action inquiry - alia june 2010 finalapi.ning.com/.../100600actioninquirytorbertstaceyslides.pdf ·...

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Action Inquiry:Transforming Leadership in the Midst of Action

Participant Resource Manual

William Torbert Mary Stacey Thomas ArthurProfessor Emeritus, Boston College Managing Director Contemplative ArtistDirector of Research, Harthill UK Context Management Consulting Inc.

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Action Inquiry: Transforming Leadership in the Midst of Action

Individual Integrity

Interpersonal Mutuality

Organizational Sustainability

Societal SustainabilityModule Architecture

Temporary Community

of Inquiry

Personal and Organiza

tional Development

Action Inquiry: Transforming Leadership in the Midst of ActionBill Torbert, Mary Stacey, & Thomas Arthur – Shambhala Summer Institute 2010

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Agenda

Session 1: Individual IntegritySetting the Foundation – Action Inquiry & The Leadership Development Framework

Session 2: Interpersonal MutualityUse of PowerConversational Moves – Four Parts of Speech

Session 3: Organizational SustainabilityTransforming Organizational Culture – Action Learning/Inquiry

Session 4: Societal SustainabilityCommunities of Inquiry & The Good Life

Session 5: Personal Development Planning

Session 6: Community Transition & Module Debrief


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Session 1Setting the Foundation - Individual Integrity

What is Developmental Action Inquiry?What is the Leadership Development Framework?How do I relate to the action-logics?What is the relationship between individual integrity & authentic leadership?


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Developmental Action Inquiry

Current global existential/economic/political/spiritual crisis calls for a new, practical model of economics, politics, and personal relationships

Changing assumptions about leadership as interpreted through an authenticity-testing, trust-developing, and power-transforming model of organizing……such as Developmental Action Inquiry (DAI)

DAI invites focus on: 1) your own personal development; 2) re-framing difficult conversations; 3) leading organizational transformation; and 4) generating a community of inquiry as part of your ongoing work and leisure

Our aim: to offer you a practical way to increase your success next time that is also worthy of a lifetime of intensifying “action inquiry” toward transforming power (which is synonymous with transforming love!)


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Practicing Action Inquiry

behavior that is simultaneouslyproductive and self-assessing

attuning ourselves through inquiry

to acting in an increasingly timely and wise fashion

a path to develop greater creativity,awareness, justice,

sustainabilitycapacity building for self-transformation

a disciplinedleadership practice

a practice of conscious living

a way of learning in the vividness of each

moment how best to act now

a moment to moment way of being

a lifelong process of transformational learning

a process of making ourselves

vulnerable to inquiry and transformation

Action Inquiry is a skill, a process, a mindset or attitude, a conscious

leadership style, a way of being and doing.


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Action inquiry is an approach to living and leading which is simultaneously inquiring and productive.

It seeks to increase our knowledge and understanding and the effectiveness of our actions by:

Weaving together acting and inquiring

Exploring, testing and refining our own purposes, strategies, and actions in the light of outcomes

Exploring, testing and refining collective purposes, strategies, and actions in the light of outcomes

Action Inquiry


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Weaving Together Acting and Inquiring - Ways of Knowing

Personal Perspective – First Person Knowing (I/me)Observing what I am doing and the effects I and my environment are having on one another, what I am thinking and feeling, and what I really want.Protects against becoming subsumed by ‘group think’, the norms of others or the ‘official story’ as told without reflection.

Social Perspective – Second Person Knowing (you/us/we)Encouraging mutual testing of attributions and assessments in real-time conversations and meetings. Generates critical and constructive mutuality.Protects against becoming limited by one’s own perspective and becoming trapped in unexplored assumptions and norms.

Data Perspective – Third Person Knowing (it/them)Using data generated by numbers of people or information points to establish ‘objective’ perspectives. Often highly rational - “What does the data say?”Protects against becoming overly subjective – blinded by my truth or our truth.


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OUTCOMES

Intentionality: purpose, attention, aims, goals

Planning: strategies plans, tactics, ploys, schemes, methods

Actions: behaviour, engagement implementation, doing, skills

Weaving Together Acting and Inquiring -Four Territories of Experience

Results: consequences, effects, products and side-products

VISION

STRATEGY

ACTION


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Weaving Together Acting and Inquiring –Feedback Loops

How do we decide what is right?

Are we doing the right things?

Are we doing things right?

