When an aware
choice is made about which approach
to follow then this is a healthy
adaptation; when we act through
habit, contact is diminished and the
potential for change inaccessible. Such
behaviours might manifest through
hostility and aggressiveness in order
to get things done
pedantic behaviour in order to
achieve high standards
always agreeing in order to
get along
sniping in order to get recognition
The reason why these behaviours
become habitual is that paradoxically
they never really fulfil the underlying
need because of the distorted nature
of the behaviour, For instance people
who snipe may get attention but they
never get the loving attention that they
often yearn for.
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Completing
unfinished business
Unfinished business drains energy, so
it makes sense to find ways of dealing
with it and learning new ways of
working. If 'the business' is current,
say you have had a recent encounter
with someone which left you feeling
uncomfortable and incomplete, then it
makes sense to go back and take the
issue up with the person involved.
For example:
Two women who were not speaking
to each other caused discomfort
in the department whenever they
were together. A team member
encouraged the senior woman to
take the initiative to deal with the
problem, exploring how she might
do this. They were quite creative
and uninhibited in their suggestions,
which included doing nothing. This
is a useful option to include in any
creative exercise of this kind as it
increases the emotions attached to
the current behaviour encouraging
mobilisation. With some reluctance
she chose to initiate a meeting in
which she would articulate the fact
that they were having difficulties and
suggested discussing the problem
over coffee. For her it was risky
because of the nature of the
problem.
The outcome was productive;
contact was immediately increased.
She allowed herself to be challenged
on some of the assumptions she had
The behaviours we exhibit ourselves
and see in others may not fully reveal
the underlying need that is seeking
completion. If we stop and consider
the behaviour and observe its
ineffectiveness we can begin to identify
where it stems from and nourish the
starving need more appropriately.
Becoming aware of our unfinished
business and how we play out habitual
patterns of behaviour, is the starting
point for dealing with them and in
some circumstances is enough to
create change.
Creative
completion
When we operate through fixed
patterns of behaviour our capacity
to engage in full contact with others
becomes diminished. We are in a
passive, routine and stereotyping
mode. True contact is always creative
and dynamic, shifting away from
stereotyping towards experiencing
people and situations in a different
light. So the aim is to increase contact
through completing unfinished business
and learning new behaviours.
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been carrying around about the other
person. Although she argued that they
would never be best buddies they
began to understand their differences,
the business was completed and a new
relationship began based on a healthy
process.
If on the other hand the unfinished
business stems from the distant past,
there are two tasks; to find ways of
completing past business, replacing old
habits with new ways of working. This
latter task is developmental, requiring
support and help to learn different
types of behaviour that will achieve
more satisfying outcomes.
It may not be possible to complete
unfinished business with the person
from whom it originated. However,
you can do it using your imagination,
like writing them a letter and then
burning it, by imagining that they are
sitting in front of you and telling them
what you really wanted to say at the
time; and if they have died, by visiting
their grave. Through creative exercise,
completion can be achieved.
Often old habits have become so
well established that people miss the
very thing that would really fulfil their
needs. So, for example, if the need is
for recognition, they frequently do not
hear when recognition is being given.
Bringing their attention to this, for
instance when working in teams, can
create a shift. Notice that the work is
still with process, not with the act of
giving them recognition. This is where
creativity exists and the power in
Gestalt begins to take effect.
In organisations where the nature of
the culture is wave hopping, the work
to be done is to build on those parts
of the cycle that are under-developed.
For example:
If completion is being interrupted,
take time to review, celebrate
achievements, give and receive
feedback and encourage learning
to help people move towards
completion. Try to ensure that these
processes arising out of cultural
values are seen as an important part
of 'the way things are done
around here'.
If energy is being blocked, observe,
notice and build on the energy that
people bring into the workplace.
When people exhibit interest,
fascination, excitement and
enthusiasm, potential exists. Lack
of energy, where people are being
pushed into doing tasks that don't
grab their interest, will achieve far
less than is possible.
If awareness is being interrupted,
then increasing awareness will induce
change and growth. This is done by
getting people to focus on what is
happening in the flow of the moment
and to notice how they respond
to events.
Completion of unfinished business,
both old and new, releases energy. This
energy then becomes available for new
tasks and for new relationships. It is a
refreshing process that enables us to
wait patiently in the fertile void for the
next event that attracts our attention.
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process flow
Interrupting
Organismic
self-regulation
In the first article in this series Sue
and introduced the idea that the cycle
of awareness can be interrupted so
that rather than completing the natural
fulfilment of our needs we are left with
some unfinished business. This is both
frustrating and on a physical level can
be painful.
Because we are self-regulating
organisms our natural process will
keep trying to reach completion. This
leads to us being constantly in search
of completion for old Gestalts whilst,
at the same time, trying to complete
current (here and now) Gestalts.
Needless to say this causes stress and
tension and can lead to us behaving
'inappropriately'.
Imagine that you have recently had
a row with someone close to you
and it is unresolved. There will be
a continuing tension until you can
resolve the issue and complete the
Gestalt. If during this time an issue
arises with a colleague at work it is
likely that the feelings attached to the
unresolved row will spill over into
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your contact with your colleague. This
might mean that you are angry with
them, or that you burst into tears
over the slightest criticism. In other
words the self-regulating mechanism
that is searching for completion of the
previous Gestalt can affect the 'here
and now' way in which we behave.
It is important that we learn to
understand and honour our own
natural process so that we can function
in a way that is more satisfying for
ourselves and consequently for those
we come into contact with.
I like to think of this recognition of
process as 'risking being real'. In the
above example of the unresolved row
if you were able to be aware of what
you are feeling and to recognise that
these feelings belong to the incomplete
Gestalt rather than what is happening
right now, it might be possible for you
to either share what is happening for
you with your colleague, or to react to
the new event without bringing in your
feelings from the old unresolved event.
This is 'being real' and it is risky.
Congram talked about the Gestalt cycle
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ways of being
In order to survive, right from the
beginning of our lives, we learn and
develop ways of being that bring
us what we need. You only have to
watch a newborn baby to see this
process at work. This minute human
being is completely organismically
self-regulating. Demanding food and
sleep and basic hygiene exactly when
it needs it. As time passes the new-
born baby learns what works and
what doesn't work in its particular
environment and it adapts accordingly.
Eventually this learning takes on the
messages from parents, teachers and
others who care for and influence the
growing child. These messages begin to
'condition' the way we are. Here are a
few you will know:
Children should be seen
and not heard.
Little boys don't cry.
Little girls don't fight.
There are thousands of these messages
and many are much harsher and more
damaging to the developing person.
And what we do is to learn how to
survive in spite of what we hear and
how we are treated. We develop
ways of 'blocking' our natural process
flow to fit into the unnatural demands
placed on us.
It is important that we
learn to understand and hon-
our our own natural process
so that we can
function in a way that is
more satisfying for ourselves
and consequently for those
we come into contact with.
Blocking
process flow
One of the most difficult transitions
for young children is from wearing
nappies to using the toilet. It is
perhaps the most traumatic period of
the child's life so far. There are many
messages about being good if you don't
wet your pants and/or the bed and bad
if you do. All kinds of inducements are
offered to get the child to buy into
this new set of rules (conditioning).
One moment it is OK to react
organismically and the next moment
this natural process has to be blocked
and a suitable receptacle found. The
stress and tension this causes for the
young child is enormous.
As we grow older we realise that to
feel 'safe', that is acceptable and loved,
we have to fit into a particular pattern
of behaviour that suits those taking
care of us. So we do what is necessary
Habitual (learnt)
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and we block our natural process
to scream when we are mad, to hit
someone when they hit us, to cry
when we are hurt, to scream with
pleasure, to throw jelly around, to
make a mess, and so on.
When we enter the world of work
we continue this blocking process as
we learn what is 'expected' behaviour
in this new environment. We
dress 'appropriately' and behave in
'acceptable' ways. We need to belong,
to be accepted and to be loved, so
we block our natural individuality, our
natural process so that we can survive
and protect ourselves.
After many years of developing such
survival strategies we can become
'stuck' in habitual ways of being that
might not satisfy us. We probably
collect a store of many unfinished
Gestalts that we may never complete,
but which influence how we are and
'contaminate' our current contact
with people. These habitual ways of
interrupting our contact with our
environment and other people have
grown as a form of protection and
in protecting us they can impede our
contact and prevent us completing our
interactions.
In other words we become expert
blockers of our own natural process,
and we do it in a wide variety of ways.





