Adopting agile can cause quite a lot of turmoil depending on how organisations are setup. It’s something some experts in cultural transformation call Liminality, the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that happens in the middle stage of a ritual. This process, as we know, causes fear, panic, depression and even some some neuroses. As Coaches or anyone in a position to coach, we want to help everyone transition this phase without much of those issues, so we need to understand what causes liminality and how to work in the liminal space.

1. Agility is Unsettling
Pedro Pimentel

4. (

5. Liminality

6. Definition
The quality of ambiguity or
disorientation that occurs in the
middle stage of rituals, when
participants no longer hold their pre-
ritual status but have not yet begun
the transition to the status they will
hold when the ritual is complete.
(wikipedia)

7. Liminal Thinking

8. What do I know
about this?

10. )

11. A Coach

12. Liminal Roles
==
Growth & Change

13. Beliefs

14. Homework #1
Think of something in your life that
you believe it will never change.

15. Beliefs are Models

16. Beliefs are Models
1 reality
6 Different Experiences

17. idea != reality

18. Beliefs are Models
They are not Wrong
But also not Right

19. Homework #2
Think of Donald Trump.
Think about your beliefs regarding him.
Now think of someone who has different
beliefs about him.
Try your best to listen and put yourself on
their shoes.

20. Beliefs are Created

21. reality
experience

22. reality
experience
attention

23. reality
experience
attention
theories
judgements

24. reality
experience
attention
theories
judgements
beliefs

25. reality
experience
attention
theories
judgements
beliefs
the obvious

26. reality
experience
attention
theories
judgements
beliefs
the obvious
Liminal
Space

27. Homework #3
Choose one of your beliefs
What personal experiences created it?
What did you actually notice in those
experiences?
What theories and judgements were made
to support this belief?
Can you list different experiences that could
have led to a different belief?

28. Beliefs Create a
Shared World

29. Angry Cat

30. need belief action result

31. needs
beliefs
actions
results
feedback
learning
loop

32. Angry Cat Again

33. problematic
cat
Punish
cat
protects
food
doom
loop

34. good
cat, learn
new
behaviour
reward
spend
time
with cat
delight
loop

36. Kid Tantrum

37. Homework #4
Think of a doom loop on your life
Draw a diagram of the doom loop pattern.
Try to convert it to a delight loop.
What could you do differently?

38. Beliefs Create
Blind Spots

39. Limiting Belief

40. Homework #5
Think of people on your life who have a
belief that might be limiting you.
Do you have beliefs that might be limiting
others?

41. Beliefs Defend
Themselves

42. They are there, we
just haven’t found
them yet
US went to Iraq for a
reason:
WMDs
No WMDs
found
Still
Haven’t
found
them
There must be a
reason or we
wouldn’t have
gone in
WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction
Self-sealing logic
seal

43. reality
experience
attention
theories
judgements
beliefs
Bubble of
Belief

44. 5 monkeys, 1 ladder

45. Introducing Change
We know people like Stability

46. Introducing Change
How people make sense of
new ideas?
#1 Is it coherent in my bubble?
#2 Is it externally valid?

47. People rarely test
ideas for external
validity when they
don’t have internal
coherence.

48. Homework #6
Think about your relationships with family,
friends, coworkers…
What beliefs you share?
How do you defend your beliefs when
questioned?
Try to sketch a diagram of the self-sealing
logic.

49. Beliefs are Tied to
Identity

50. Everything is going to hell

51. When you do
everything you can
but not having
success or traction.
What could it be?

52. Governing Beliefs
Are connected to your identity.
Define YOU.

53. Homework #7
What do you think your governing beliefs
are?
Which of them create the foundations for
your choices in life?
Talk to someone you trust, explain what a
governing belief is and ask her what she
thinks your governing belief is.

54. What to do
about it?

55. #1 Assume you are not objective
#2 Empty your cup.
#3 Create safe space
#4 Triangulate and Validate
#5 Ask questions, make connections
#6 Disrupt routines
#7 Act as if in the here and now
#8 Make sense with stories
#9 Evolve yourself

56. A) be an agent of
change
Everyone can learn - but it’s not easy.

57. B) bring an coach
An external coach isn’t biased by the
existing belief bubbles

59. Thank you!
pedropimentel.com

60. Further info at
www.liminalthinking.com