By Pete Holliday - Executive Integral Coach
“In Coaching, the value of having a developmental lines lens is that it helps us appreciate where we excel and where we do not, where our greatest potentials are evidenced, and where our weaknesses may need some attention” Laura Divine, Co-Creator of Integral Coaching®
Most forms of coaching suffer from two major inadequacies: a lack of structure in the form of coaching methodology, and a general and non-specific approach to development. This article addresses the latter of these two issues - a more holistic approach to development through the use of specific developmental lines or forms of intelligence.
As both Coach and Client, development is one of the main subjects of all our discussions, because at any given point of a coaching program we are either engaged in it or against it (in the form of resistance). The purpose of this article is to explore how a more accurate and specific map of development in human beings could be used to benefit client growth in specific developmental areas, namely individual lines of intelligence. I also want to draw attention to how these individual lines of intelligence could support a more fully integrated approach to a client obtaining - and sustaining - their coaching goals and outcomes.
Many, if not all coaching approaches focus on some form of development (whether they know it or not). Very few however, really get specific and precise about exactly what they are developing, apart from the result or outcome desired by the client. This can mean it takes longer to achieve than it could in many instances.
The Coaching Room’s approach to Integral Coaching® , based on the pioneering work of Ken Wilber and his AQAL Integral model (Wilber, 2006), uses six fundamental lines of development to help obtain a more specific and sustainable approach to human development. Through the use of these six individual, and inter/independent lines (Somatic, Spiritual, Emotional, Cognitive, Moral and Interpersonal) a coach can more fully assess exactly what is both needed and lacking in the client in order to bring about their co-created and specific outcomes or coaching goals.(Divine, 2009)
Metaphorically, I like to think about using lines of development like trying to find a destination while driving. You can have the directions and the destination planned out, and even the map showing you how to get there; but without the capability to read that map and understand how to use the directions, both are almost useless. Using individual lines of intelligence provides us with a more accurate idea of what is specifically needed in order to support the client towards their outcome. What does this person need on the inside as a capacity to in order to help them read that map? Do they need to learn how to drive, or do they actually know right from left, in order to take the correct turn?
Very little of what coaching is today involves looking at what the client needs to achieve as an outcome from the inside. At this point it is appropriate to explore these individual lines (intelligences) in more detail in order to see how coaches and clients could more fully benefit from their use in both coaching sessions and program outcome and design. In the area below you will find a brief description of each of the six fundamental lines of development we use in Integral Coaching®.
COGNITIVE
Awareness of what is. The ability to see from different perspectives, the value synergies and implications of those perspectives.
EMOTIONAL
The spectrum of emotions. The capacity to access, communicate, discriminate, and skilfully present to the emotional field of self and others
SOMATIC
Body/mind awareness. The capacity to access, include, and skilfully draw upon the energies of gross, subtle, and causal realms of sensation
INTERPERSONAL
How do I socially relate to others. The ability to relate and communicate with others in a way that all perspectives ( I< We, It and Thou) are attended to at the appropriate level
SPIRITUAL
What is of ultimate concern/intention. The ability to explore issues of ultimate concern – “ who am I?” “ Where do I go from here?”
MORAL
Awareness of what to do. The ability to reach a moral decision involving both moral judgement and care
(Divine, 2009)
It is worth noting that ALL of the individual lines mentioned above go through individual stages of development or capability. Each Line shifts its focus through three main stages, from that of the self (egocentric- what I want or need), to that of the group (Socio/Ethnocentric- what we, or my group, need or want), to finally that of everyone (World-Centric- what the entire world needs or wants) (Cook-Greuter, 2005).
From the brief introduction above you can see how a human being could quite easily be developed in one line, for example the cognitive, yet be underdeveloped in the moral line. In this particular instance you come across the mad scientist, extremely smart, yet with little care or ethical concern for those people his experiments impact. This is of course an extreme example, and in general, most clients present with much more subtle differentials between their lines of development. But it is no less important to how it affects their developmental outcomes.
With an expanded appreciation for how complex the human being can be in regards to individual capacity . It is interesting to now take into account how we see and connect to a client as a coach, and how we see ourselves in reflection to these lines of development. In other words, what do both the client, and myself as a coach, need to develop or honour more to be more effective at what we do?
Reflections - Looking in the mirror:
Taking into consideration what you have now read, how would you assess yourself in each of these capacities?
What could you use more of from the list above to help you get what you want out of life?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s worth taking the time to ask both yourself and your coach these exact questions?
For more information about Line of Development in Coaching or to engage or talk with Peter Holliday and The Coaching Room, call us on 1300 858 089
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Bibliography
Cook-Greuter, S. (2005). Ego Development - The Nine Stages of Increasing Embrace .
Divine, L. (2009). A Unique View Into You - Working with a clients AQAL constellation. (K. Wilber, Ed.) Journal of Integral Theory and Practice , 45-46.
Wilber, K. (2006). Integral Sprituality. Boston : Shambhala.
Integral Coaching® is a registered trademark of Integral Coaching Canada.
It is worthy of mention that Wilber himself has indentified up to twenty-four individual lines of development. The six represented here are the six that I have found provide the most relevance and developmental traction for clients in coaching.
Emerging studies suggest that there is in fact a forth stage that is possible, and is referred to as Kosmo-centric. As the name implies this stage is still boarder yet, and transcends and includes the considerations of all sentient and non-sentient life in the Cosmos.
In integral coaching the use of the lines of development lens is just one of six that we use on EACH client before designing and co creating a developmental path to reach their outcomes? The full Integral Coaching® methodology includes all of Ken Wilber’s Integral model and all six lenses, those being : Quadrants, Levels, Lines, States, and two forms of typology or types lens – The Enneagram and Gender.
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