Ways of
interrupting our
process flow
Switching off our senses, not seeing, not
hearing, etc, can be a very effective way
of protecting ourselves. I have spent
much of my life wearing a very strong
suit of armour. I felt protected, and at
the same time I couldn't feel the world
outside. Desensitising ourselves is a
very powerful way of avoiding being
hurt.
Casting off what we don't want to hear
or feel is another effective form of
protection and with my armour went
a very large shield which has until
recently served me very well, deflecting
missiles of all shapes and sizes. And it
has also stopped me receiving many of
the things I wanted to see, hear
and feel.
Taking in when it is done without being
selective, that is when the messages
are gulped down and obeyed without
thinking, actually stops me from
rejecting what I don't want. Like over-
eating I feel full and sick and I want to
spit out. And I do need to be able to
take in the information that is useful
and I need to be selective about it.
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Restoring
process flow
The first thing I need to do is
to honour myself. I am a unique
individual. I owe it to myself to be
as real as I can be in my contact
with others. I see organisations as
relationship systems where people
function mainly through their
interactions with other people. If
these interactions are not effective
then neither is the organisation. For
relationships to be effective people
have to honour themselves and be real.
We need to listen to what we need.
Listen to our organism when it cries
out for attention. Listen to our own
thoughts and ideas, and listen to others
so that we can take in what we want
and spit out what we don't want. By
doing this it is possible that we can
become aware of what is going on
for us at this moment. Then we can
choose what to do.
I have laid down my sword and shield
and I have climbed out of my armour.
They are still available if I should ever
need them and in the meantime I am
more real, more present and more
aware of who I am.
Putting out our own ideas as if they are
someone else's. Disowning what we
really believe and projecting it onto
others can be unreal and inauthentic.
'You shouldn't interrupt people' is a
projection, when what I really mean is,
'I don't like being interrupted'. With
my armour and shield goes a large
sharp sword which has also served
me well.
Going inside where I feel safe and
protected is useful and I need to make
sure that I don't do to myself what
I want to do to others. I need to
make sure that when I am angry with
someone else I am not angry instead
with myself, or when I want to hurt
someone else that I don't hurt
myself instead.
Merging with others because I need to
belong can lead to me losing myself.
When I merge, or become confluent
I lose sight of me and my needs and
focus only on others. This means that
my needs don't get met. Conforming
is a protective and helpful way to
operate, and at the same time I need
to be aware of my own uniqueness.
These ways of interrupting our natural
process flow are also useful ways in
which we can protect ourselves and
keep ourselves intact. So we need to
be aware of how we use them so that
we can do so in a way that best serves
our needs and helps us to complete
Gestalts and reach satisfaction.
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These beauteous forms,
Through a long absence,
have not been to me
As in a landscape to a blind man's eye
Wordsworth 1798 (Tintern Abbey)
Awareness is an experience that can
only happen in a moment by moment
process. As you read this your
attention may stay with the article or
it may flit to noises going on around
you. You may momentarily think of a
loved one and wonder what they are
doing right now, or smile to yourself as
you look forward to seeing friends in
the pub this evening. This is the shape
of awareness; expectations, memories,
feelings, imaginings as well as concrete
experiences, are carried in the flow of
the moment.
Awareness cannot be experienced in a
different place or a different time other
than now. Our awareness informs
us how to behave, act and respond
to passing events in our lives. Past
and future are oriented in present
awareness.
awareness
Sharpening
Awareness defines what we need and
what we experience. It enables us to
be responsible for who we are and
what we do. Awareness can be about
yourself (subjective) and about others
and the environment (objective),
ranging from a clear focus to dim
images.
Our integrity and personal power
is dependent on self-awareness
(subjective awareness); our
interpersonal skills and observation
skills are dependent on objective
awareness. A good balance of the
two provides a powerful contribution
towards the effective management
and development of others in the
workplace.
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Figure - Ground
- Field
In Gestalt we talk about figure, ground,
and field. Figure 4 illustrates this and
the concept of awareness; what our
attention is focused on at any one time.
For example: I am sitting writing this in
my conservatory, my attention flits from
thinking about what to say feeling excited
about the subject (subjective awareness)
and hearing my dog suddenly running
down the stairs then seeing him bounding
towards me (objective awareness). The
telephone rings and as I walk towards it
I notice my annoyance at having to leave
my writing to answer it.
It is impossible for us to take in
every aspect of our being with the
same sharp focus of attention, there
is too much and we would go into
overload. We cope with this by
allowing awareness to emerge out of,
and recede into the background; ground.
So the figure is that which stands out
against a dim background. It wasn't
that my dog did not exist before I
heard him running down the stairs, he
was simply part of the ground; existing
but not the focus of my attention.
When the telephone rang my focus of
interest changed and the dog receded
into ground. This is a process of
selection, influenced by the things that
grab our attention.
We can understand figure and ground
through photography where blurred
images occur in a photograph because
we are 'out of focus' whereas good
figure emerges when we are in focus,
our contrast is high and depth of field
finely tuned. The more sophisticated
we become with our knowledge
and fine use of equipment the more
outstanding are the end results.
The refers to the whole situation in
which figure and ground interrelate.
Figure 4. Figure - Ground - Field
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For example, this is one of a series
of six articles forming a whole. If
I allow myself to be distracted by
the telephone too much while I
write this article, then that could
delay completion of this article and
publication of the whole of the series.
If this series were published in 1997
instead of 1996 then the meaning for
you will be different. You might have
learnt a lot more about Gestalt by
then or your focus of interest could be
somewhere else, so the article would
have a different meaning.
Clouded awareness
There are many factors that can
dim or cloud our awareness such
as blocked feelings, rigid viewpoints,
prejudices, assumptions, inner conflict,
undigested and underdeveloped
learning. They create a mist through
which we see dim images that are
confusing. Clarity is lost. There is
no sharp focus. We use the controls
on the camera to dim our awareness
instead of sharpen it.
Confusion is clouded awareness.
When we are confused we do not
feel very powerful, we lose sight of
our integrity, we are unsure as to how
to respond to the world; we have
to guess. Acting on uncertainty is
stressful and risky. Clarity is power
because it enables us to define and
obtain what we need. Let's look at
some behaviours that create the cloud
in more detail.
Blocked feelings
Feelings and emotions provide us with
information about our response to the
environment, allowing us to act with
integrity and self support. When we
do not allow ourselves access to our
feelings then we are using the controls
of the camera to dim our awareness.
Prejudices
These are rigid and biased viewpoints
that have developed through a process
of stereotyping and discrimination;
having lost their flexibility and clarity.
Discrimination is a healthy and
necessary process for our survival.
However, when this becomes an
habitual process (habits occur out
of awareness) the consequences
are of a distorted and clouded
viewpoint. Prejudiced people only
see the behaviours that support their
prejudices, they then act in a way
that confirms their beliefs. Clarity is
lost due to lack of objective (other)
awareness.
Have you ever met someone for the first
time and judged them negatively only to
find some time later that they turned out
to be a really interesting person. If you
had acted from a prejudiced viewpoint,
every time you met them you would
have treated them as though your
first impressions were true without the
opportunity to discover otherwise. Your
awareness would have been completely
clouded and your relationship with them
remained difficult.
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Inner conflict
Here the 'inner' (the subjective) aspect
of awareness is the issue. No doubt
there have been times in your life when
you have experienced conflicting values
or needs. For example, if I assert
myself and show my individuality here,
I might not be liked: it's important for
me to be recognised for my difference
and to be liked.
To be really clear about inner conflict
requires fully understanding both
sides of the issue, just like in managing
conflict between two people. Lack
of clarity leads to confusion; it is that
moment when you say 'I'm confused'.
Other behaviours
There are many behaviours that
contribute to clouding. The first
step towards dealing with them is
acknowledging that things are not quite
so clear as you would like them to
be, or even that when it comes to the
crunch you are aware of very little.