Outcomes in External World

Single-loop

Double-loop

Triple-loop(Vision, Values & Intention)

Strategic & Operating (Assumptions)

(Behavior)


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Barriers to Good Inquiry

Needing to be seen as “knowing” and competent

Not wanting to reveal one’s own vulnerability, feeling insecure or judged

Being locked onto a particular perspective (fixated)

Consistent impatience for action

Listening without hearing

Showing-off, pet preoccupations, scoring debating points

Opposing - without revealing it

Having an unrevealed desire to influence and thus being manipulative


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The Leadership Development Framework

Self-transformation toward fully and regularly enacting the values of integrity, mutuality and sustainability is a long, lifetime path that most of us follow as we grow toward adulthood, but that very few continue traveling intentionally once we become adults. Each major step along this path can be described as developing a new action-logic: an overall centre of gravity that so thoroughly informs our experience that we cannot see it.

Self-transformation toward fully and regularly enacting the values of integrity, mutuality and sustainability is a long, lifetime path that most of us follow as we grow toward adulthood, but that very few continue traveling intentionally once we become adults. Each major step along this path can be described as developing a new action-logic: an overall centre of gravity that so thoroughly informs our experience that we cannot see it.


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Core Themes

Adult DevelopmentAction Logics

Opportunist, Diplomat, Expert, Achiever, Individualist, Strategist, AlchemistUse of Power

Unilateral, Expert, Referent, & Mutually Transforming PowerConversational Moves

Four Parts of Speech


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Personality factors

Intelligence Passion

Level of development view of realityaction-logics

Intuitive abilities& talents

Adult Development – Facets of Individuality

Preferences

Life age &stageHistorical Cultural Personal

Discourse


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Torbert’s Action Logics

7. Alchemist 1%

6. Strategist 4%

5. Individualist 10%

4. Achiever 30%

3. Expert 38%

2. Diplomat 12%

1. Opportunist 5% % of research sample profiling from David Rooke and Bill Torbert, 2005).

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Horizontal Development of Capabilities


16Action Inquiry: Transforming Leadership in the Midst of ActionBill Torbert & Mary Stacey – Shambhala Summer Institute 2009 1616

Organizational View: Seven Ways of Leading

Develop-mental Level

TimeHorizon

%Mgr

Org. Contribution & Relationships

Power, Conversation, & Feedback

Opportunist Immediate 5%

Contribution: Highly tuned to the marketplace, street-wise energy; readily acts without principle; ability to create post-hoc rationalizationsRelationships: temporary, only useful when they serve a need; in general distrust others motives; an eye-for-an-eye

Power: secrecy, manipulation and unilateral powerSpeaking: attacking inquiry to unbalance and deflect otherFeedback: not interested in feedback

Diplomat Days, wks,months

12%

Contribution: social cohesion: valuing people, including them, celebrating them; customer focus, desire to pleaseRelationships: trust and inclusion of in-group, distrust of out-group; relationships based on group culture; respect for social rules

Power: reference power, niceness & consent of governedSpeaking: illustration, polite inquiryFeedback: not seeking or giving neg. feedback

Expert9-15 moprojects

38% Contribution: their expertise! Continuous improvement; partnerships with Achievers to create systemic productivityRelationships: strong identity with other ‘craft masters’; content to be seen as unique practitioner of craft

Power: expert power, consent of reasonSpeaking: Advocacy, tactical inquiryFeedback: accepts feedback only from craft master

Achiever2 yr.

strategicimplem.

30% Contribution: Concerned with future goals, more strategic; partnership with Experts for systemic productivity; partnership with Individualist and Strategist to deliver ChangeRelationships: increasingly self-aware, seeks mutuality; relationships are a source of action

Power: move between unilateral and collaborative forms of power, Interweaving unilateral, reference, expert power for productive outcomeSpeaking: interweaves advocacy, illustration, inquiryFeedback: seeks valid single-loop feedback

17Action Inquiry: Transforming Leadership in the Midst of Action

Bill Torbert, Mary Stacey, & Thomas Arthur – Shambhala Summer Institute 2010 1717

Organizational View: Seven Ways of Leading

Developmental Level

TimeHorizon

%Mgr

Org. Contribution & Relationships

Power, Speaking, & Feedback

Individualist3 yr.

