February 03, 2010

The Quadrants are Perspectives!

Let’s face it; we are meaning-making machines, and each of us interprets what’s happening - both inside and outside us - differently.  Although we each may have a different interpretation of our experience, Teachers at Integral Coaching Canada (in conjunction with Integral Life), making use of the Quadrants component of the Integral Model (plus Types, which we will explore in a future Article), suggest that there are 4 fundamental perspectives or points of view that affect our experience.   As you work with these perspectives, you will get to know yourself and others better.  Not only will this knowledge lead to better understanding and communication, but I believe it will begin to bring to light some of the mystery around why you may be having difficulty staying motivated in, for example, your fitness program¹.  Like I mentioned in the Integral-in-action intro, one of the aims of the Integral-in-action! Article Series is to share tips and tactics on how to stay motivated and inspired throughout life's inevitable ups and downs.  I believe that a better understanding of the Quadrants will help to support you in this area.  Future Articles will address additional aspects of the challenge.  So with this in mind, then, let’s take a brief look at the Quadrants…

If you look at Integral Theory, you will find incredibly complex descriptions of the Quadrants (since they embrace so much), but there is no need to get so deep here... we don’t want to pull a mental hamstring!  For the purposes of this article, we can represent the 4 Quadrants or perspectives as follows:

 

Each of these four perspectives is available to your awareness right NOW in this moment, and all four are arising simultaneously.  For example, as you have a thought in the UL quadrant, your physical brain in the UR quadrant is supporting that thought.  At the same time, all of our thoughts are culturally influenced by the LL quadrant and supported by the systems available in the LR. 

Your Native Perspective

One interesting point about the Quadrants is that although all four of these perspectives are available to us from moment to moment, each of us makes use of one of the quadrants more often than the others.  This is what teachers at Integral Coaching Canada call our Native Perspective, and it is basically our preferred view of the world through one of the Quadrants.

One way we can determine our Native Perspective is to consider how we language our conversations.  For example, if our language is action-based, we probably orient in the UR (Behaviors).  If our language is based on consideration of how the group or team may feel about taking some action, then we may very well orient from the LL (Relationships).

Another way to determine Native Perspective is in how we approach problems.  Say we are given a new computer in a box.  If we take it out of the box and read the instruction manual, we probably orient from the LR (Systems).  If we think “why is this important to me?”, then we probably orient from the UL (Experiences).  If we refuse to even open the box, then we most likely have an aversion to technology (trust me, I’ve experienced this, and it can require a paradigm shift in perspective to address!)

So, what about it?

By keeping these perspectives in mind during conversation, one can quickly see how understanding these four points of view can help us to relate to others more effectively.  But how might this knowledge begin to explain some of our difficulties in maintaining a fitness program, and what are some actions we can take to help address these difficulties?

Let’s say your Native Perspective is from the LR, which means that you prefer to have the “big picture” before taking action.  If so, you are probably very good at creating a plan, documenting your progress and marching toward milestones.  But what happens when you get bored of the same old routine?  When we start to second-guess our intentions, this becomes a real test of our resolve.  Remember in a prior Article I mentioned that it’s a good idea to identify your “Why” and to use this reason as motivation to stay the course?  That is an example of making use of another Quadrant (in this case the UL) as a source of inspiration.  If you orient from the LL, it is great to work in a group environment and/or with a personal trainer.  Actually, working with a personal trainer is generally a good idea for all of us. 

Can you think of ways to leverage the other Quadrants in support of your overall fitness program?

Another great way to make use of this knowledge is to form a group of 4 or more people, making sure that each of the four quadrants are represented2.  When you consciously create a fully representative group, you will find that the LR team members will provide a comprehensive plan, the LL team members will fully support the team; the LL members will find meaning in virtually everything you do, as the LR members just want to GO! GO! GO!  Participating in a group class and/or working with a Trainer adds still another level of support.

If you are serious about getting fit (or any kind of sustainable change) and find that you are experiencing obstacles beyond what a typical trainer can offer, you are not alone!  Please contact me to schedule your free coaching discussion.  An Integral approach to sustainable change might be just the thing you need!

¹ Please note that this Article is not intended as a “complete solution” to the challenge – it is only a small piece of the puzzle, but I find it an important one worth mentioning, and hopefully you will agree. 

² We tend to naturally gravitate toward people of the same Native Perspective, so if you are not selective about this, you may very well end up with a group representing mostly the same perspective!