Action Logics provides a way of understanding how people tend to interpret events and how they are likely to act in different situations.

Developed by Rooke & Torbert, Action Logics draw on Human Development Theory. It describes the unfolding of human potential towards a deeper understanding, expertise and wisdom to be more effective in the world. There are parallels in the thinking developed by Claire Graves. See the Spiral Dynamics tool.

Development occurs through the interplay between a person and their environment. Growth is perceived to occur as a logical sequence of stages or expanding worldviews, paradigms or mental models – all of which are complex meaning-making systems that expand throughout life.

The Seven Logics

There are seven logics that differentiate one person from another in how they interpret their surroundings and react when they are challenged. Understanding your ‘action logic’ can help you transform your capabilities. Each stage includes and transcends the previous ones, with the earlier perspectives remaining to influence current thinking, experience, and knowledge.

OPPORTUNIST LOGIC – focuses on own immediate needs, desires, and opportunities. Seeks short-term advantage on concrete things and what is good for themselves. They often display sarcasm and hostility, resisting feedback and manipulating events to make them look good.

DIPLOMATIC LOGIC – seeks approval through socially expected behaviour. Seeks conformity, belonging and pleasant low-stress relationships in order to gain approval from others. Diplomats avoid conflict and focus on preserving their status or membership of a group. They will argue to ensure they do not lose face.

EXPERT & TECHNICAL LOGIC – believes in the ‘right way’ to do things, seeking to display own skills and expertise in a dogmatic way, following procedures and behaving in ways expected of their role. They admire efficiency, consistency, incremental improvement, quality, and perfection, but can get stuck in the details and their need for perfection.

ACHIEVER LOGIC – seeks effectiveness through a logical application of objectives, plans, and controls, in order to deliver results and goals that will secure success within the system. They are proactive and use scientific problem-solving techniques to assert their views and set high standards for others. Successful managers will have this logic in their psyche.

INDIVIDUAL LOGIC – enjoys being appreciated for own uniqueness, working through diverse relationships, experimenting with own power, developing increased spontaneity and pursuing new ideas. They tend to focus on the interactions between self and system that means they understand the consequences of specific actions and are able to question assumptions,  As a result, they can adjust and adapt what they do to fit the context they find themselves in.

STRATEGIST LOGIC – sees the world as a dynamic of inter-related processes and relationships – playing many roles in these. Sees the big picture and holds long-term perspective. Values integrity, principles and freedom in creating positive change. Strategists understand that reality is a social construction, which is what makes it complex with many interacting elements and factors. They are tolerant of difference, seeing diversity as a resource for finding win-win solutions.

ALCHEMIST & IRONIST LOGIC – committed to the transformation of self and society. Seeks common good. Enjoys interplay of purposes, actions, and results. Is elusive, chameleon-like and powerful. They have the ability to make meaning by combining practical, ontological, systemic and spiritual practices.

So what does this mean?

Leaders tend to use their preferred “action logic”. If the culture values experts, then that is the action logic that is most likely to dominate – even over the work of natural strategists.

The Opportunist tends to focus on winning, seeing the world and other people as opportunities to be exploited. How they react to events depends on the extent to which they feel they can control them. They treat other people as objects or cogs in their machine. They reject feedback, externalise blame and retaliate harshly. They just think they are being “open and honest”. Constant fighting and rule breaking make them impossible to work for long, yet they can survive in a culture that values control and compliance.

The Diplomat is less aggressive than the optimist but they still generate negative repercussions. They seek to please higher status colleagues to avoid conflict and stay in control of themselves, cooperating with the norms and rules to provide the social glue and ensure that due attention is paid to the needs of colleagues. Such behaviour is valued at supervisory levels as they tend to be over polite and friendly. Fearing conflict they resist change – even to the point of self-destruction. They find it difficult to deal with staff who are not performing.

The Expert represents the largest category and accounts for nearly 40% of all professionals. They effect control by perfecting their knowledge in their work and personal lives. Things need to be done properly and they prefer hard data and logic to get buy-in from others. Experts are valued because they pursue continuous improvement, efficiency, and excellence. They view collaboration as a waste of time and treat lesser experts with contempt. Having emotional intelligence is neither admired nor appreciated.

The Achiever will both challenge and support others and want to create a positive team and good relationships with other functions and service partners. They focus their efforts on solutions and what they can deliver within the confines of their brief and resources – they find it difficult to think creatively ‘outside the box’. Achievers display a more complex and integrated understanding of the world around them. They are open to feedback and appreciate that most conflicts are due to differences in interpretation and ways of relating and require sensitivity and the ability to influence others in positive ways. Achievers also tend to delegate more responsibly and achieved significantly higher levels of performance from their staff that those in the previous three action logics. As a result, they don’t always get on well with experts who want to “stop change” happening.

The Individualist recognises that all action logics are constructions of oneself and the world. They understand the conflict that arises between their principles and their actions. It becomes a source of tension, creativity and a growing desire for further development. Individuals tend to get results by ignoring rules that they regard as irrelevant, which makes them a source of irritation to both colleagues and bosses.

The Strategist accounts for only 4% of leaders. What sets them apart from Individualists is their focus on constraints and perceptions, which they see as transformable. They can create shared visions with colleagues who have different action logics. Strategists seem to deal with conflict more comfortably because they handle people’s instinctive resistance to change. They are also concerned with personal relationships and are socially conscious.

The Alchemist has the ability to renew or even reinvent themselves in significant ways. They can deal with many situations at multiple levels because they can talk comfortably with both “kings and commoners”. Alchemists never lose sight of long-term goals when dealing with immediate priorities. They are often charismatic and live by high moral standards, able to talk to people’s hearts and minds.

So what?

Action Inquiry is an analytical process to help you assess and make sense of behaviour in different situations. It is your world view and allows you to react to what you believe is appropriate and to preempt negative consequences. It can enhance your personal integrity, your ability to create mature relationships and improve your own performance.

The notion of Action Inquiry was developed by Bill Torbert and builds on the idea of activating us to become more powerful observers of our ontology – our language, moods and body posture