Strategic Visioning

10% Contribution: inquiring approach; willingness to think and act outside the box; their own unorthodoxy; increasing ability to deal with complexity and paradoxRelationships: increasingly wider range of relationships; seeks greater mutuality with others

Power: explores visionary power & the power to see and transform inconguitiesSpeaking: Begins to frame & re-frame as well as advocate, illustrate, and inquire

Strategist3-5 yr

Strategic, soup to nuts

4% Contribution: increasing ability to deal with complexity and paradox; willingness to think and act outside the box; partnerships with all other stagesRelationships: plays many role to others; seeks mutuality with others; develops and guides others

Power: exercises both transactional and vigilant, vulnerable, mutual, transforming powerSpeaking: Uses all four ways of speakingFeedback: Seeks valid single & double-loop feedback

Alchemist7-21 yr & span of

immediacy

1% Contribution: stands in the tension of personal and societal opposites, intentionally blending, reframing, and transformingRelationships: generates mutual, inter-gender, racial, generational call to awaken

Power: authentic spiritual presence, plays with archetypes, suffers humanity’s incongruitiesSpeaking: uses full range of gesture, tone, and timing to deepen and balance advocacy and inquiryFeedback: Seeks single, double, and triple triple-loop feedback

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Action Logics – what’s your centre of gravity?

Action Logic View of Reality Motivators De-motivators

OpportunistIt’s a jungle out there. Watch out or you will be taken advantage of. Might makes right! Get it while you can!

Immediate pay-offs; macho appeals; looking good; getting respect; gaining and maintaining control; power and prowess.

Challenge power; appear weak; move onto turf uninvited; make to lose face; taunt as outsider; make excuses; disobey boss.

DiplomatWe (well defined group) are a family. Let’s stick together, then we will all be safe and benefit. We know what is good for us and how to preserve our community. Loyalty and service to each other. Avoid “strangers”.

Obedience, loyalty, higher authority; sacrifice and discipline; being a good “member”; stability and order; status symbols; being treated kindly, thoughtfully, being remembered.

Attack “my” religion, country, ethnic background; put down one True Way; violate chain of command; use bad language; disregard rules and customs; rudeness and overt selfishness; display of negative feelings.

ExpertThere is a right, true way to do things. Order is important. My way is best. I know what’s what. The right answers are out there, just look for them.

Being sought out and respected for one’s expertise and skills; knowing rules and regulations, procedures and specs; place of order and regularity, attention to details; accuracy; being right.

Challenging or disregarding established practices; truth; sloppiness and dishonesty; seeming tentativeness; pressure for results and expediency; taking risks.

AchieverNature (including human nature) is lawful. Adult beings are rational. They can discover laws through experiment and research. Thus, we can control and maximize outcomes through careful research, planning, execution, improvement of existing procedures as well as innovation. We can make the world better via technology and science.

Opportunities to succeed; progress, discovering logical explanations and effective procedures; making things better; state of the art; good science; calculated risks; deal and bargain to achieve goals; being rewarded for getting things done, for solving problems, for steering a group & bringing product to market.

Put down profit or achievement orientation; accuse of games and demean goals; challenge need for outcomes, drivenness; deny rewards for good performance, innovation; force to comply when it doesn’t make sense, refusal to contract, negotiate, compromise; not recognized as an individual contributor, marginalized.

Adapted from S. Cook-Greuter Action Inquiry: Transforming Leadership in the Midst of ActionBill Torbert, Mary Stacey, & Thomas Arthur – Shambhala Summer Institute 2010

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Action Logics – what’s your centre of gravity?

Action Logic View of Reality Motivators De-motivators

IndividualistNothing really holds, once you go beyond conventions and ask about underlying assumptions and unconscious motives. Thus, its best to enjoy the moment, explore many avenues and sources of inspiration, and not get tied down.

Individuality and exploring new ideas, life styles; figuring out own & others’biases, unexamined assumptions; learning new things; appreciation for one’s uniqueness, creativity and spontaneity; sought out for insight and perspective.

Restrictive rules and mechanical procedures; overly hierarchical and rigid structures; over-reliance on “hard facts” and logic; boredom; disregard for intuition and dreams; one-sided perspectives; strong stands on anything; parochialism.

StrategistThe world is a dynamic system of interrelated processes, relationships and elements. The sum is greater than its parts. We need to look at the big picture and the long-term in order to make “wise” decisions. There are higher principles & those need to be safeguarded for all. Best way to influence is to become the most actualized self one can be.

