What is a "conscious" organization?

According to consciousness expert John Renesch, the "Conscious Organization" is not an end-state where every worker has been certified "enlightened" and each and every element of the company, or division or bureau, or agency, or institution is spotlessly cleaned of any residual unconsciousness. The Conscious Organization, is one which continually examines itself, committed to becoming as conscious as it can. In other words, it has very low tolerance for unconsciousness. It possesses the collective will to be vigilant, the collective commitment to continuous evolution, and the collective courage to act."

Renesch says that "once this Conscious Organization, or anyone involved with it, recognizes a quality, procedure, or other element of its culture which is not conscious, a rallying cry goes out and the organization's resources are marshaled toward "cleaning up" that area and making it more conscious."

He goes on to say that "consciousness" is becoming aware of something and then acting responsibly in light of the new awareness. The discovery or new awareness is likely to generate a number of reactions which should be allowed to surface. If the new awareness is about something "bad" or "wrong," guilt, shame, anger, and other emotions may come up. A tendency to find fault, blame, accuse, or defend oneself or the organization may materialize. But avoiding discovery eliminates any chance of becoming conscious – individually or organizationally. Feeling the initial emotions about these new discoveries is essential. Another key part of this process, according to Renesch is to forgive yourself, the people involved, and the organization for being unaware of this problem. Even if there was some awareness of wrong-doing, it is important to recognize it and forgive.

For more about John Renesch's work, click here.