The way we manage organizations seems increasingly out of date. Survey after survey shows that a majority of employees feel disengaged from their companies. The epidemic of organizational disillusionment goes way beyond Corporate America.
The ever-shifting cultural and commercial tides cause continual adjustments in our approaches. What was once trusted (government, big corporations) are now suspect. What was taken for granted (truth in advertising) is now subject to lawsuits and fines, even reviews by the U.S. Supreme Court.
All humans are presently experiencing a level of consciousness but not all humans are experiencing the same level of consciousness according to Ken Wilber and the proponents of Spiral Dynamics, a neo-science based on the research of Clare Graves and co-developed by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. Using colors to delineate differing levels of thinking or “memes,” the Spiral Dynamics model attempts to clarify the evolutionary journey of consciousness from basic survival to Universal integration.
The next stage in human evolution corresponds to Maslow's "self-actualizing" level; it has been variously labeled authentic, integral or Teal. This stage is the last one identified by Maslow's hierarchy of needs but other researchers and thinkers have established with a fair amount of confidence that evolution doesn't stop there. This shift from Green (in Spiral Dynamics) to Teal is a particularly momentous one in the human journey--so much so that Clare Graves and others in his wake have used the term "first-tier" consciousness for all stages up to Green and the term "second-tier" for the stages starting with Teal.
The higher people have traveled on the developmental ladder, the more effective they are. Each shift occurs when we are able to reach a higher vantage point from which we see the world in broader perspective. Like a fish that discovers water for the first time when it jumps above the surface, gaining a new perspective requires that we dis-identify from something we were previously engulfed in.
In Evolutionary-Teal, we shift from external to internal yardsticks in our decision-making. We are now concerned with the question of inner rightness: does this decision seem right? Am I being true to myself? Is this in line with who I sense I'm called to become? Am I being of service to the world?
We develop a sensitivity for situations that don't quite feel right, situations that demand that we speak up and take action, even in the face of opposition or with seemingly low odds of success, out of a sense of integrity and authenticity.
Critical insights and food for thought for leaders contemplating a transition in the way their organizations operate, are really considering that the transition to Evolutionary-Teal will be refining our understanding of what it takes to help the organization make the leap.
If two critical conditions (of the CEO "gets it" and the members of the board "get it") are in place, there is good news: that many roads lead to a Teal organization. Experience seems to indicate that if the CEO is persistent, s/he will get there one way or another.
Living organizations change in increments, so rather than changing everything at once, it can make sense to start with only one of the three breakthroughs of Teal Organizations (self-management, wholeness or evolutionary purpose) and to introduce the others over time.
Try listening to what best suits the organization's needs. Perhaps, purpose needs to be explored first, because once all colleagues resonate with it, they will have energy for self-management and wholeness.
Sources: Don Edward Beck: Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change