The power of
awareness
The power of awareness lies in the
knowing. Clouded awareness means
that we do not know therefore we do
not have to change.
Raising awareness is the essence to
change - visioning exercises and action
planning are secondary aids. Once you
know, you cannot undo that knowing.
When you are aware you can become
energised, you can move forward to
take action. That is why awareness is
so powerful.
Awareness helps us define what is
real and what is imagined, enabling
us to respond to the environment
effectively. So if in my school days I
learned that 'being smart' meant always
getting it right, then in my adult life
at work I may put too much effort
in getting it right as opposed to, say,
getting it finished. This leads to a
split between real demands and felt
demands leading to confusion. Through
awareness we can begin to recognise
this split and behave in a way that is
more appropriate to the needs of the
department. You feel more powerful in
yourself which supports the people you
work with.
With awareness we are able to
engage with others more powerfully,
knowing when good contact is not
being achieved and then able to do
something about it. The implications of
this in training and development are
19
intellectualising
asking too many questions
asking rhetorical questions
interpreting
being confused
These are all indicators that awareness
is in some way diminished. This is
not to say that these behaviours are
wrong, indeed they are natural healthy
behaviours until they become habitual
or repetitive.
Let's just experiment with these. Identify
someone who you could work with and act
out one of the behaviours identified above
in a conversation with them. Choose
one that is familiar to you. Notice the
response of the other person.
Then change the conversation to
include present awareness, ie in 'talking
about' change and the effects on your
department you might say something
like '. . . and even as I talk about it I get
butterflies in my stomach'.
With each point of discussion notice your
own response and observe your partner's
response. Notice how your pattern of
conversation is different and how your level
of contact with the other person changes.
wide. Good awareness informs
the trainer:
of their own integrity
when trainees are losing interest
when you are on a different
wavelength to your co-facilitator
when the needs of an individual
seem a world apart from the
needs of their department
when the group is angry
(add some of your own)
just consider all the points above and
then imagine that you lack awareness.
How powerful do you feel as you
consider what might happen without
the important information that you
receive through self and objective
awareness.
Awareness opens up the power of
choice and options to change the way
we work in order to be more effective.
Pointers for
sharpening
awareness

So how can you begin to sharpen
awareness. I suggest you begin by
working on your own awareness
and notice when you are doing the
following:
talking' about'
reminiscing
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Enabling others
Talking about, intellectualising
and reminiscing

An indication that awareness is low
is when people spend a lot of time
talking about, intellectualising and
reminiscing. This can often happen
in teams and groups when there is a
'group' block. The group members
remove the subject from the present
into discussing the theory or
philosophy of it; or repeatedly slip into
exploring events that have happened
in past; or link the current topic with
events that have happened 'out there'.
The way to manage this is simply to
bring the discussion back into the
present by saying something like: 'So
is there a comparison with that group
to this one?'; or 'It seems to me that
you find it easier to talk about the
subject than to deal with it'. These are
'process interventions' and refer to
the process of working, as opposed to
intervening with content material, ie
interpretive or analytical of the subject.
When people repeatedly ask
questions

Questions can be a useful way to
collect data and so expand our
understanding of a subject. Yet we all
fall into the trap at times of 'making
conversation'; a real block to rich
and wholesome contact. A good way
to 'make conversation' without real
engagement is to ask questions. Have
a go, think of all the questions that you
yourself use when making conversation.
What type of questions are they?
interrogating? rhetorical ('don't you
think that. ..)? Why questions? Reflect
on a recent incident when this
happened. Was it rich and wholesome
or superficial? Imagine yourself having
the same conversation without any
questions.
There are times when superficial
contact is all that we want; yet much of
the time superficial contact is all that
we get simply because through habit
we have lost sight of how to engage
well with others. Once again, fluidity
and common sense are important.
When facilitating I have to identify
the real need of an 'interrogator' and
recognise whether I am in receipt of
real or rhetorical questions. Turning
genuine enquiry back can interfere
with your relationship with the trainee
and their learning; turning a rhetorical
question back to ask for a statement in
its place can release awareness, growth
and development.
21
Awareness
interventions

