Current Way Exploration

Current way exploration is an opportunity for each individual to get a better understanding
of how they have been relating to their topic and shed light on why this may be an area of
difficulty for them. This way of seeing development makes a distinction between technical
and adaptive change. Technical change is suitable for learning a new skill or information,
and is often needed to further our growth. Adaptive change is when we need to adapt in
our whole being to become in a sense larger and able to encompass the change that is
needed. Very often the kind of changes we need to make are adaptive changes, if our topic
is something that we’ve had difficulty with over time, then making progress on our topic
will almost certainly include aspects of adaptive change.

Importance:
Our current way of relating to our topic is the culmination of our life experience to this
point, and is a stabilizing force in our being that helps keep us from changing in ways that
would not be healthy for us. But this inner stabilizing system also can inhibit movement
on chosen change goals. In order to make change that is adaptive, and deeply integrated
for the long run, we need to see, understand, and begin to work on our current way of
being. The three main nodes of our current way that help us see the self reinforcing
system of ourselves are: our way of seeing, way of going, and way of checking. The
following process helps guide us through a process of discovery and get the assistance of
other group members to begin to see, understand and adapt our current way.

Process
1.  Setting up: Facilitator reminds group of who is going to be the focus of attention
and how long they have to work with the current way exploration process. This
individual becomes the explorer for the duration of their time on the hot seat. All
of the following steps and questions are for the explorer to ask and answer for
themselves, although throughout the following steps the facilitator may call on
other members of the group to provide clarifying questions and help the explorer
clarify their insights at each step. The facilitator guides the explorer by introducing
each step and helping the explorer understand the kinds of outputs they are
looking for.
2.  Restating: Briefly name your topic and why this is important to you.
3. Investigating:
a.  Doing or not-doing: What are you doing or not doing that is getting in the way
of making progress on your topic. List as many as come to mind. If you wish, you
may ask your group mates if they are aware of any others.
b.  The way of going: Choose one of the most obstructing of these behaviors that
inhibit your movement and give it a title. This key behavior is your way of going
in relation to your topic.
c.  Worries or fears: Now, imagine how you would feel if you did the opposite of
your “way of going” behavior. What are you most worried may happen if you
were to cease doing this behavior that you have identified as your way of going?
d.  Hidden commitment: Choose one of the most significant of these worries and
rephrase it as a hidden commitment you hold for yourself to protect yourself
from this worry.

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 Current Way Exploration
e. The way of checking: Your way of checking is how you subconsciously check
to see if you’ve been able to honor your hidden commitment. In other words, it’s
what happens when you assess whether you are okay by asking:  “Did I succeed
at following through on [name your hidden commitment]?”
f.  Looking for assumptions: What are the assumptions you may hold to be true
about yourself, other people or the world that underpin your way of checking
and hidden commitment? Brainstorm a list and ask your group mates for
suggestions if you like.
g. The way of seeing: Choose one big, assumption from your list that you feel is
key to making sense of your way of checking. This is your way of seeing.
h.  Seeing the whole cycle: Name your ways of going, checking, and seeing. In
what ways do you see that they reinforce each other, creating a closed loop that
makes it hard to make changes on your topic. This is a map of your current way
of being in relationship to your topic.
i.  Honoring the current way: It’s important to realize the current way is not a bad
thing. Everyone has a current way, and in fact your current way is doing its best
to protect you from harm of some sort. How has your current way served you
and helped you get this far in life?
j.  Limits of the current way: But at this point your current way is limiting you,
how do you now understand your current way to be getting in the way of your
learning at this time?
Self observation: Now that you have a better picture of your current way, it’s
4. 
time to go out into your life and observe this part of yourself in action. Use these
questions as a guide to observing yourself for the next few weeks.
a. Where and when am I doing the behaviors of my way of going?
b. What are the feelings I have related to my way of checking, in what
circumstances do they surface?
c. As I look back at my behaviors and feelings, what does that tell me about the
assumptions I may hold as my way of seeing?

Output
I have clear statements for my topic, way of going, checking and seeing and what I
intend to observe about myself for the next few weeks.
Format:
My topic: Phrase your topic as an improvement goal that allows for progress over time.
My way of going: Instead of making progress on my topic, I tend to do [name 1-2
specific behaviors].
My way of checking: At the end of the day I’ll secretly know I’m okay if I’ve honored
[this hidden commitment to self protection].
My way of seeing: A key big assumption I have about myself, others, or the world that
keeps me committed to my way of checking is [...].
Self observation: I am going to observe [...] about myself in relationship to my topic in
the next few weeks.
Examples:
Please see the Collab Training Manual for an example.

COLLAB
TM

VERSION 2.0

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