Quadrants of Change
This is a model of how we produce the reality that is our moment-to-moment experience. It was produced by KenWilber to help change agents adopt a more intergrated and developmental approach to change in complex situations. It is particularly helpful for leaders addressing personal and collaborative issues to not ignore the four dimensions of reality that can get overlooked, yet have an impact in every context.
The “INTENTIONAL” [inside-out energy] quadrant explores the individual/interior aspects of change. It is the domain of experience that only the individual can know when looking at the world from the inside-out. Self-observation can reveal patterns of feeling, thinking and responding to events coming from the external world. Change driven by outside-in pressures is seldom sustainable if it does not “fit” the internal assessment that a change is beneficial and the individual has the resources to make it happen for them. A person’s mood, emotions, and voice are important factors in this quadrant.
The “BEHAVIOURAL” [bottom-up energy] quadrant explores the individual/exterior aspects of change, our shared human capacities, such as innate wisdom and intelligence. It is the domain of experience that involves physical body movement and biologically driven processes such as the nervous system, memory, conversational practices, meaning making, posture, etc. How we talk to ourselves and speak/listen to others plays a major role in determining the actions we choose to take.
The “CULTURAL” [outside-in energy] quadrant deals with the interior/collective aspects of change. This is when “I” becomes “WE”. This is the territory of shared concerns, assumptions, and conditioning that comes from a shared history. It’s the thinking that happens in conversations where alternative thoughts are questioned, and concerns or assumptions are assessed. We are speaking to others from the language of our culture, it’s beliefs, stories, symbols, hidden rules, habitual behaviour, and practices.
The “SOCIAL” [top-down energy] quadrant addresses the external/collective aspects of change. This is where we agree or disagree about what we assert are facts or objective truths. It’s the domain of observable interactions and rules for social interaction. These are the things in our world that we construct and talk about socially. They give structure to our thoughts and actions that we can trust by using a shared logic, such as verifiable evidence and agreed rules.
So what does it mean?
In this video, Ken Wilber explains the power and importance his model when assessing individual concerns and global events.
References
A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber. Shambhala 2001
More Tools
– Noticing what’s happening and sensing what could be hidden from you.
THE CDE MODEL
– Identifying the conditions and rules that produce different patterns of interaction
THE OAR MODEL
– Improving your observation skills to choose actions to will deliver what you care about.
THE SCARF MODEL
– Identifying the core concerns that shape your emotional responses
ONTOLOGICAL LEARNING
– Understanding how to change your Way of Being
THE PSYCHIC SYSTEM
– Knowing how to change your Way of Being to fit the prevailing context
ONTOLOGICAL BREAKDOWNS
– Dealing with disruptions in the flow of your life
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
– How you give meaning to to your experience of internal senses and external events.
QUADRANTS OF CHANGE
– Achieving a more holistic and balanced response to complex situations.
ACTION LOGICS
– Assessing leadership behaviour and effectiveness in different contexts
THE U PROCESS
– Using your senses to improve your effectiveness now to shape your future.
SPIRAL DYNAMICS
– Explaining the growth of human capacity and values
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
– Finding a bigger purpose and passion to lead your life from.
ACTIVE LISTENING
– Knowing how to actively listen for understanding and empathy
REFRAMING
– Looking for possibilities to question and reshape perspectives.
THE OODA LOOP
– Achieving a bigger impact when working with other people
ADAPTIVE ACTION
– Examining the dynamic patterns of thought involved in decision making
THE LENS OF INQUIRY
Using the power of questions to get breakthrough results.
THE NINE PANES MODEL
– Discovering new perspecives when dealing with breakdowns in the flow of life.
THE JOHARI WINDOW
– Identifying alternatives to unseen or disruptive behaviour
THE FOUR TRUTHS
– Recognising and considering alternative perspectives in any situation
THE CIRCLE OF CONTROL, INFLUENCE & CONCERN
– Clarifying how you interpret what you see, hear and feel.
THE MIRACLE QUESTION
– In your ideal world, what do you want to be feeligs, thinking and doing?
A “BOTH/AND” PERSPECTIVE
– Dealing with paradox and ambiguity.
THE ADAPTIVE CYCLES
– Resisting breakdown and maintaining your viability for a breakthrough.
CREATING A WELL-FORMED OUTCOME
– Reducing the chance of facing unintended consequences.
WAY OF BEING
– Connecting words, emotions and body presence to be more effective.
CYNEFIN
– A sensemaking framework to help you crack different types of problems.
YOUR INNATE WISDOM
– Knowing what makes you who you are and using it to lead a more fulfilling life.