from the desk of H. Bowie...

desktop with typewriter

Reference Summaries:

All of the Reference Summaries

I've occasionally run across models of various sorts that I've thought could be usefully summarized, especially for easy and practical reference when needed. What follows is a list of these writings.

Core Design Principles for The Efficacy of Groups

David Sloan Wilson and his pals at Prosocial World have done the heavy lifting for us, providing the eight Core Design Principles to maximize the effectiveness of human groups of all sizes.

Developmental Levels

A number of authors and systems of thought espouse one or another series of developmental levels, in fields of study as diverse as psychology, sociology, economics and organizational development. Ken Wilber was the first author I encountered who proposed an integration of these various developmental progressions into a single unifying scheme. However, much of Ken’s take on these levels was heavily influenced by the Spiral Dynamics work done by Clare W. Graves, Don Beck and Chris Cowan.

The following reference table lists the levels in this general, unifying model, showing the color schemes used by both Integral Theory and Spiral Dynamics.

DRAMMA List of Psychological needs

DRAMMA stands for Detachment, Relaxation, Autonomy, Mastery, Meaning and Affiliation.

Earned Value Management (EVM) for Mere Mortals

Project managers often have to use some form of Earned Value Management (EVM) in order to monitor the progress of their projects. If this topic seems at all mysterious to you, then this piece will attempt to answer all of your questions.

The Four Quadrants of Human Knowledge

The four quadrants come from the integral philosophy work of Ken Wilber. The four quadrants can be thought of as the subjective, the objective, the intersubjective and the interobjective.

Motivational Factors for Complex Work

In is book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel H. Pink identified three vital sources of extrinsic motivation for individuals engaged in something more complex than simple, straightforward tasks: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

The Rotary Four-Way Test

This is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical test that individuals can apply to their personal and professional relationships. The original author was Herbert J. Taylor. It was adopted by the Rotary organization in the 1940's.

Self-Determination Theory

Self-Determination Theory identifies three basic psychological needs that must be satisfied to foster well-being and health: autonomy, competence and relatedness.

The Social Suite

Nicholas A. Christakis, in his book Blueprint, defines eight human features that form the core of all societies. As he says, these features arise from within individuals but they characterize groups, and so they form a relatively small set of universal features that supports the self-assembly of humans into societies.

Social Support Survey

This is a simple survey that anyone can use to self-assess the degree of social support they are feeling in their lives. I picked this up from David R. Samson’s book Our Tribal Future, but he says that he adapted it from other sources.

A Universal Improvement Process

These are the elements of a generalized improvement process, integrating components of natural selection, the scientific method and various disciplines for product and process improvement.