Recently I have been having conversations with a variety of clients about using Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory as a structure for creating a business and generating growth.  The basic concept of Integral Theory is that there can be a unified and comprehensive understanding of the universe in a single theory.

The idea of a unified theory of everything that enables us to make sense of the entire cosmos is a very seductive thought.  However, as we have all experienced, theory and reality often differ.  In theory, there is no difference between theory and reality, but in reality there is often a big difference between theory and reality.

In creating Integral Theory, Ken has drawn heavily on the work of Don Beck and Chris Cowan with their theory of  Spiral Dynamics.  In Spiral Dynamics theory, it is proposed that humans express themselves through a series of discrete behaviours, known as memes.  These memes are currently colour coded from beige through to platinum, depending on whose differing version of the universal theory you are most attracted to.

Often the first step that an organisation takes in embracing Integral Theory is to use the Spiral Dynamics memes to try and make sense of how their organisation is experienced.  This is usually where theory and reality begin to differ.  Rather than engaging with the reality of the experience, attempts are made to fit the organisation to the theory.

This often leads to misleading generalisations being made about large parts of the organisation.  Groups of workers are labelled with a specific meme colour and so are perceived as behaving in exactly the same way, with no regard to context.  In Dreamwork we use a different approach.  Rather than trying to fit everthing into a single integral process, we instead create a space where the awareness of differences can help us to make sense of the complex and unknown.

The experience of trying to apply a philosophical theory to a business reality can be a frustrating one.  One client who had been struggling with incorporating Integral Theory expressed it beautifully when she said ‘It’s  not really about using a process of Integral Theory; it’s more about being aware of Differential Reality’.