An Integral Approach
Chris Drake, Managing Director
Cornerstone Integral
There can be no doubt that the world is now more complex than ever before - it is mind boggling and at times emotionally overwhelming. The world becomes more complex as we confront the major challenges of the day; technological changes, volatile markets, environmental degradation, failing education systems and reactionary financial markets. Senior leaders everywhere need to adjust and cope with the rapid, seemingly never ending changes facing them on a daily basis and yet many of these leaders, in the absence of a way to navigate the complexity, continue doing what they have always done. This invariably leads to performance that is sub-optimal at best and significant erosion of shareholder value at worst.
As leaders, we have applied many different disciplines, approaches and worldviews to these issues often hoping to find the one ‘silver bullet’ that resolves these complex issues. In my career I have witnessed and been engaged in the following to name just a few :-
Restructuring
Redundancies
Cost Reductions Initiatives
Cultural Change Programs
Management Development and Leadership Programs
Quality Initiatives
Vision and Values Initiatives
Balanced Scorecard Initiatives
Innovation and Productivity Initiatives
All of these have a role to play in organisational performance, however undertaken in isolation, they are at best only partially effective - and this is the dilemma. Do I as a leader do nothing, or do I lead effort that is at least partially effective? Most of us know that we need a way of linking, leveraging and aligning these initiatives so that their contributions to the challenges and opportunities we face are optimised and effective.
But how do we do it?
Since the mid-2000s Cornerstone has been integrating some of the world’s leading leadership and development approaches with the work of Ken Wilber and the concept of the Integral Framework.
The Integral Framework provides individuals and organisations with a powerful organisational contour map that can be applied in any context or scale. The Integral Framework organises all existing leadership and organisational development theories into one overarching developmental approach that enables us to connect our organisation’s development efforts into one coherent whole.
At Cornerstone Integral we use the Integral Framework to help our clients manage and deal with complexity by developing coherent and effective solutions.
So the obvious question is, “What is the framework?” The Integral Framework is a sense-making construct and an approach to organisational diagnosis as well as the appropriate intervention.
When I’m asked to explain the benefits of applying the Integral Framework, I summarise it as follows:
The Integral Framework enables leaders to align their approaches to organisation and leadership development so as to create long-term value through a balanced approach that accounts for people, profits, service delivery, innovation and the community we operate within - both globally and locally.
So where to from here?
Engaging with the Integral Framework is not a case of throwing out what has already been done but building on it and planning the next integral development steps.
To assist you in scoping how to proceed we offer an obligation free, 2 hour white board session to discover the power of using the Integral Framework and to help uncover your current and future road blocks, while mapping your entire organisation in a way that you never thought possible.
Please fill out the form on our contact page or call us on 1300 133 550 to get started. One of our Directors will get back to you within 24 hours to arrange a time to begin your unique journey.
Chris Drake, Managing Director
Cornerstone Integral