How the world works – Exploring worldviews

I love it when I am listening to someone and, all of a sudden, a lightbulb goes off in my head. Something clicks, and I see the world differently. It happened to me recently when Ruth Wilkinson shared how she used PAS 808 to drive and frame conversations about worldviews. I realised that if we want to change the world (and I think we do), we need to delve more deeply into our individual paradigms about how it works.

Our worldviews (and how we see ourselves in that context) affect our behaviours, and thereby the behaviours of our organisations, which, in turn, have brought the planet and its people to where we are today. Conversations about recycling, carbon footprints, and inequality are important, even existential. But the biggest existential question—“Why am I here?”—is all too often assumed, unresolved, and taken for granted.

So I wondered, how would I begin to engage people in such a conversation?

This led me to develop a kind of maturity model, based on how individuals might see themselves in relation to the world around them, and how this might translate into organisational behaviour and future implications. For this model, I drew upon concepts of progressive stages, influenced by models such as those proposed by Wilber, Kegan, Maslow, and, of course, the many people I have met throughout my life.

The idea of such a model is to give people the opportunity for self-reflection and, through discussion, to gain new insights, recalibrate their thinking, and inspire themselves and others to aspire toward growth. It provides a vocabulary and a framework by which people can gain new perspectives on their thinking and its implications, and work with others to make adjustments.

But why?

My thinking is that for change—including ecological and humanitarian change—to be sustainable, these behaviours must be rooted in an accurate narrative within ourselves: of who we are, who we want to be, and why. By reflecting in this way about who we are and how we are, we have a better basis for thinking about how our organisations should operate and how we might want to change them. It’s about change at the level of who we are rather than simply what we do—but one will follow the other.

So, I would like to share the model with you. The abridged model can be found on the right, but if you would like a fuller set of descriptions, the complete model (about twice as long) can be downloaded via this link.

This model is designed not as a judgment but as a tool for reflection. Where do you and your organisation sit on this spectrum? What drives your decision-making, and how might your worldview be influencing the way you approach responsibility?

I know that many in business may feel that the higher stages—Committed Altruism and Selfless Dedication—are out of reach. But there are organisations operating at these levels already. They don’t always call themselves businesses, but they are purpose-driven, profitable, and making real change. And because they exist, I wanted to ensure they were included in the model.

There may be others reading this who are right now asking, “This is all very well, but how does this increase my profits?” But that very question may be part of the problem. If we’re so focused only on the short-term, profit-driven mindset, we are missing the bigger picture: how aligning with broader social and environmental goals leads to sustainable, meaningful success.

I hope that many of you will use the model to reflect, even for just a moment, on what implications this may have for you, your business, and what you might do differently in the future. If this is you, I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below. And, if you would like to continue the conversation, please keep in mind that I have developed a half-day workshop for leadership teams to explore these questions. There is still funding available for it to be delivered at no cost — just ask.

Author: Mike Clargo | Culturistics

Relevant Link: Purpose Prototyping Workshop