This document discusses ego development, which is the process by which people's way of making sense of the world expands and becomes more complex. There are 9 stages of ego development that represent different ways of meaning making and shape how people understand their roles, interact with others, and deal with challenges. Studies show that stage of ego development is often more powerful than personality traits or intelligence in explaining behavior. The stages follow an invariant sequence with each stage being more comprehensive than the prior stage as one's self becomes more complex. Most people fall into the Achiever, Expert, or Diplomat stages, with very few reaching the highest Magician stage of deconstructing and reconstructing their understanding of the world.

1. UPPING YOUR GAME IN ADULT-
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH VOICE
DIALOGUEDIALOGUE
ICF Capital Coaches Conference, October 4,2015

2. WHAT IS EGOWHAT IS EGO
DEVELOPMENT?
Maturation Process by which:
• Our way of making sense of our world expands and
becomes more complex (also referred to as our meaning
making or action logic).
Resulting in:
• Change in how we interpret what we experience around
and within ourselves.
• Shift in motivation and our basis for our actions.
Greater choice• Greater choice.
Adapted from Harthill and Cook-Greuter Associates

3. THEORYTHEORY
• We construct our reality
• We develop through an invariant series of
“ t ” h t di b t i l di th“stages,” each transcending but including the
prior stage as the “self” becomes morep o stage as t e se beco es o e
complex in terms of mental and emotional
capacity.
These stages are measurable and definable• These stages are measurable and definable.
Adapted from Harthill and Cook-Greuter Associates

4. KEY POINTSKEY POINTS
9 stages that represent different ways of meaning making9 stages that represent different ways of meaning making
Stage shapes
• how our clients understand their role and function in different settingsg
• interactions with others
• dealing with adversity, ambiguity and complexity
Stage predicts
• what clients define as a problem to be solved
Studies showStudies show
• stage is often more powerful in explaining behavior than personality traits and
intelligence combined
The stages are idealizations
• no one masters all aspects of the stage before moving on to the next stage
Stage progressionStage progression
• each stage is more comprehensive, differentiated and effective than earlier stages
Adapted from Harthill and Cook-Greuter Associates

5. A f D l tArc of Development
Source: Susanne Cook-Greuter

6. Opportunist– Surviving & Protectingpp g g
4%

7. Di l t B l i & C f iDiplomat – Belonging & Conforming
11%
…Unconventional doesn’t mean post-conventional…

8. Expert – To Know: Comparing, Specializing & PerfectingExpert To Know: Comparing, Specializing & Perfecting
37%

9. A hi S lf M t & P fAchiever – Self Management & Performance
30%

10. Pluralist/Individualist – Flexibility, Relativism, Self-Questioning
11%11%

11. Strategist Self actualizing and synthesizingStrategist - Self-actualizing and synthesizing
5%
Placido Sings!
Zubin Mehta conducts

12. Magician - Deconstructing and ReconstructingMagician - Deconstructing and Reconstructing
1%1%
A Magician

13. CONTACT INFOCONTACT INFO
• Dan BrownDan Brown
• dbrown@xponentialpub.com
• 202-686-0117
• Pamela Potts
• pamela@pamelapotts.com
703 403 2936• 703-403-2936