Category: Cognitive Dimension

This course introduces students to a widely acclaimed, holistic perspective on both individuals and teams. It is an overview course focused the three perspectives in which CDF-users view clients: the social-emotional, cognitive, and psychological one. Insight into these dimensions stems from decades of validated research since the 1970s but has not been widely taught in a unified fashion. In the course, emphasis is placed as well on the interrelationships between the three dimensions since they closely interact in coaching as well as consulting. Based on this course, students become eligible for all other CDF courses. Read more Read More...

The essence of the cognitive dimension of CDF has to do with how adults differ in making cognitive sense (rather than meaning) of their life and work experiences, thus with what they do and do not understand about the real world. These differences go far beyond “what is in the head” since how people construct the world conceptually precedes their actions in the world, and thus equally manifests in their activities, planning, goal setting, decision making, and execution of leadership functions. In most general terms, students learn to switch from “what” to think to “how” to think, thereby gaining fluidity of thinking based on an awareness of their present way of thinking that makes some things “unthinkable” to them. In this life-changing course, students gain insight not only into the theory of cognitive development and the development of dialectic, but also begin to apply dialectical thought forms in text analysis, in cohort discussion, and in coaching interventions with individuals and teams. Read more Read More...

This course leads participants from merely talking about dialectical thought forms to interactively eliciting them through a semi-structured interview and evaluating their use based on relevant fragments from a client interview. The program offers students the opportunity to show themselves and others that they have not only mastered “developmental theory”, but also know how to use it in practice. For the student, writing a the case study involves: Completing a 1-hr semi-structured cognitive interview following the protocol of the “Three Houses” (possibly in a modified form) Transcribing the interview(s) into English for discussion in the study cohort Selecting 30 structurally relevant fragments of the interview conducted Based on these fragments, presenting in class a coding sheet describing how the client’s cognitive profile is to be evaluated, for discussion in the study cohort At the end of the course, gathering and submitting all pertinent materials making up the case study to the Director of Education for personal feedback on scoring and focusing of client feedback. Read more Read More...

In this course, students work with members of a team of their choice in order to better manage complexity with the aid of holistic and systemic, “dialectical”, thinking. Focusing on a central team task, they model for team members how to deepen collaboration and partnership in the team by closely listening to others’ task and interpersonal issues. In paying close attention to team discourse, they learn how to facilitate the untrammelled flow of ideas and proposals for solving both well-defined and heretofore ill-defined team problems. Helped by discussions in the study cohort, participants develop pertinent dialectical thinking exercises for their team, both to promote members’ interpersonal functioning and to reflectively deepen their approach to team tasks. They also help team members pay attention to the relationship of their own team to other teams with which they collaborate or compete in the organization. Students obtain a course certificate by submitting to the instructor a written free-form report (about 10 pp.) on how, under their guidance, the team has developed a greater aptitude for defining and pursuing topics and goals crucial for the team’s success. In the report, they spell out details of the results of their interventions during the duration of... Read More...

This program serves the sole purpose of deepening practical know-how of CDF by bringing together all of its three dimensions. Consequently, it presupposes both a social-emotional and cognitive case study as well as the ability to evaluate and give feedback on the outcome of the Need/Press Questionnaire. The program offers students the opportunity to show themselves and others that they have not only mastered “developmental theory”, but also know how to use it in practice.   Writing a second case study involves: Completing a 1-hr social-emotional and 1-hr cognitive interview with a client other than the person engaged in Case Study I (a+b) Transcribing both interviews into English for discussion in the study cohort Evaluating the outcome of the psychological Need/Press Questionnaire Selecting from the social-emotional interview 15, from the cognitive interview 30 short fragments that appear to be structurally relevant for determining developmental profile Presenting a coding sheet of these fragments for each transcribed interview, to be evaluated by the cohort together with the instructor Submitting all materials required for written case study to the Director of Education Attending a feedback session with the Director of Education Giving full feedback to the client, both for self-insight and coaching Read... Read More...

This article explores how IDM's teachings relate to "Integral" and specifically Wilber's "AQAL" model. It further argues that an understanding of dialectical thinking as taught at IDM enables the learner to develop a critical perspective on Integral's core doctrines.   What Can IDM Offer the Integral Movement Read More...