“There’s nothing so practical as a good theory.” Kurt Lewin

Theoretical frameworks are like maps — they help us find our way in unfamiliar territory. Here are my top ten, followed by brief intros. I’d love to hear about the frameworks you recommend, through either email or the blog.

• Trust Theory — Jack Gibb
• Chaordic Design — Dee Hock and the Chaordic Commons
• Enterprise Facilitation — Ernesto Sirolli
• Adaptive Cycle — Buzz Holling
• Appreciative Inquiry — David Cooperrider and Diana Whitney
• Finite and Infinite Games — James P. Carse
• Generative Dialogue — William Issacs and Otto Scharmer
• Systemic Constellation Work — Bert Hellinger and the global community of SCW practitioners
  
• Process Oriented Psychology — Arnold and Amy Mindell
• Integral Theory — Ken Wilber
  

 Trust Theory — Jack Gibb

The core of Jack Gibb’s Trust Theory is a simple idea: higher levels of trust correlate to higher levels of functioning in groups. He wrote, “Trust and fear are keys to understanding persons and social systems. They are primary and catalytic factors in all human living.” [Italics in the original.]

Gibb also expressed Trust theory in the acronym “TORI” which stands for Trust, Openness, Realization and Interdependence. TORI holds that when there is a high level of trust we are freed up to be ourselves, dropping roles and positions. This naturally leads to openness — information flows between people; people say what they think, know, need and care about. Trust and openness lead to realization — people express and create in ways that are deeply meaningful. When groups have high levels of trust, openness and realization, they naturally mature into higher levels of interdependence.

For more see: Jack Gibb. Trust: A New View of Personal and Organizational Development, Los Angeles, The Guild of Tudors Press, 1978.

Chaordic Design — Dee Hock and the Chaordic Commons
Chaordic design optimizes effectiveness by balancing chaos and order. Hock believes too many human systems fail to achieve their intended purpose: health systems don’t heal, schools don’t educate, correctional systems actually breed criminals, etc. The primary reason is excessive order: rules, regulations, procedures and policies entangle and stifle human initiative. On the other hand, too little structure (chaos) is similarly inhibiting of effective endeavour.

To arrive at better balance of chaos and order, Hock proposes Chaordic Design, a six step framework including Purpose, Principles, Participants, Organizational Structure, Constitution and Innovative Practices.

Chaordic Design is valuable for micro scale considerations (a single meeting) all the way up to global systems.

For more, see:

• Dee Hock. Birth of the Chaordic Age. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1999.
• Chaordic Commons

Enterprise Facilitation — Ernesto Sirolli
Sirolli argues that successful enterprises require three key elements, and that all three are rarely found in a single individual:

• Passion and knowledge about the good, or service
• Financial savvy
• Publicity and marketing

The role of the Enterprise Facilitator is to support an entrepreneur to assemble a winning team by linking them to other people and resources within the community. The facilitator also provides encouragement and mentorship.

By analogy, I believe there is significant potential community benefit in what I call “Community Initiative Facilitation” and the role of a “Community Initiative Facilitator”.

For more, see:

• Ernesto Sirolli.  Ripples from the Zambezi: passion, entrepreneurship and the rebirth of local economies. Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society Publishers, 1999.
• www.sirolli.com

Adaptive Cycle — Buzz Holling
Click here for a short article on Adaptive Cycle, also know as Panarchy: how healthy human and natural systems cycle through four phases: Release, Reorganization, Exploitation and Conservation.

For more see: C.S. Holling and Lance Gunderson (editors). Panarchy: understanding transformations in human and natural systems. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2002.

Appreciative Inquiry — David Cooperrider & Diana Whitney 
Instead of focusing on problems, Appreciative Inquiry looks for what is working and how to have more. This “glass is half full” perspective turns out to be significantly more inspiring, energizing, and effective that our more normal focus on what isn’t working.

The AI approach has four phases: Discover, Dream, Design and Deliver. It is a robust framework for doing community engagement, and provides a strong conceptual foundation for Dialogue, World Cafe and Open Space gatherings.

For more, see: Appreciative Inquiry Commons

Finite and Infinite Games — James P. Carse
This framework uses the concept of “game” to describe the orientation, goals, rules and boundaries that underpin how humans interact. Carse posits two main types of games: A finite game is played with the purpose of winning (thus ending the game), while an infinite game is played with the purpose of continuing the play.

For more, see: Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse. New York: Ballantine Books, 1986.

Generative Dialogue — William Issacs and Otto Scharmer
Generative Dialogue maps four “fields of conversation”. It also suggests ways to support a group to evolve from from rule-bound and relatively sterile politeness, to where people think as one in creative, innovative, and rule-breaking ways. Groups rarely reach the third and fourth fields of conversation, perhaps because people don’t even know they exist!

For more, see Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together by William Issacs.  New York: Broadway Business, 1999.

Systemic Constellations Work
Systemic Constellations help to make visible the hidden dynamics in human systems. They support insight, healing, and transformative change in families, companies, organizations and increasingly in society as a whole through Constellating for the Collective.

For more, see Whole Systems Design by Diana Claire Douglas, 2022.

Process Oriented Psychology — Arnold and Amy Mindell
Central to Process Oriented Psychology are concepts of primary and secondary processes, the edge, and the field. These and other concepts offer a rich map for understanding and working with group dynamics, and especially helping to surface and “process” the marginalized elements or undiscussibles that every individual, group and organization has. A central understanding in POP is that health at all levels requires us to face and embrace the aspects of ourselves/life that disturb us. Growth and vitality require us to be whole, and to be whole requires us to acknowledge and incorporate what we disavow — noting that this can be both positive and negative. Often we disavow our power and creativity!

For more: See any one of the many excellent books by Arnold Mindell.

Integral Theory — Ken Wilber
Integral Theory is a framework of frameworks. It is a powerful map allows one to set other theories/ perspectives in a comprehensive context. The theory includes five fundamental categories: quadrants, levels, lines, states and types. In the first category, Wilber identifies four quadrants: Individual-Interior, Individual-Exterior, Collective-Interior, and Collective-Exterior. The integral theory of change holds that for change initiatives to be effective, they need to address all four quadrants. Most change initiatives focus on one or two.

For more: see

• A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science and Spirituality, by Ken Wilber. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2000.
• Ken Wilber — Wikipedia

There are obviously many more valuable frameworks beyond my top ten. Please share the ones that inform and inspire you/your work at the blog.