I’ve explored everything from Rational Actor Theory to Trans-Theoretical Model to NLP to CBT to ACT to Tiny Habits to Atomic Habits to Immunity to Change to Behavioral Economics to Motivational Interviewing to Evolutionary Psychology to Rapid Resolution Therapy to Memory Reconsolidation.
I’ve also studied organizational dynamics, from Learning Organizations to Complex Systems Theory to Stages of Team Development to Sociocracy. I’ve worked closely with one of the world’s experts on leading change, Peter Bregman, since 1999 (and wrote a book with him in 2021).
At this point, I think I’m pretty good at distinguishing between evidence-based models and fluff.
And I’ve had enough sacred cows slaughtered in the practice arena to hold every theory lightly. (Apologies to my vegan readers for the metaphor.)
I’m now what ACT founder Steven C Hayes calls a functional contextualist (or is it contextual functionalist — I always forget). Which means my approach is always: “What’s most likely to work in this situation? Let’s try that! And if it doesn’t work, let’s apologize and try something else.”
That said, I do have a few core beliefs.
That is, there’s no such thing as irrational behavior or resistance to change. What we call self-sabotage or dysfunctional behavior is simply people doing their best to avoid suffering and harm based on their subconscious model of how the world is.
Which means that the way to help people transform unwanted behaviors is to uncover those models and dissolve them in the cleansing light of updated knowledge.
That is, when we design systems and create organizations and set goals, we have to use all of nature as context. Economics functions in the wholistic context of biology.
And biology functions with limits and feedback loops. If it’s not good for the diversity of an ecosystem, it’s not good, period.
When we grow and transform based on truth rather than distorted mental models, it feels good. We don’t have to suffer as we let go of outmoded perceptions and bask in direct experience of the world as it really is.
In the askHowie community, we explore the dynamics of positive change and make our maps of meaning clearer and our operating models more conscious. That way, we can all work together to make our lives and the lives of those we work with better.
I’ve explored everything from Rational Actor Theory to Trans-Theoretical Model to NLP to CBT to ACT to Tiny Habits to Atomic Habits to Immunity to Change to Behavioral Economics to Motivational Interviewing to Evolutionary Psychology to Rapid Resolution Therapy to Memory Reconsolidation.
I’ve also studied organizational dynamics, from Learning Organizations to Complex Systems Theory to Stages of Team Development to Sociocracy. I’ve worked closely with one of the world’s experts on leading change, Peter Bregman, since 1999 (and wrote a book with him in 2021).
At this point, I think I’m pretty good at distinguishing between evidence-based models and fluff.
I’m now what ACT founder Steven C Hayes calls a functional contextualist (or is it contextual functionalist — I always forget). Which means my approach is always: “What’s most likely to work in this situation? Let’s try that! And if it doesn’t work, let’s apologize and try something else.”
That said, I do have a few core beliefs.
That is, there’s no such thing as irrational behavior or resistance to change. What we call self-sabotage or dysfunctional behavior is simply people doing their best to avoid suffering and harm based on their subconscious model of how the world is.
Which means that the way to help people transform unwanted behaviors is to uncover those models and dissolve them in the cleansing light of updated knowledge.
That is, when we design systems and create organizations and set goals, we have to use all of nature as context. Economics functions in the wholistic context of biology.
And biology functions with limits and feedback loops. If it’s not good for the diversity of an ecosystem, it’s not good, period.
When we grow and transform based on truth rather than distorted mental models, it feels good. We don’t have to suffer as we let go of outmoded perceptions and bask in direct experience of the world as it really is.
In the askHowie community, we explore the dynamics of positive change and make our maps of meaning clearer and our operating models more conscious. That way, we can all work together to make our lives and the lives of those we work with better.