A King, Warrior, Magician, Lover Model for Committee Structures.

Posted by James R. Newell on October 28, 2015 at 4:12pm

A King, Warrior, Magician, Lover Model for Committee Structures


This is an over-simplification of Robert Moore’s archetypal anatomy of the Self. I’m applying these principles here as one example of how we might bring archetypal ideas into our committee structures (see the attachments for more diagrams and some notes on Robert Moore’s work). There are many ways we might do this, this is just one example. Robert Moore’s work on these archetypes has largely been in relation to masculine psychology. I try to emphasize here that the structures themselves are gender neutral, and are relevant for both men and women.

The main idea is that the Four Quadrants should always be present and represented in one way or another. Diagnostically, if one of the quadrants is over-emphasized or under-emphasized, balance and effectiveness will be compromised.


Four Proposed Components of an Effective Committee Meeting
(or, potentially, project, event, etc.)

1. Queen/King – Facilitator.

Sees that the committee stays focused. Keeps an eye on the big picture, keeps the proceedings grounded in concrete reality, keeps the group on topic and follows the agenda. – Earth Element

2. Warrior – Agenda.

Sets forth what will be addressed during a given meeting. Every meeting will be focused on an agenda, which are the actions that the committee addresses during the meeting. – Fire Element

3. Magician – Note taker.

Keeps track of the specific ideas, activities, and plans discussed during the meeting. The magician archetype is much more than a note-taker, it is also the archetype of discernment, communication, technical knowledge and expertise. So, this function of discernment should also be applied by all committee members.  – Air Element

4. Lover – The Collaborative Process.

Represents the living relationship of collaboration and good will that governs all of the interactions between committee members. The lover archetype also represents the element of soul that we all hope will be present and honored at each meeting. – Water Element


References
The Quartet of Books: The King Within, The Warrior Within, The Magician Within, The Lover Within.

Moore, R. (1997). Masculine initiation for the 21st century: The global challenge. The New Warrior Handbook.


 

A King, Warrior, Magician, Lover Model for Committee Structures.docx

Notes for anyone interested in Robert Moore's work.doc

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  • Dorene Mahoney October 28, 2015 at 9:14pm

    I love this, James, and I love where we could go with the whole notion of leadership in the Alliance. The talk today reminded me of work that held great importance for me in my career which I don't really get to do much of anymore. It is around the importance of language in leadership, and how words produce images/symbols that have an energetic frequency that manifests in the world.

    Following is a rough cut and paste of material I created to help guide a bunch of Russian software engineering managers to effectively run project team meetings for very large and complex IT projects. For three such teams over 6 months, I was their coach, attending all their meetings and calling out the different moves. I'm wondering if we could "marry" this work with what you've got here, James. The roles that I've laid out are more aimed at the meeting functioning well, and the roles you've laid out illuminate archetypal energies, but maybe we could combine them in some meaningful way. What we come up with could help us with our committee meetings (at a minimum) and might become a new model for businesses that are run with a depth orientation:

    Running Team Meetings—Important Conversational Moves

     Working in any group can be challenging, especially if direction and priorities aren’t clear. In many ways in the Alliance, we are making things up as we go. We are struggling to develop tools and infrastructure that will make the future easier. In the short-term it can feel like the blind leading the blind.

    Following are some ideas to make committee meetings more productive, enjoyable, and collaborative.

    Following the archetypes of . . . . (royalty, magician, warrior, lover). While individuals on a committee perform different roles—committee chair, committee member, scribe, ritual opening/close—each role affords significant opportunity to develop oneself as a leader.

