Achieving sustainability – the Integral coaching approach

Why do some sustainability initiatives and activities fail to maintain the momentum and enthusiasm with which they start?
What are the forces that affect the success of true behaviour change?

A growing field of practice is looking to the Integral Model, a psychological framework pioneered by Ken Wilber, to map and organise sustainability issues. Using his four quadrant approach, sustainability practitioners can map the reasons why long term behaviour change and culture change is not being achieved and prescribe integrated solutions which take advantage of known powerful psychological dynamics. The Integral Model is a comprehensive and holistic approach, taking into account internal factors, such as an individual’s mindset, values and cultures, and external factors, such as skills, behaviours, wider organisational and social systems, etc.

Expert in the Integral Model field, Barrett Brown, argues that authentic communication is a key obstacle to sustainability and “any negative reaction we feel toward a worldview blocks our capacity to authentically communicate and create mutual understanding…” The Integral Model helps to overcome this obstacle, he says, as it not only maps our own views and values, but also allows us to honour others’, whether or not they differ from our own.

Similarly, Neela Bettridge, sustainability expert and Master Coach, notes that as organisations and leaders scope the path for the ‘new normal’, they will increasingly seek commitment from their peers to work towards ambitious targets and goals in the areas of environmental, social, ethical and economic performance. Effectively, they will be utilising Barrett’s ‘authentic communication and mutual understanding’.

So Neela asks, “What is it that is hindering the required behaviour change in so many organisational cultures? Are they looking too big, too quick? Is this approach failing to achieve the long term momentum and success of sustainable benefits?”

If applied to sustainability, the Integral Model can allow an organisation to ‘look big’ but at the same time create opportunity to integrate the conceptual and operational landscape of sustainable development, identifying and addressing forces that influence the success or failure of an initiative. Therefore, drawing on the Integral Model to identify the ‘internal’ blockages of the individual psyche or organisational culture, practitioners have the opportunity to apply the right tools to overcome them, e.g. coaching, training, building capacity, skills development etc. 

“Essentially”, says Neela, “by recognising the role and strength of psychological dynamics, forces which inhibit innovation can be accounted for and embedded in strategy, making it far more likely to support transformational change.”

If you feel that you or your organisation might benefit from discussing the above ideas or approach,  please contact Neela Bettridge on neelab@article13.com or call +44 (0)20 8840 4450.  Additionally, more information on Neela’s work can be found at www.neelabettridge.com.