In Chapter 4 1, on change, they refer to Clare Graves’ finding that people vary in terms of the potential of their vMEME systems and change along an “OPEN-ARRESTED-CLOSED (OAC)” continuum. Beck and Cowan then identify the six conditions (C) that must be met if an individual or organization is to experience sustainable change.
C1/First, the potential for change must be there.
C2/ Second, if there are still unresolved problems of a lower order, we cannot expect to effect (?) changes at higher spiral levels.
C3/ Third, the dissonance within the current vMEME system must be felt in order for the change to be welcomed.
C4/ Fourth, there must be sufficient intuition (clarity) of the causes of dissonance, and an idea of potential alternative approaches to their resolution.
C5/ Fifth, the specific barrier to change must be concretely identified and then eliminated, bypassed, neutralized or reframed into something else.
C6/ Support: Sixth and finally, when significant changes occur, periods of confusion, false beginnings, long learning curves and awkward assimilation can be expected, while consolidation of new thinking occurs. If there is no supportive culture during transformation, new vMEME will rarely germinate, let alone flourish.
When all of these six conditions are met, new smegs can awaken and movement along the spiral can occur.
- ↩
