In The Essentials of Theory U, C. Otto Scharmer makes two distinctions between sources of learning - “reflecting on the past, and learning by sensing and actualizing emerging future possibilities.”1 While learning from the past is a necessary and expected approach, this does not suffice to prepare one for future challenges. As it's been written extensively, in Klaus Schwab's The Fourth Industrial Revolution among other sources, our systems are changing at a rapid rate that we have never seen the likes of in previous eras of industrial progress. These fast and far-reaching systemic changes require the ability to anticipate what's coming, whether positive or negative, and the ability to adapt accordingly. Looking to the past alone creates a blind spot in a constantly changing world. We can see this in how the record industry attempted to fight the disruptive shift to digital, holding on to past methods of monetizing music, and resisting the inevitable change instead of recognizing it needed to quickly adapt.2
The ability to learn from the future as it emerges is closely related to presencing, which blends the words "sensing" and "presence". Scharmer defines presencing as the ability to "sense and actualize one's highest future potential." This requires one to engage with two different “qualities of time” in the present moment - one that is shaped by what has passed, and one that serves as a gateway to possible futures. The ability to be still and look inward can allow one to tap into their “inner knowing”, enabling us to learn from the past and use it to inform how we move forward. Without this ability to connect the past and the future, we will fall victim to future disruptions, rather than having the opportunity to participate in creating them.
The “social field” comes from the analogy of a farm, which can contain millions of important nutrients within a small area that are essential to the growth and ongoing health of the whole field. Just as a farm can only thrive with healthy, quality soil that is properly cared for, an organization will thrive when the people within it have quality relationships that lead to positive collective behavior, which then can produce results through effective collaboration. Results in either case cannot be forced however - the focus must be on improving the quality of the soil.
Sources:
1. Scharmer, C. Otto. The Essentials of Theory U: Core Principles and Applications. Oakland: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2018.
2. Gerd Leonhard | The Journey From Egosystem To Ecosystem. DO Lectures, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1CNoDlbJ8c.