Be free to be and do as one chooses because of one’s stature and past record of long-term planning an success, integrity, thoughtfulness; enhancing everybody’s competence and functioning; appreciation of diversity in people, points of view, approaches, preferences; self-restraint for the benefit of al; principled anger for injustices.

Rules without reasons, and dysfunctional structures; repetitive tasks; narrow focus; short-term profit outlook which neglects long-term negative outcomes; overly dependent, or non-reflective others; being denied individual control over time and focus; lack of access to information ad learning resources; lack of trust and integrity.

AlchemistAware of constructed nature of reality. Life is an illusion. The only person one can truly transform is oneself. It takes constant vigilance to detect the innumerable ways we fool ourselves, express our subtle biases, unconsciously privilege some things over others. Life changes. Others deserve one’s best effort in their behalf as we all live together on this planet in order to advance everybody, creative support is necessary tailored to current understanding of other.

Able to stand above self-interest and outside any group pressures and ideologies; committed towards the development of all; multi-dimensional and complex thinking integrated with intuition and feelings; awareness of reifying tendencies; acknowledgement of limits of human mind; glimpses of transpersonal realities; appreciation of divine sources of self and alternative, non-language mediated modes of “knowing”; timely and wise actions.

Pretence and arrogance of any sort; being status conscious or ostentatious. Limited or biased views and strong-arm techniques; denial of underlying unity of people and our common lot; self-serving, narrowly-defined goals; seeking advantages through deception; limitations of critical thinking an self-awareness in those in power; frustration about ‘slowness’ of evolutionary change.


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alchemist

strategist

achiever

expert

diplomat

individualist

Development is Messy

expert achiever individ-ualist

strat-egist


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LDF Profile

Self Assessment

Others’Perception

Identifying Your Action Logic

The 7 Key Action Logics


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Session 2Individual and Interpersonal Integrity

What is the role of mutuality in transforming leadership?How can I effectively re-frame difficult conversations?


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Use of Power: A Window on Your Action Logic

Maximize own winning, minimize own losing Opportunist

Minimize eliciting others’ negative emotions Diplomat

Max rationality in self-presentation at work Expert

Achieve own self defined goals Achiever

Optimize inquiry and about whether actual Individualistperformance aligns with our stated values

Optimize internal commitment of partners to Strategistshared vision

Maximize mutual influence and positive freedom Alchemistof choice at a given time

Generate timely action (according to multiple criteria) Ironist


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Conversations: Four Ways of Speaking

Framing and Re-FramingExplicitly stating the purpose of the conversation, the dilemma we are trying to resolve, and/or the assumptions that are (un?)shared---re-framing the priorities, feelings, and shifting assumptions at any point in the conversation

AdvocatingAsserting what you think is true and what action should be taken--in relatively abstract terms

IllustratingOffering a visualizable story that supports the advocacy (if the conversation is about how to re-orient ourselves, the story will be about one another’s actions and feelings in the present)

InquiringInviting others to express their views, eliciting single, double, or triple-loop feedback that confirms or disconfirms your current sense of the situation, listening and taking others’ views into account


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Difficult Conversation Template

Conversation Transcript (4x4) Your Unspoken Thoughts and Feelings


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Self Assessment – Difficult Conversation


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Session 3Transforming Leadership in Organizations

Why create communities of leaders? Can organizational culture transform through inquiry?


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Transforming Leadership Culture – Case Study

We have an organization that’s performing much better. Individual leaders are more confident,strategic thinkers who are able to challenge assumptions. The management team has stronger relationships and a richer pool of actionable cross-functional knowledge. The result is the ability to influence the organization and achieve desired change. ~ Andrew Wnek, Senior VP and CIO, Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd.

in Action Learning, Hyatt, Belden, & StaceyThe Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today’s Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems Berrett-Koehler, 2007)

We have an organization that’s performing much better. Individual leaders are more confident,strategic thinkers who are able to challenge assumptions. The management team has stronger relationships and a richer pool of actionable cross-functional knowledge. The result is the ability to influence the organization and achieve desired change. ~ Andrew Wnek, Senior VP and CIO, Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd.

in Action Learning, Hyatt, Belden, & StaceyThe Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today’s Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems Berrett-Koehler, 2007)

The Company: 5 Strategic Business Units, 7B annual sales, 37,000 employees, 450 member IT organization

The Assignment: partner with CIO and the IT leadership team to transform cultureVision: participatory, coaching-based, agile, aligned with business strategy