I always feel a need to put a 'health
warning' on suggested interventions
to group processes, simply because
they might become 'fixed gestalts'.
They lose their effectiveness when
used intellectually; as opposed to the
process of fluid, integrated facilitation.
The best way is to work with your
observations and self awareness,
building on both of these to provide
creative and effective intervention. The
following are six simple guides towards
engendering awareness when facilitating
groups.
The power of awareness lies
in the knowing. Clouded
awareness means that we
do not know, therefore
we do not have to change.
Notice your own discomforts and use
them appropriately to support the
learning of the group. Maintaining
your own integrity aids learning for
others.
Bracketing off. If there are issues
rising in the group that hit an
'unfinished business' button for you,
acknowledge it to yourself and
bracket it off until you can deal
with it under more appropriate
circumstances.
Describing your observations brings
awareness into the immediate and
concrete.
Turning questions into statements
encourages people to take
responsibility for what they say.
Challenging the generalising ('it', 'we')
elements in language focuses on
subjective awareness.
Bringing attention to polarities like
but, always and never challenges
stereotyping and prejudice.
Conclusion

Sharpening your own awareness is the
first step towards helping other people
to sharpen theirs. As my awareness
increases and as my habitual behaviour
diminishes I am able to make much
better contact with people and my
environment, and complete more
Gestalts. It is through my awareness
that I grow and it is through my
growth that I influence those
around me.
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One of my great delights in using a
Gestalt approach in organisations is
that by becoming aware and focusing
on what is happening, however
mundane it might seem, perspectives
and attitudes shift. It is this aspect of
Gestalt which is 'business as unusual'.
Fascination with
the ordinary
To see a World in a grain of sand and a
Heaven in a wildflower hold infinity in the
palm of your hand and eternity in an hour
William Blake
Most of what happens in organisations
is very ordinary, so much so that it is
taken for granted, goes unquestioned
and becomes ingrained in what we
refer to as the 'culture'. Working with
Gestalt means being fascinated with
the ordinary. When ordinary events
and reactions are focused on with the
unusual
Business as
magnifying glass of fascination they
become transformed into exciting and
sometimes deeply meaningful events.
Here is an example.
I am working with a small close-knit
team who are discussing the way
forward on an important project when
I notice how one of the members
is tapping his pencil on his pad. He
seems to be listening intently to the
person who is speaking. She has
finished speaking.
"What is happening for you right now?"
I ask the pencil tapper.
"Nothing," he says.
"I notice you are tapping your pencil
on your pad. What's that about?"
"I don't know," he replies as he stops
tapping.
23
Discovering the
obvious

I have just returned with my dog,
Jenny, from a walk in the woods that
surround my home. For the whole
of the walk Jenny is darting here and
there, sniffing and poking with her front
paw at the undergrowth. Nothing is
obvious to her, everything has to be
explored, she never knows what she
might turn up.
It has been a beautiful day and the
colours of the leaves are wonderful. I
stopped when I came across some
fungus growing on an old tree
stump. I was fascinated. I took some
photographs and I poked about around
the tree stump, disturbing some ants
that were hurrying along in a military
column, each carrying a piece of leaf
approximately ten times its size. For
a short time I became lost in this
micro world. Then Jenny, impatient to
continue, stuck her tongue in my ear.
Have you ever noticed how, when
someone tells you something is obvious
and it doesn't seem to you that it is,
that now it has been pointed out to
you it becomes obvious?
Have you ever been given directions
to find somewhere and you are given
some landmark with the fatal words
"It's obvious, you can't miss it." And
what happens? You miss it.
What seems to happen is that the
constant babble of thoughts that
clutter our minds for most of the time
obscure or deaden the information we
"Do it some more only stronger," I
suggest. As he is doing it I say, "What
are the words that go with it?" At first
there are no words then, with each tap,
a word, "This - is - the - wrong - way
- to - go - this - is - the - wrong - way
- to - go - this - is - the - wrong - way
- to - go."
"Which is the right way then?" I ask,
interrupting his tapping.
"Well," he says, looking up, "I think . . .".
He then embarks on a very clear,
concise explanation on why the team
should do something different. This
is something he has not done before
even though he has often tapped his
pencil.
After the meeting the team leader
asked me how I knew that was going
to happen. I told her I didn't know
what was going to happen. I was just
fascinated with the pencil tapping.
When we ignore the ordinary we
ignore life. We drift along half asleep
until something extraordinary wakes
us up.
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One of my great delights in using a
Gestalt approach in organisations is
that by becoming aware and focusing
on what is happening, however
mundane it might seem, perspectives
and attitudes shift. It is this aspect of
Gestalt which is 'business as unusual'.
Fascination with
the ordinary
To see a World in a grain of sand and a
Heaven in a wildflower hold infinity in the
palm of your hand and eternity in an hour
William Blake
Most of what happens in organisations
is very ordinary, so much so that it is
taken for granted, goes unquestioned
and becomes ingrained in what we
refer to as the 'culture'. Working with
Gestalt means being fascinated with
the ordinary. When ordinary events
and reactions are focused on with the
unusual
Business as
magnifying glass of fascination they
become transformed into exciting and
sometimes deeply meaningful events.
Here is an example.
I am working with a small close-knit
team who are discussing the way
forward on an important project when
I notice how one of the members
is tapping his pencil on his pad. He
seems to be listening intently to the
person who is speaking. She has
finished speaking.
"What is happening for you right now?"
I ask the pencil tapper.
"Nothing," he says.
"I notice you are tapping your pencil
on your pad. What's that about?"
"I don't know," he replies as he stops
tapping.
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are receiving from our senses. We are
so busy 'thinking' (paying attention to
thoughts) that we miss the obvious
messages from our senses. Our
eyes see the landmark and feed the
information to the brain where it then
seems to have to wait for a gap in the
babble. By which time we are well past
the landmark.
To discover the obvious we have to
pay attention to our senses and listen
to what they are telling us. We have
to still our frenetic minds and make
contact with our environment and
other people through our senses. And
make contact with ourselves through
our feelings. We have to pay attention
and then, and only then, will we
discover the obvious.
The unseen
(because we don't look)

