How to use Spiral Dynamics
to tackle cultural issues
BRUSSELS, AGILE CONSORTIUM
Feb 6th, 2020

“Organizational Culture is at
odds will Agile Values”
Source : “The State of Agile Report 2019” (Version One)
#1 challenge experienced when
adopting and scaling Agile :

Our talking points :
3
Agile/Lean Values
vs. Value Systems
How Values drive
Behaviour, Culture
and Structure
Transforming – the
Smart Way (using
Spiral Dynamics)

CULTURE
VALUES
CollectiveIndividual
4
“Organizational Culture
is at odds with Agile Values”

“Organizational Culture
is at odds will Agile Values”
5
“Our current organizational Culture reflects
the dominant Value System of our Leaders”.
“The dominant Value System of our Leaders
is at odds with Agile/Lean Values”

Distinct Leadership Styles

7

I fill out my personal development plan because...
…my colleagues do it and I want to belong to the team
…if I do it right I get a raise
… my boss tells me to do so
…I helps me to be successful and make a career
…I like to work on my own development
… it helps me to contribute to the purpose of our organization

Spiral Dynamics
9

A bit of history on Spiral Dynamics
Dr. Don E. Beck Chris C. Cowan Fréderic LalouxClare Graves
Reinventing
Organizations
(2015)
Hierarchy
of Needs (1943)
30 Years
of Research
(‘52-’86)
Spiral Dynamics
(‘75-’96)
Abraham Maslow

11
Value Systems and Agile (the Manifesto)
AND
AND
AND
AND

12
Value Systems and Lean (Toyota Case)

CULTURE
& VALUE
SYSTEMS
CollectiveIndividual
13
Values
drive Behaviour
BEHAVIOUR
internal external
VALUE

Dilts’ Logical Levels of Thinking
14
Internal
External
Source : “The Dilts Pyramid” (Robert Dilts)

CULTURE
VALUES
& VALUE
SYSTEMS
CollectiveIndividual
15
Organizational
Structures should
Reinforce
Expected Behaviour
BEHAVIOUR
internal external
STRUCTURE

16

Analyzing & designing
organizations with
Spiral Dynamics
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individual
external
collective
internal PURPOSE

assessments
19
Personal Values
What values are people
driven by?
Personal values report
and group profile
Change
How do people fit into
their life / workplace?
Personal change report
and group profile
Culture & Structure
What values drive the
current culture? What
change is desired?
Personal culture report
and group profile

People are forced to adopt the
values of the organization
Values Alignment vs. Values Design
The organization utilizes the
qualities of the variety of
values that drive the people

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STEP 1. Personal Profile : Acceptance & Rejection
AGILE VALUES
INFORMAL AUTOCRATIC HIERARCHICAL RESULT
ORIENTED
EGALITARIAN ORGANIC
AcceptanceRejection

22
STEP 2: Personal Profile : Balance & Bias
AGILE VALUES AGILE VALUES
Under pressure Aspiration
SELF (48%) GROUP (52%)

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Personal Profile
Culture Profile Structure Profile
STEP 3 :
Current
Culture
& Structure
INFORMAL AUTOCRATIC HIERARCHICAL RESULT
ORIENTED
EGALITARIAN ORGANIC
MVP1 : NON-PROFIT WITH
MORE SELF-ORGANIZATION
Boundary Conditions

Structure
Current Desired
STEP 4 :
Desired
Future
MVP2 : FOR-PROFIT,
RESULT ORIENTED
Boundary Conditions
(Group) Personal Profile

25
ATTITUDE QUESTIONS GOAL & DIRECTION QUESTIONS

Change profile
Measures harmony or friction between person and life
conditions
Indicates changes between value systems
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STEP 5 :
Evolve/Empathise

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ACCEPTANCE
& REJECTION
MAPPING OF
VALUES
BALANCE &
BIAS
CURRENT
CULTURE &
STRUCTURE
DESIRED
FUTURE INCL.
BOUNDARY
CONDITIONS
EVOLUTION
AND
EMPLOYEE
CHALLENGES
The ABC of Cultural Transformation,
Driven by Employee Engagement

How Value System mapping can help
28

Key take-aways
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Think of Value
Systems instead of
Values
Integral Change
includes Values,
Behaviour, Culture
& Structure
Co-design the
desired Culture &
Structure with your
team

Carl Danneels
M: +32 497/053615
W: www.plethon.eu
E: carl.danneels@plethon.be
T: @cdanneels

THANK YOU