    Important Roles in Committee Meetings:

    • Committee members and all participants: Responsible to participate and provide their best thinking on issues, while also noticing the evolving tone of the meeting. May request a time out at any time, as a way of ensuring a successful meeting. The chair, scribe and ritual keeper are also committee members. (Question: As you participate, are you practicing and gaining competence with the moves, below? If not, ask yourself why this might be and what you could be doing differently during meetings.)
    • Committee chair/meeting facilitator: In addition to committee member responsibilities, responsible for creating and sending out the agenda beforehand, facilitating the meeting, for initiating starting and closing check-ins, and for ensuring that all voices are heard. (Question: Are you designing and managing committee meetings to leverage the diverse views and commitments of each person? If not, why not?)
    • Scribe: In addition to committee member responsibilities, responsible for keeping track of time and agenda topics, and for taking notes and posting minutes to the website. (Question: Are meetings starting and stopping on time, and are agenda topics covered? If not, what additional support do you need?)
    • Ritual Keeper(name?): In addition to committee member responsibilities, responsible to lead opening and closing rituals.

     

    Good moves to watch for among meeting participants:

    • Making requests and offers

    • Accepting, declining and renegotiating commitments

    • Grounding assessments

    • Listening for concerns, commitments, and possibilities

    • A brief but consistent beginning and ending ritual

    • A brief but consistent beginning and ending check-in

    • Periodic pauses during meetings to re-center everyone and check on the context, stories, mood and quality of conversation

    • Respectful complaining (i.e., acknowledging and speaking up) when promises are missed or not managed well

    • Fluid shifting of focus between tactical, short-term issues and the bigger picture, strategic view

    • Managing individuals’ promises in a way that ensures that everyone is on the same page, looking at the same future together

    Good meeting routine: Following are moves that build and refine processwork on the board: 

    • Opening Ritual: A context-setting move that anchors the team in the meeting and is important in establishing a rhythm over time.

     

    • Meeting Check-In: A check-in is another context-setting move that also anchors the team. When a team leader asks each person to check in, there's nothing specifically he or she is looking for, and comments are just a few words. Answers might be, "I'm feeling exhausted today," or "I'm swamped with all that I’m working on," or "I have to leave 20 minutes early." There's no required response—it’s just a point of reference that allows everyone on the team to know where everyone else on the team is for this meeting.

     

    • Time Outs: Occasional brief time-outs are valuable to check on how the meeting is progressing and to make important shifts in the quality or course of the discussion. They are especially important when it feels like the discussion has stalled, or we're getting stuck. Everyone on the team is encouraged to call a time out for one or all  of the following reasons:

     

    1. Center & Breathe: It is helpful to stop occasionally to ask that everyone take a couple of deep breaths. Moving our attention from our heads to our bodies immediately shifts the energy and focus, and doing so can make visible conversational possibilities that wouldn't otherwise show up in the meeting.  
    2. Mood Check: What is the prevailing mood in the meeting? A sense of overwhelm? curiosity? resignation? frustration? enthusiasm? optimism? Mood plays a huge role in what is possible to produce in a team. (Think about how little is possible when you feel resigned, for example--nothing looks good.) Inviting everyone on the team to check the mood that they are feeling in the moment will often shift the meeting for the better, even if there is no discussion about it. And if the mood is of enthusiasm, calling it out can generate even more enthusiasm!
    3. Listening: What is the quality of the listening in the meeting? Is a spirit of curiosity evident? What is the balance of listening versus advocacy. It's more difficult, when participants are calling in, to assess listening because of the natural silences. But it's an important element of robust discussion.
    4. Refocus: One of the skills that we're trying to develop in everyone on all the teams is the capacity to move nimbly back and forth between strategic and tactical orientations--both are required for superior leadership. Stopping to notice if we're getting too focused on details (or for too long), or we're being too conceptual (or for too long) allows the team to shift gears before much time has passed.

     

    • Meeting Close: It is valuable to end every meeting with three to five minutes to recount commitments made in the meeting and to ask everyone how the meeting went and how we might improve future meetings.

     

    • Closing Ritual: A move that ushers meeting participants back into their lives.

     

    These suggestions and conversational moves will likely feel awkward when they are not familiar or routine. They can also be challenging when participants are calling in by phone. However, taking time to practice and imbed these moves into all meetings results in much stronger collaboration, better business outcomes, and greater feelings of personal satisfaction and contribution.

    Running Committee Meetings.docx

    https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9142858490?profile=original
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