I watched the young shop assistant
stacking loaves onto the shelf. I
waited. She saw me and smiled and
carried on stacking the shelf until she
had finished. After a few moments
she came over to me.
"Can I help you?"
"You could've helped me a few
minutes ago. I thought customer
service was a priority here," I said, a
little impatiently.
"You're right," she said, "I'm sorry."
This is an example of the unseen. The
shop assistant saw me but not my
discomfort or my need to be served.
She didn't see these other things
because she wasn't looking. It was
almost as if what she was doing and
her focus on that activity was blinding
her to my needs.
Have you ever heard the expression
- 'That is blindingly obvious'? It is a
strange expression but very perceptive
because it is saying that something is
so clear that we can't see it. It is as if
we are blinded by a veil of thought.
It is not difficult to learn to look and
to really take in what we see, not just
the physical aspects but the other
aspects of what is happening around us.
A heightened level of awareness might
be a good way to describe this kind of
looking.
It is not difficult to learn to
look and to really take in what
we see, not just the physical
aspects but the other aspects of
what is happening around us.
A heightened level of awareness
might be a good way to describe
the kind of looking.
25
The unheard
(because we don't listen)
I was at a meeting about a new series
of books I am working on. During
the meeting we were discussing the
author's brief that we would be sending
to prospective authors for the series. I
made what I believed was an important
comment.
"I don't like the chapter structure that
you have included in the brief. I think it
gives authors the wrong impression of
what we want."
The senior editor replied, "I don't want
to change the brief again. We'll see
how we get on with it as it is."
"I'm sorry", I said, "but I think it is
important."
"Well, let me have your ideas in writing
after the meeting," she responded and
we moved on.
I sent my ideas in the next day.
Some time later, after receiving several
proposals from authors prepared
according to the brief that I didn't like,
we had another discussion. The senior
editor agreed to change the brief
and she said, "I wished you'd told me
sooner, it would've saved a lot
of work."
What happened at the meeting was
that for some reason the senior editor
didn't hear what I was saying. Her
thoughts were on something else and
she became deaf to my words. She did
not pay attention to what I was saying
because it didn't fit into her current
focus of what she wanted to hear. I
call this the ear plugs of thought', and it
is a very common occurrence in
most organisations.
Learning to listen means stilling the
constant mind babble and focusing
attention on the person who is
speaking and what is being said. By
focusing on the person first and seeing
them we are able to then hear them
clearly. We cannot choose what we
hear, unless we use ear plugs, but we
can choose what we pay attention
to and listening is all about paying
attention.
The unsaid
(because we don't speak)
Perhaps this is one aspect of 'business
as unusual' which most frequently
generates surprise in people. I think
this is because we all choose to censor
what we say to such an extent that we
often say nothing. Now censoring has
its uses and I am not suggesting that
we never censor. What I am suggesting
is that most of us experience moments
when we wish we had said something.
One of my favourite interventions
with individuals and groups is, "What
really interests me is what you are not
saying". Another favourite intervention
used by one of my Gestalt trainers is,
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"Think out loud". The aim is to bring
the unspoken into the field, because
it's only when this happens that we can
pay attention to it. If it stays part of
your mental babble it gets lost.
The expression, 'tongue tied' is another
of those interesting uses of language.
Who ties our tongue so that we
cannot speak? It also implies that we
know what we want to say but we
can't bring ourselves to say it.
One of the ways that we can realise
our unspoken words is to preface
what we say with the simple statement,
"What I want you to hear is...". This
simple phrase is like a key to unlock
a veritable treasure chest of feelings,
ideas, beliefs, emotions, and whatever
else you want to set free. The
statement is also a powerful way of
alerting others to the need we have for
them to listen to what we are going
to say.

Learning to listen means
stilling the constant mind
babble and focusing
attention on the person
who is speaking and
what is being said.
The authentic self
To be able to operate on the basis of
'business as unusual' means taking risks.
All these risks are to do with revealing
our true selves to those we come into
contact with. This is like removing the
layers of ourselves from our superficial
surface to that deeper more real level
of who we are, like peeling an onion. It
is risky because we might get hurt, we
might be misunderstood, we might be
ridiculed and we might be rejected.
Being authentic means being 'all of
me'. This is much more difficult than
it sounds and takes a willingness to
experiment with removing some of the
blocks to my natural process; leaving
my armour, my sword and my shield
at home when I venture out into the
world. If I do this then it is possible
for me to allow myself the luxury of
being 'fascinated by the ordinary' and
the time to 'discover the obvious'.
As one of my clients said to me, "So
we are going to have to take the rough
with the smooth?" "What smooth?"
I replied
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"Think out loud". The aim is to bring
the unspoken into the field, because
it's only when this happens that we can
pay attention to it. If it stays part of
your mental babble it gets lost.
The expression, 'tongue tied' is another
of those interesting uses of language.
Who ties our tongue so that we
cannot speak? It also implies that we
know what we want to say but we
can't bring ourselves to say it.
One of the ways that we can realise
our unspoken words is to preface
what we say with the simple statement,
"What I want you to hear is...". This
simple phrase is like a key to unlock
a veritable treasure chest of feelings,
ideas, beliefs, emotions, and whatever
else you want to set free. The
statement is also a powerful way of
alerting others to the need we have for
them to listen to what we are going
to say.

