There are a growing number of HR professionals (or specifically, Learning and Development and Talent specialists) becoming deeply interested in the relatively new science of vertical development. At first reading vertical development seems to be the new (and useful) way of describing what we have traditionally referred to as transformational development. On further study it also seems to provide a sound narrative to describe much of the latest thinking about leadership – encompassing the need for ‘agility’, ‘systems thinking’, ‘helicopter thinking’, ‘managing ambiguity and complexity’. I have personally found it a really useful context to support leaders’ development plans. So what is it and to what extent does it contribute to our thinking and practice?
In explaining vertical development, its useful to reference also horizontal development and therefore distinguish the two. Horizontal growth and development refers to the acquisition of skills and knowledge to do all sorts of things. From tying shoelaces to managing a budget we learn new skills throughout life and through many channels, both consciously and unconsciously. For example through parenting, schooling, training, self-directed and lifelong learning as well as simply through exposure to life. Many adults become lifelong learners growing their knowledge and skills and continuing to learn through their hobbies and interests as well as at work. Vertical development refers to how we make sense of things we experience and what perspectives we bring to it. For example, the perspective of a young toddler (I am the world) is very different from a teenager (The world has it in for me) and for a healthy young adult (I can make things happen in the world). These 'shifts of perspective' represent the vertical development of the young learner. However, from adulthood onwards vertical development is much less common and not so readily accessible. This kind of development refers to how we learn to see the world through new eyes, how we change our interpretations of experience and how we transform our views of reality. It describes increases in what we are aware of, or what we can pay attention to, and therefore what we can influence and integrate. Through this development we shift our perceptions of 'reality', grow wisdom and broaden our perspective
To steal a phrase from David Rooke “We all grow old, we don’t all grow wise”. I am personally fascinated by this – why don’t we – what blocks us or limits us? and I wonder if we can actually define the activities or practices that helps us grow more wisdom in our leaders. Practices that create more of the capacities of a Nelson Mandela – and correspondingly ensure that we have fewer of the less vertically 'developed' leaders at the top. (No prizes for identifying the examples of those…but of course there are many.)
In general, it is now regarded that such development of our ‘views of reality’ are more powerful than any amount of horizontal growth and learning. Rooke and Torbert in their article ‘The seven transformations of leadership’ describe the relevance and importance of later stages in leadership development. Much of the current research is trying to uncover what activities help and hinder vertical development and under what conditions we can optimise its emergence. What is agreed amongst the researchers is how important the capacities of these later developmental stages are and how critical they are for leadership in the 21st century.
There are now a number of approaches for assessing developmental stages, each with their own nuances and numbers of stages or categories. However all the approaches fit into three areas; pre-conventional, conventional and post conventional and the focus is typically to develop more post conventional thinking – although this is an over simplified interpretation of the developmental invitation.
David Rooke’s ‘Leadership Development Framework’ (LDF) describes nine stages or transformations – where there are fundamentally different ways of making meaning of ourselves, others and the world. It describes several ways of adult meaning-making, and shows how adults mature throughout the lifespan, making meaning in evermore meaningful and flexible ways.
The stage of development significantly affects how individuals understand their role and function in the workplace, how they interact with others, and how they deal with adversity and complex issues. Indeed it significantly affects the impact of their leadership. The research has shown that the stage of meaning making is often more powerful in explaining individual differences in behavior than personality traits and intelligence combined. The stages are also idealizations – no one masters all aspects of the stage before moving on to the next stage. Each meaning making system, world view, or stage is more comprehensive, more differentiated and more effective in dealing with the complexities of life than its predecessors.
Most learning, training and development is geared towards expanding, deepening, and enriching a person’s current way of meaning making. It’s like filling a container to its maximal capacity. Facilitating vertical development, on the other hand, refers to supporting people to transform their current way of making sense towards broader perspectives.
Our developmental coaching supports people to first explore where they are and to discover where they are headed, while helping them find and apply the best tools and practices to get there.