Focal Point: 70 member management team across four technical silos, particularly 50 middle managers developing leadership while working real issues

Results: organization transformation plus: designated an enterprise best practice,became and Information Management Forum case study


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Organization culture is:

inwardly focused, IT-centric

entitlement mindset

technology ‘first’

low accountability

A mindset and knowledge base that are inwardly focused on IT

means we do not have the flexibility to support changing

business needs

A mindset and knowledge base that are inwardly focused on IT

means we do not have the flexibility to support changing

business needs

Strategy Document Excerpt

Current processes are:– Inconsistent

Different parts of the organization use their own processes

– Not complied withProcesses may be in place but are not being used, because they’re notdocumented or not well understood

– Not designed to industry standards

Processes and standards are not used consistently and effectively across

the organization

Processes and standards are not used consistently and effectively across

the organization

(Culture: a system of values and beliefs that drive practice and behavior)


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After Three Rounds of Action Inquiry

Evaluation results communicated in enterprise Team Opinion Survey:99% better able to adapt to changes in the company91% breaks down silos to collaborate90% manager leads by example89% deepens relationships in the management team84% increases alignment to business strategy82% results in greater customer focus


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Design Considerations

Well designed Action Inquiry powerfully addresses today’s emerging leadership realities such as increasing complexity, ambiguity, and the compression of human and organizational resources. Through their authentic participation leaders are able to develop personally, engage with peers, turn business challenges into opportunities—while developing the capacity to meet the unknown requirements of tomorrow.


lV. Problem Solving, Relat-ionship Building, & Transformation (Critical Reflection)

lll. Problem Solving, Relationship Building & Development(Experiential)

ll. Problem Solving & Change(Scientific)

ll. Basic Problem Solving (Tacit)

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Action Inquiry – Peer Coaching

When introduced into the strategic and cultural fabric of an organization, Action Inquiry supports leaders in achieving desired business results while they continuously transform themselves, their teams, and the organizations they serve to achieve a better future for all.

When introduced into the strategic and cultural fabric of an organization, Action Inquiry supports leaders in achieving desired business results while they continuously transform themselves, their teams, and the organizations they serve to achieve a better future for all.


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A Developmental View of Culture

Conformer CultureDependent – Coordinate

Achiever CultureIndependent – Cooperate

Collaborator CultureInter-independent – Collaborate

McGuire & Rhodes 2009


34Action Inquiry: Transforming Leadership in the Midst of ActionBill Torbert & Mary Stacey – Shambhala Summer Institute 2009 34

Domain Conformer Culture

AchieverCulture

CollaboratorCulture

Mindset Command and control Being successful in a changing world and adapting faster and better than the competition

Authority and control shared throughout organization in a way that maximizes strategiccompetence of whole

Knowledge Is power and is held at the top A tool for competitive edge in marketplace and organization

Widely distributed widely shared on a right to know basis; knowledge an organizational asset

Leadership Authoritarian to paternalistic, expecting success via compliance

Strategic and outcomes driven,tension between individual and collective aims, beginning to lead systemically

Among people without titles; anyone willing to think and act in expanding DAC to build the capability of the entire system qualifies

Authority & Structure

Hierarchically coordinated; Emanates from the top; honoring beliefs is preferable to adaptive learning

Distributed through the organization; designed to support strategic agenda

Engage dialogue to make sense of things; achieve enterprise goals by sharing power across the value chain

Success Obey authority and follow the code, loyalty

Mastery of systems that produce results; achieving goals is route to political power

Mastery of integrating evolving systems accomplishes overall strategy, producing results now and into the future.

Thinking Either or, right wrong, honoring expertise and technical mastery

Focuses on solving problems, mainly analyzing empirical data, management by number drives decisions

Foster dialectical thinking when dealing with complexity. Consider both-and solutions and actively seek ‘win-win’answers.

Mistakes Treated as weakness, feedback negative and not sought after

Opportunities to learn within a team; single-loop feedback is value where it contributes to learning and the ability for individual advancement

Embraced as opportunities for individual, team, and organizational learning; single-and double-loop feedback are valued as essential tools for

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The Higher the Cultural Intelligence (CQ), the…

less control you retain at the topmore freedom and responsibility is presentmore you distribute authority and decision makingmore innovation, problem solving, and quality you get at the local levelmore uncertainty you can tolerate; paradox is acceptedmore conflict can emerge as a creative, viable forcehigher the level of individual and collective learninghigher the level of feedback you want and getgreater the levels of synergy and teamingmore shared knowledge is engenderedmore intersystems thinking is the normgreater the level of leadership capacity and capabilitygreater adaptability and agility of the organizationgreater the level of complexity and challenge the organization can face and take on with greater chances for success

McGuire & Rhodes, 2009


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Does Your Organization Have DAC?