Learning to listen means
stilling the constant mind
babble and focusing
attention on the person
who is speaking and
what is being said.
The authentic self
To be able to operate on the basis of
'business as unusual' means taking risks.
All these risks are to do with revealing
our true selves to those we come into
contact with. This is like removing the
layers of ourselves from our superficial
surface to that deeper more real level
of who we are, like peeling an onion. It
is risky because we might get hurt, we
might be misunderstood, we might be
ridiculed and we might be rejected.
Being authentic means being 'all of
me'. This is much more difficult than
it sounds and takes a willingness to
experiment with removing some of the
blocks to my natural process; leaving
my armour, my sword and my shield
at home when I venture out into the
world. If I do this then it is possible
for me to allow myself the luxury of
being 'fascinated by the ordinary' and
the time to 'discover the obvious'.
As one of my clients said to me, "So
we are going to have to take the rough
with the smooth?" "What smooth?"
I replied
27
extremes
Integrating
Behaviours, attitudes and beliefs can
become fixed in an extreme Polarity.
The consequence is reduced contact
with ourselves, others and the
environment leading to behaviours
that support prejudice, conformity and
destruction of creative potential. These
polarities affect working practice and
they can be managed using integrating
methods.
Discovering
opposites
Polarities exist at opposite ends of
the same continuum. You can't have
one without the other. Love cannot
exist without hate, joy cannot exist
without sadness, black cannot exist
without white. Using the analogy of
a camera, contrast is needed in order
to gain clarity. Problems arise when
the contrast has reached its maximum
potential and become stuck; the
opposite is so lost in the background
that it is not even considered.
For example some people deny
their vulnerability. 'Be strong' is the
message they give to themselves and
the message they convey to the world.
When they are in a situation where
they become vulnerable, ie afraid, sad,
angry, they work hard to avoid any
contact with themselves, denying their
feelings. Paradoxically what the world
tends to see is their vulnerability. It
leaks out.
Effort to keep the denied polarity
(in this example vulnerability) out
of awareness is draining, resulting in
wasted energy and often illness.
Opposites are not contradictory;
they form two sides of the same coin
and are complementary. When one
is figure then the other must be in
the field as part of the ground. The
language we use articulates our values
on positives and negatives in polarities
The more contrast that exists between
positive and negative the greater the
differential.
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it useful to identify some of your
own, noticing those that are less well
integrated, ie that cause you some
discomfort.
Start by listing a number of attributes that
you recognise in yourself. Then think of
an opposite for each one. Having done
this, for each polarity list a range of words,
positive and negative, that have a similar
meaning. You might like to refer to a
thesaurus to help you. Notice the words
you use and your comfort level as you
identify opposites in yourself.
Good integration of opposites is
about accepting all parts of ourselves
in each polarity; taking responsibility
for our actions and the consequences
of our behaviour. For example, in a
situation where your contribution is
not recognised you notice that you
become self-centred; in a situation
where you are respected for your
contribution you notice that you are
self-aware. This flexibility introduces
shades of colour as well as shades of
grey into our character; we become
more characterful.
I want to emphasise that polarities
are not necessarily positive against
negative. It is only through our own
biases that we increase the contrast
of polarities through using positive
attributes to contrast with negative
attributes. People who act with
integrity recognise the positives and
negatives in themselves throughout
each continuum.
Figure 5 shows some positive
attributes of polarities, using similes
that could be interpreted as negative,
in brackets. Remember these are my
interpretations, yours may be different.
You will notice that each polarity
could be defined in many ways. The
meaning of the language we use will
describe our own polarities and
convey the extent to which extremes
are integrated. To overcome any
dissonance where we hold fixed
extremes we are likely to describe
the opposite in negative terms. For
example, the opposite to warm
hearted might be hostile.
As we all have an infinite number of
distinctive polarities you might find
Spontaneous (impulsive) ....................................Considered (calculating)
Self-reliant (stubborn) .....................................Dependent (burdensome)
Accurate (pedantic) ......................................................Carefree (careless)
Self-aware (self-centred) ..........................................Selfless (self-denying)
Warm-hearted (smothering) ..............................................Hostile (aloof)
Figure 5. Positive attributes of polarities
29
Secondly, we tend to use our own
definitions of ourselves (or the
contrasts that we deny in ourselves) to
describe other people.
Having identified your own list, think of
one or two people that you work with,
ie someone that you work well with and
someone who you don't get on so well
with. What characteristics can you identify
in them that are similar and different to
your own polar opposites?
Polarities provide vital information
to understand and value difference.
Valuing difference is prominent in our
appreciation of diversity - other people
become more characterful to us. If we
do not recognise and value polarities in
ourselves, then we will not be able to
value them in others.

Sustaining biases
Clinging to one side of a polarity in an
attempt to keep the situation simple
means working hard to maintain a
biased position. To do this people
engage in the following four behaviours:
avoid contradictions and
inconsistencies
see only those things that support
their viewpoint
compromise in order to sustain
the fixation
create positive versus negative
polarities which bring out
the contrast.
I was working with a group of
managers on their development
recently. One of them was continually
running down a senior manager who
others seemed to have considerable
respect for. When this was brought to
her attention she commented that the
manager in question was incompetent.
When I asked her what this meant, she
said: "It is wrong to make mistakes as a
manager, a good manager must not be
incompetent, that is bad management
practice and presents a bad image both
inside and outside the organisation."
With the help of her colleagues she
discovered the following.
She was ignoring contradictions
to her belief that might suggest
the opposite, ie that mistakes lead
to learning which leads to more
effective management; or that no-
one is infallible and admitting to
mistakes conveys integrity, which is
a valuable quality in management.
She only saw in other people's
behaviours those aspects that
supported her belief, ie that
owning mistakes leads to loss of
respect (in her case others losing
her respect).
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She would compromise by half
owning an alternative then taking
it back again. "Yes making mistakes
leads to learning but it also leads
to bad management practice."
She attributed positive
characteristics to 'getting it right'
and negative characteristics to
'getting it wrong'.
Where personal fixations exist,
prejudice emerges. So with a
view that making mistakes herself
is bad management practice, she
also projected this out onto other
managers by showing prejudice
towards those who openly admitted
to the mistakes that they made. She
consequently did not have a good
relationship with the particular
manager in question.


From separating
to integrating
If we see them as 'or' we separate
If we see them as 'but' we separate
If we see them as 'and' we
integrate.
Integrating extremes does not mean
loss of extremes, it means fully owning
all aspects of yourself. It is not 'sitting
on the fence', being neither one nor
the other. It means exploring and
acknowledging your own potential. In
doing so, you recognise the potential
in others. I have found in my own
development that this is not always
easy and that when I am working in an
environment that does not support my
fallibility then I find it hard to challenge
my beliefs and my own behaviour.
When working with people who allow
me to be myself 'warts and all', I feel
powerful, open to learn by my mistakes,
able to explore my own polarities. I
have noticed that I often need to have
permission to do this and to stumble
a 'little, in order to own my opposites
and use them in a way that is socially
acceptable, ie aggressiveness meets
a different response in others than
assertiveness.
As a woman I have chosen to discover
my assertive self (my passive self I
know very well, it is a familiar pattern).
Like many women I always believed
that being aggressive, to me the polar
opposite of passive, would be seen as
unloving and uncaring, leading to me
being unloved by others. I flatly denied
that I could ever be aggressive.
To change has meant owning an
aggressive and assertive me, which
meant taking a risk that 'people might
no longer love me'. I realise now that
belief was ridiculous. I don't always get
it right, I am improving. My willingness
to learn enables me to try something
different next time, or even to say "that
31
sounded a bit aggressive and I didn't
mean it to sound like that". I feel
much more powerful than the passive,
compliant woman I used to be years
ago. Paradoxically, I am much more
appreciated by others in my work
when I express my views openly.
We can only learn opposites through
accepting them in ourselves and by
taking risks. Taking risks leads to
growth and change; to avoid taking
risks means staying the same. That is
our choice.

