Tools and Settings
Content
Questions and Tasks
To understand and apply Robert Kegan's Meaning-making Model of Adult Development we will examine the cultures and practices of deliberately developmental organizations as we read An Everyone Culture (AEC) and consider how these organizations help adults to grow.
Please write a few notes or sentences about each of the following:
Robert Kegan, a developmental psychologist, has made significant contributions to our understanding of adult development and the concept of "holding environments." He identifies three primary functions of holding environments, which are crucial for supporting psychological and emotional growth. These functions are Confirmation (Holding On), Contradiction (Letting Go), and Continuity (Sticking Around). Here's an explanation of each function:
Challenges existing beliefs, values, and self-concept.
Encourages exploration of new perspectives and adaptation to change.
Provides stability, consistency, and predictability.
Maintains essential elements of identity and the environment.
These three functions of holding environments are interrelated and create a dynamic balance in supporting adult development. Confirmation and Continuity provide stability and a sense of safety, while Contradiction encourages growth and adaptation. The effectiveness of a holding environment often depends on how well it manages these functions to foster the psychological and emotional development of individuals within that environment.
Here are some examples of Robert Kegan's Model adapted from ChatGPT 4.0 (10/25/2023):
Here is the link to the padlet application.
(No padlet this time)
This book is about organizations but describes principles that are relevant to the organization of other institutions in our lives like our church communities and our families. I reflected on Clay Christensen’s How Will You Measure Your Life, in which he encourages treating family life like a job. What job does spouse, child, etc. need me to do the most? He also describes the importance of intentionally creating the kind of culture you desire for businesses and families. Please think about this question from Clay Christensen, “What job does my _______ need me to do the most?”
You are preparing for and about to blast off into a workplace culture, and you are going to be part of many work settings over the course of your life. Some research suggests that millennials are likely to have three different careers and eight different positions of employment over the course of their lives. How will you contribute to your culture?
The Greek word “atia,” which is translated as cause, is best understood as what “bears responsibility.” We are embedded in (i.e., subject to) what is causing us and eventually come to take responsibility (i.e., to make object) for our prior subjectivity. Taking responsibility for one's subjectivity seems to be one of the crowning hallmark of adulthood (and self-authoring). Taking responsibility emerges in relation to others in roles. Jean Paul-Stare and others play with the word responsibility, which also implies a kind of response-ability, an increasing ability to respond in different ways, to utilize our agency in increasingly beneficial ways. In order to do so, we gradually uncover (to make object) what we are subject to, and the Immunity to Change activity discussed in Ch. 6 can help:
The Greek word “atia,” which is translated as cause, is best understood as what “bears responsibility.” We are embedded in (i.e., subject to) what is causing us and eventually come to take responsibility (i.e., to make object) as the crowning hallmarks of adulthood (and self-authoring). Taking responsibility emerges in relation to others in roles. Jean Paul-Stare and others play with the word responsibility, which also implies a kind of response-ability, an increasing ability to respond in different ways, to utilize our agency in increasing beneficial ways. In order to do so, we gradually uncover (to make object) what we are subject to, and the Immunity to Change activity discussed in Ch. 6 can help:
An Everyone Culture- Ch. 6 Uncovering Your Biggest Blindspot takes the reader through Kegan's "Immunity to Change" work. Download this Immunity Map Worksheet.pdf and complete this form based on a goal you select. Ch. 6 describes this process with examples of how one might complete this exercise. It is due before we cover this material in class- so please try to work on this, but if you have trouble with it we will go over it in class and you can submit it 1 day late without penalty.
This is one of the hard questions you need to consider as you complete this assignment: Consider the behaviors that you are engaged in to accomplish a goal that is important to you. What would you worry about if you were doing the OPPOSITE of the behaviors that work against your goal? This is your worry box (be honest about exploring your concerns and fears here). It takes real honesty to explore your own competing commitments and worries.
The concept of an "Immunity to Change Map" is a tool that helps people identify:
Improvement Goal: "I want to be more receptive to feedback."
Behaviors: "I get defensive when receiving criticism", "I avoid situations where I might be evaluated."
Hidden Commitments: "I am committed to always appearing competent," "I am committed to avoiding humiliation."
Big Assumptions: "If I show vulnerability, people will think less of me," "Making a mistake means I'm not competent."
This map can then serve as a worksheet for individuals or teams to work through their 'immunities', identify contradictions between their goals and their hidden commitments, and experiment with changing their big assumptions.
In the context of psychology, understanding the "Immunity to Change" process can be immensely helpful in cognitive behavioral therapy, organizational psychology, and personal development. It provides a structured way to understand the cognitive dissonance that often arises when people attempt to change.