Direction each individual knows the goals and aims of the collective

Alignment coordination of knowledge and work in the collective

Commitment willingness of individuals to expend effort toward needs of collective

High DACallows all to see trajectory and engage in more participative wayseveryone potentially able to join in shaping new beliefs, behaviors, practiceseffectively functioning culture of beliefs and practices (high CQ)high DAC supports the creation of a collaborative culture

McGuire and Rhodes 2009


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Transforming Culture

Dependent-ConformerCoordinate

Independent-AchieverCooperate

Inter-independent CollaboratorCollaborate

Stability/Precision

Innovation

Change Agile

Innovation

SustainableEnterprise

Transcend and Include

Increasing Direction, Alignment, Commitment


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Session 4Societal Sustainability – Communities of Inquiry and The Good Life

What are the four top goods of your version of the good life,and in what order?

What are the four highest goods that global society can potentiallyattain in a primary collaborative, rather than primarily competitive way?


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Personal and Societal “Ages”

From the First Age

Overwhelming primacy of Dependency Relationships in families, organizations, political life and spiritual institutions, especially prior to 1500AD and in the first third of our lives

Thru the Second Age

Increasing role of Independence-Initiating Relationships in entrepreneurship, sciences, liberal democracies, protestant spiritual communities, and recent marriages, 1500-2000AD and in the second third of our lives

Toward the Third Age

Increasing frequency of Inter-Independence-Generating Relationships in communities of inquiry and in the third third of our lives


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Some Goods of the Good Life

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Integrity

My religious faith & tradition

SexA clear sense of vocation

Family

Old Age Security

Environmentally and Communally

Sustainable Action

Power

Wealth

Health

Leisure

Lifetime Friends

Good WorkInquiry


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Societal Sustainability Readings

Charles Derber, From Greed to GreenJack D. Forbes, Columbus and other CannibalsAdam Kahane, Power and LoveRichard Layard, HappinessJacob Needleman, Money and the Meaning of LifeJudy Rebick, Transforming Power from the Personal to the PoliticalJuliet Schoor, Plenitude

It is always very difficult to live in this life so as not to be a damaged person or one who damages others.The successes that we might achieve, in terms of being a good person, a person living in beauty, justice And compassion, are successes that we do not achieve by ourselves.- Jack D. Forbes, Columbus and other Cannibals

It is always very difficult to live in this life so as not to be a damaged person or one who damages others.The successes that we might achieve, in terms of being a good person, a person living in beauty, justice And compassion, are successes that we do not achieve by ourselves.- Jack D. Forbes, Columbus and other Cannibals


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Session 5Personal Development Planning


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Two Main Development ‘Energies’

Negative association with the current action logicFrustrationBoredomCognitive recognition of limitationsDisillusionment

Positive attraction to the next stageExperiencing a taste of the next stageCognitive recognitionInner knowing / felt sense


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Individual Development

Horizontal development: building capacity and capabilities in current action logic

Vertical development: expanding worldview and meaning making to “up shift” to later action logic. We experience temporary or permanent “fall back” or regression due to life circumstances, environment.


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Developmental Strands

expert stage achiever stage individualist stage

strategist stage

The colored lines represent the many aspects of how we make meaning. Examples might include how I relate to rules, how important being liked is to me, what I feel about feedback, what I do about feedback, how much I think about the future, whether I have a personal practice etc. Each darker continuous line shows a separate current meaning making strand of a single person. We would describe this person as ‘making meaning at the achiever stage’, yet a closer look reveals there are some strands that have not yet reached the achiever stage and some have developed beyond it. This person may most need to work with the strands that currently reach no further than diplomat or expert, or they may want to explore those that are situated in the post-conventional stages (which are convention aware and convention creating).