Integrating extremes does not
mean loss of extremes, it
means fully owning all aspects
of yourself. It is not 'sitting on
the fence' being neither one nor
the other. It means exploring
and acknowledging your range
of potential.. In doing so you
begin to recognise the
potential in others.

Integrating
extremes through
language


You will have noticed the strong
emphasis on language in this article.
Language can carry us to great depths
of understanding; exploring polarities is
no afternoon ramble on the moors.
I guess what I am saying is to treat
polarities language with respect and
to honour the depth that you might
be in touch with both in yourselves
and in others. Ultimately, it is through
awareness that change occurs.
Language provides us with a means
of challenging others in their denial
of polar opposites. In the following
examples, I have put in brackets useful
interventions to increase awareness.
I never get angry with her but she still
treats me badly. (You would challenge
never.)
He always shows contempt towards
me. (You would challenge always.)
Either we deliver today or we don't
deliver at all. (You would explore
other possibilities.)
We have to do it this way, we have no
choice. (You would challenge the lack
of choice.)
I can't stand people who are egotistic.
(You would challenge the prejudice and
explore their own egotism.)
Notice how the language in each
statement undermines the potential
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that exists. Where there is no
acceptable opposite there is no room
for difference; there is no room
for diversity; there is no room for
creativity; there is no possibility
of change.
When I notice polarised extremes
in people I encourage them to
imagine the opposite, articulate what
it would be like to be this opposite
and to notice their response. I give
them permission to be different and
frequently find that this process is
freeing, setting off a whole new set
of insights that have been frozen for
a long time. I encourage 'anding'
instead of language that separates. For
example, "I have heard your proposals
but I have some different ideas"
becomes "I have heard your proposals
and I have some different ideas". Do
you notice the difference and how the
latter statement opens up the potential
for bringing ideas together? Can you
appreciate how the last statement
promotes contact, as opposed to
inducing resistance and blocked
contact?
So what
about
diversity?
What we have been talking about here
is at the core of diversity, a familiar
subject to most people and most
organisations. It is not my intention
to discuss at length the meaning and
implications of diversity; simply to note
the connection between polarities and
managing diversity in the workplace.
Diversity is about appreciating
difference and building on it. Not
black and white, man and woman,
Catholic and Jew, but the differences
within ourselves and with our fellow
human beings, whatever age, race or
colour. Diversity is around integrating
the polarities in our beliefs, values,
attitudes and behaviour. Appreciating
difference in others begins with
recognising the range and the tapestry
within ourselves; in valuing our own
potential. Taking the risk to challenge
ourselves and to own our prejudices.
Promoting sustainable change means
offering a supportive environment
where people can discover their
polarities and put them into
practice without recrimination or
discrimination; to bring their potential
into their work; to be accepted for
who they are 'warts and all'. Because
their warts are our warts.
33
of change
The paradox
Change is the very basis of existence
and the natural process of the
Universe. Change is happening all the
time. The apparent (illusory) idea we
might have that things stay the same
is due entirely to the simple fact that
we use most of our energy resisting
change and trying to keep things the
same. Change is not something that
we do or don't do. It's not something
that we make happen, but we can
influence the process of change.
Change is the
natural result of
being aware
When we start to reclaim our
authentic selves we will reach a point
where the forces for further change
will meet the forces against change. In
Gestalt we call this the impasse. This is
the place where we need to focus our
awareness, not just on the forces for
change but also on the forces against
change. We need to be crystal clear
about what both sides of the impasse
mean for us. And it is from this clarity
that we can move forward.
I often meet the 'impasse' in
organisations Change management, if
this is not a contradiction in terms, is
all about the way in which we focus
our awareness on the 'impasse'. The
first step is to value the positions for
change and to value the positions
against change. There should be no
battle between those in favour of
change and those against change.
Change is going to happen anyway.
What we are concerned with is how
are we best able to adapt to change
and deal with the impacts created by it.
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Avoiding confusion and frustration
keeps me stuck where I am. It keeps
me at the 'impasse'.
It was my third coaching session with
the chief executive when we hit the
'impasse'. During the session he said:
"I realise that I need to deal with this
issue differently, but I just can't do it, in
fact I'm not going to do it."
"What is that that you don't want to
do?" I asked.
"I don't want to sacrifice the years of
work building this organisation the way
it is," he replied.
"How could you sacrifice all those
years?" was my next question.
He then said: "If we change our
approach now it will seem that all that
effort is wasted."
"What in particular would you be
sorry to lose?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. I think it would be the
sense of stability and continuity," was
his response.
"So how would you like to see things
develop and still keep the stability and
continuity?" I asked.
"Well, we could incorporate the old
company logo in the proposed new
one and . . . " he answered.
The session continued in this vein.
Nothing was resolved and the chief
executive did not yet have the clarity
that was needed. However, there was
a greater degree of awareness and the
'impasse' was less difficult to face.
Embracing
confusion and
frustration
In the third article in this series Sue
Clayton talked about the importance of
confusion as the growing edge of our
learning. This is never more true than
when we are dealing with an 'impasse'.
We will be confused by the opposing
forces for and against. This confusion
may be uncomfortable and unless we
embrace it as a necessary path to
greater clarity it will get more and
more uncomfortable.
We may also find the process of
change frustrating. Three steps
forward - two steps back, is a common
experience. This frustration that I feel
is in fact a signal, a measure of my need
to be real and to see what isn't being
seen, to hear what isn't being heard,
and to say what isn't being said. When
I feel frustrated then I know it has to
be 'business as unusual'.
35
Chasing change is
like chasing
rainbows
The wonderful thing about rainbows
is that you can see them so clearly,
including where they start and finish,
but you can never get to the end of
them. Chasing change is like that. The
first thing that happens just as you are
about to score is that the goal posts
move. And they will keep moving.
We exist in the now, in this moment.
What happens immediately becomes
the past and we don't know what is
going to happen next. When we try
to look into the future we do so from
where we are and by the time the
future arrives we are somewhere else.
This doesn't mean that planning is a
waste of time. What it does mean is
that we have to be ready to adapt our
plans as things change.
Perhaps the frustration that this creates
tempts us to chase after change and
to try to freeze what is happening
long enough for our plans to come
to fruition. Unfortunately this is not
possible. Chasing change in this way is
just as useful as chasing rainbows.
We can try to stand still and resist
change, but this doesn't work either.
So what can we do?
Change is
unmanageable
Paradoxically, what we can do is accept
that change is unmanageable. If we
accept this then we have to change our
focus to becoming more aware of the
changes that are happening and their
impact on our world. By doing this
we can change our approach from one
that seeks to chase and manage change
to one that seeks to understand and
react to change as it happens.
I exist and interact with my
environment, my field, in the best way
I can to meet my needs. My field is
continually changing as new people and
new experiences come into it. If I am
not aware of how my field is changing
then the way I react is limited. If I
choose to pretend that my field is not
changing then I become stuck. I cannot
'manage' the way my field changes;
there are far too many external factors
out of my sphere of influence.
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We can plan and fantasise about
the future. We can dream and have
expectations, why not? This is fine as
long as it doesn't block our awareness
that change is constantly happening.
It is not the planning we do which
influences the choices we make, it is
our awareness about what is happening
at this moment that determines what
we do.
What we need is
trust not thrust
If we embrace change and learn to
adapt and react in the best way we can
to satisfy our needs then we can trust
the process and need not fear change.
If, on the other hand, we believe that
we can control and manage change
then we will have little option other
than to thrust forward and try to make
change happen the way we want it to
and in so doing we will carry the fear
of it not working.
The paradox is that by trusting to the
process and being aware of what is
happening, change just is.
What I can do is to try to be aware
of how my field is changing and the
extent of the choices I have about what
I focus on, ie in Gestalt terms what
becomes 'figure' for me. This then
makes it possible for me to engage
with my world in a way that enables
me to follow my natural process flow
and satisfy my needs.
When I work with change in
organisations this is what I do. I focus
on the field and how it is changing,
and then on what might become
figure, and ways that the organisation
can react to complete the cycle and
reach satisfaction. The results of this
approach can be significant.


