Theory U: Chapters 6-9

Chapter 6

This chapter discussed ontological and epistemological groundings and that to do this we need to welcome the phenomenon of emergence and accept the idea that "all systems and knowledge are situated in context" (embeddedness). The author goes on to discuss the views of Nietzsche; that science should be viewed like an artist and that scientific investigation should be applied to ideas like the creative process. I thought that this was an interesting idea and that it is something we are already do through user research we conduct. In the last section he talked about the knowing of the heart- love. It was stated that love is the "deepest knowledge of things". I disagreed with this statement because while it can be true; the thing you love, you probably have a deep knowledge about. It does not go the other way; I have a deep knowledge on a topic, does not mean I love it.

Chapter 7

In chapter seven the main idea was a threshold and overcoming it. Overcoming it is a similar process for all systems; realizing our current (incorrect) ways and redirecting our attention. The author used the example of the population's different reactions to 9/11. He stated that the key to high performance in rapidly changing environments is attending to a situation from a different place. I agree with this completely because falling on old habits really is not getting us anywhere.

Chapter 8

The author makes the case that to move forward we must acknowledge and move passed this idea of downloading because all it does is make us repeat the past. In this chapter there was a short story about a man borrowing a hammer from his neighbor, it showed the reader how we can get into our own head and create things that are not true. I found this story to be very true because I often find myself creating situations in my head and assuming how people may act. The chapter continued with a story about a health care company and how the past CEOs influenced the company's culture and created "learning disabilities". These anecdotes show how deep rooted the idea of downloading can be and how powerfully it can effect things.

Chapter 9

Chapter nine was all about seeing and becoming aware of the reality around you. To shift from downloading to really seeing one must,1) clarify question and intent, 2) move into the contexts that matter, 3) suspend judgement and connect to wonder and set up a dialogue. One of the sections that I found interesting was the second section because it discussed how important it is to do the "legwork" because if it were to be outsourced it would lead to a disconnect in the work. The final section of the chapter is a study of the patient physician dialogue forum. At this forum the four levels of this type of dialogue was decided; as the levels continued they became more abstract. I am not sure if I agree with the last level of Self Transforming presence.