The colored lines represent the many aspects of how we make meaning. Examples might include how I relate to rules, how important being liked is to me, what I feel about feedback, what I do about feedback, how much I think about the future, whether I have a personal practice etc. Each darker continuous line shows a separate current meaning making strand of a single person. We would describe this person as ‘making meaning at the achiever stage’, yet a closer look reveals there are some strands that have not yet reached the achiever stage and some have developed beyond it. This person may most need to work with the strands that currently reach no further than diplomat or expert, or they may want to explore those that are situated in the post-conventional stages (which are convention aware and convention creating).


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Diplomat

ConsolidatingAffirm as member of the group, provide visible signs of appreciationDevelop interpersonal skills for assertivenessEnhance ways of meeting belonging needsBuild leadership skills for addressing conflict

TransitioningExplore what has been suppressed to be pleasingExtend emotional intelligence work and interpersonal influencing skillsShift basis for self esteem by focusing on knowledge masteryRisk exclusion of self and others


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Expert

ConsolidatingBuild pride in expertise, awareness of strengths and weaknessesGet feedback from respected sourcesBuild reflective awareness in action as basis for self-enhancing excellenceSeek opportunities to mentor others

TransitioningProvide leadership challenges that highlight emerging awareness of limitations of expert action logicEncourage consideration of big picture, responsibility for broader corporate goalsEmphasis on new practices of ‘informal leadership’ exercised within one’s own performance


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Achiever

ConsolidatingAssume interest in self development in relation to getting resultsConsolidate belief in self-actualization (without careful discernment of preferred outcomes)Seek goal oriented feedback to inform actions and developmentLeadership style toward facilitative, strategic and results oriented approach

TransitioningMentoring, coaching or even therapy provide reflective opportunities to move beyond achiever frameProvide complex work opportunities where positional power is reduced and influence more importantRecognize own biases and preferred stances, accelerate through reflective practices such as journalingBegin to pay attention to unconscious motivations and shadow side


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Individualist

ConsolidatingExpand awareness in the moment—the beauty of my and your experienceFocus on inner work, search for unexamined assumptions and ‘grand narratives’Leadership as partnership, co-created, collaborative; leading or coaching an innovative team

TransitioningEnhance dawning realization of potential paralysis of multiple perspectives, rudderlessnessEnter spiritual practice as self-sustaining personal core—meditationRecognize own biases and preferred stances, through reflective practice, e.g. journaling, difficult conversationsBegin to pay attention to unconscious motivations and shadow side


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Strategist

ConsolidatingChoose and commit to one’s direction in the midst of uncertaintyBecome part of networks and communities committed to one’s thoughtfully chosen meaning and purposeBuild greater awareness of the complexity of interdependencies of vision and change—get away from quick-fix mentalityShift one’s definition of leadership; consolidate ability to recognize anduse systems theory, cultural perspectives, embodied/ecological practices

TransitioningAppreciation of limits of strategist’s action logic—how it’s heroic/tragic drama gets in the way of one’s high dreamRecognize again and again and let go of: fear, practice surrender of self in favor or moment-to-moment emergent order, values, energy, visionOpenness to ongoing transformative experiences, seeking wholeness in the context of peer relations, friendship, and mutually-created intentional communities of inquiry


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Organizational Development

Translation: framing in terms that others understand where they are now (from their mindsets), in concert with enhancing their capabilities for effective action

Vertical development: expanding the organizations capacity to effectively vision, strategize, operate, and assess its outcomes to support market and network positioning, in search of increasingly sustainable market.


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Plans for Back Home

Integrity: What support will you put in place for your own horizontal and vertical development?

Mutuality: What is the primary relationship difficult conversation that youwill re-frame? How will you expand your network togenerate organizationally transforming power?

Sustainability: What do you commit to doing on societal scale and/or in terms of affiliating with or creating your own community of inquiry?


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Resources

Seven Transformations of Leadership by David Rooke and Bill Torbert, Harvard Business Review (April 2005)

Action Inquiry: The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership by Bill Torbert and Associates (BerrettKoehler, 2004)

Action Learning by Mary Stacey, Marcia Hyatt and Ginny Belden-Charles in The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today’s Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems (Berrett Koehler 2007)

Imagining Leadership: A Journal by Mary Stacey, Michael Jones and Sandy McMullen (2006)

Leadership Agility by Bill Joiner and Stephen Josephs (Jossey Bass 2007)

Transforming Your Leadership Culture by John B. McGuire and Gary Rhodes (Jossey Bass 2009)

www.williamrtorbert.com www.contextconsulting.com


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