Embracing change
When we accept that change is a
continuous process that we cannot
manage, our focus changes to
understanding what is happening and
how we can react. This is what we call
'going with the flow'.
Instead of looking at events in terms of,
'This is not turning out as expected' (it
would be a miracle if it was), you could
look at events in terms of, 'This is what
is happening, so what shall we do?' This
is quite a big change from traditional
approaches of trying to control events
so that they meet expectations.
the space between
the space between based in the UK and Australia,
which offers organisations guidance towards achieving
extraordinary results through people.
Trevor Bentley and Sue Congram are founding partners of
You can discover more about the space between and contact details at
www.thespacebetween.com
Books by Trevor Bentley and Susan Clayton
published by the space between
Facilitation by Trevor Bentley
Being a facilitator for training sessions and meetings means
helping groups and individuals to work together in continually
different situations.
Chapter by chapter, we follow a real-life workshop facilitated
by the author, from its inception to completion. In this way
you are provided with living examples and illustrations of the
high and low points of facilitation in practice.
ISBN 0953855902 15
Creativity by Trevor Bentley
Innovation and creativity are two of the most important skills
in business today. Organisations are looking for significant
growth, not simply marginal improvements, and business
developments of that scale demands innovative ideas and a
creative approach at every stage. This book shows you how
to encourage your team to explore problems from different
angles and to foster a totally creative environment.
ISBN 0953855945 20
Teamwork by Trevor Bentley
The great quality of this book is the extent that Trevor
Bentley builds on the unique individuality of people in teams.
He shows how this is a critical part of teamwork offering
activities to discover new dimensions to teams and to
employing their fullest potential.
ISBN 0953855910 15
Second Edition
Second Edition
Marketing, Orders & Distribution, the space between publishing,
Dolgarren, St Weonards, Herefordshire, HR2 8NZ
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A Touch of Magic by Trevor Bentley
In the fast changing complex business world of today
different organisational practices are demanded to
keep up with these changes. This book is about a new
way forward. It is about the magic of contact, complexity,
creativity and chaos. It is about the future that is
happening right now.
ISBN 0953855953 20
The Parsifal Stories by Trevor Bentley
Executive coaching is an art form that is a combination of
a life times experience, a deep understanding of human
psychology and wisdom.
In The Parsifal Stories we learn how a master of
executive coaching works. Sometimes it seems as if there
is a touch of magic in how Parsifal works with the chief
executive and the executive team, represented in the book
by the King and his courtiers.
ISBN 0953855929 15
Simply People by Susan Clayton
This book offers a treasury of insights and wisdom on
the dynamics of people and interactions. With an easy to
read format and delightful graphics the author invites the
reader to discover the art of co-creating quality contact
and desirable outcomes with the people that they
encounter in their life, love and work.
ISBN 0953855937 15
the space between publish
books on the art of people
Tel: 01981 580040 Email: [email protected]
Fax: 01981 580030 Web site: www.thespacebetween.com
Books by Trevor Bentley and Susan Clayton
published by the space between
Facilitation by Trevor Bentley
Being a facilitator for training sessions and meetings means
helping groups and individuals to work together in continually
different situations.
Chapter by chapter, we follow a real-life workshop facilitated
by the author, from its inception to completion. In this way
you are provided with living examples and illustrations of the
high and low points of facilitation in practice.
ISBN 0953855902 15
Creativity by Trevor Bentley
Innovation and creativity are two of the most important skills
in business today. Organisations are looking for significant
growth, not simply marginal improvements, and business
developments of that scale demands innovative ideas and a
creative approach at every stage. This book shows you how
to encourage your team to explore problems from different
angles and to foster a totally creative environment.
ISBN 0953855945 20
Teamwork by Trevor Bentley
The great quality of this book is the extent that Trevor
Bentley builds on the unique individuality of people in teams.
He shows how this is a critical part of teamwork offering
activities to discover new dimensions to teams and to
employing their fullest potential.
ISBN 0953855910 15
Second Edition
Second Edition
Marketing, Orders & Distribution, the space between publishing,
Dolgarren, St Weonards, Herefordshire, HR2 8NZ
t
h
e

s
p
a
c
e

b
e
t
w
e
e
n

p
u
b
l
i
s
h
-
A Touch of Magic by Trevor Bentley
In the fast changing complex business world of today
different organisational practices are demanded to
keep up with these changes. This book is about a new
way forward. It is about the magic of contact, complexity,
creativity and chaos. It is about the future that is
happening right now.
ISBN 0953855953 20
The Parsifal Stories by Trevor Bentley
Executive coaching is an art form that is a combination of
a life times experience, a deep understanding of human
psychology and wisdom.
In The Parsifal Stories we learn how a master of
executive coaching works. Sometimes it seems as if there
is a touch of magic in how Parsifal works with the chief
executive and the executive team, represented in the book
by the King and his courtiers.
ISBN 0953855929 15
the space between publish
books on the art of people
Fax: 01981 580030 Web site: www.thespacebetween.com
Simply People by Susan Clayton*
ISBN 05385537 15
This book offers a treasury of insights and wisdom on
the dynamics of people and interactions. With an easy to
read format and delightful graphics the author invites the
reader to discover the art of co-creating quality contact
and desirable outcomes with the people that they
encounter in their life, love and work.
* now Sue Congram
Tel: 0181 580040 Email: [email protected]