There are many paths to truth. There are many approaches to exploration of human nature.  All contribute to our knowledge of ourselves and our universe.  The work of Clare W. Graves with its extensions and applications in Spiral Dynamics is one of them.  It is an exceptionally powerful and useful point of view.  Introductory courses and workshops give a taste of this model and its possible applications. The original Certification Courses provide for intensive study of the underlying theory and its applications.

[Many new applications of SD have arisen lately. However, based on our experience with students coming from other trainings, we no longer recognize "SDi," "SDI," "SD-integral," or other programs as adequate foundation for our advanced courses in the SD/Graves theory, nor do they automatically qualify participants for purchase of materials which require certification. We will henceforth designate the basic course as SD1 since SDI has been co-opted as a competing brand, a move which generates considerable confusion. We regret any inconvenience this causes.]

SD INTRODUCTORY PROGRAMS

Introductions to Spiral Dynamics are offered by our associates in the US, UK, Australia, Germany, and Holland. These range from a few hours to a full day or more and may be free-standing events or in conjunction with conferences and conventions. 

CERTIFICATION COURSE DESCRIPTIONS and STANDARDS

Certification trainings are designed to provide an accurate foundation in Dr. Graves' underlying theory. While SD is being incorporated and expanded within several other viewpoints, our Certification Training is intended to provide as "clean" and close-to-the-source rendition of the Graves/SD point of view as possible. We make no pretense of teaching the work of spiritual gurus and other philosophers since it is hard enough to create a solid foundation in the Gravesian perspective in a few days. For those who find this work as intriguing and powerful as we do, for those who have had an introduction and sensed the power and need to know more, and especially for those who wish to extend their work from a solid base theoretical base rather than third or fourth hand reinterpretations, SD Certification is a necessary step.

This expanded in-depth overview of Spiral Dynamics is the first step in our certification process and is designed to bring both those who are new to this way of thinking and practitioners who already know something about the Gravesian point of view up to speed with current developments in value systems, memetics, and evolutionary change theory. 

Participants "live" the levels of existence point of view as it is applied to business, personal development, education, and a host of other topic areas. The course covers assessment instruments and approaches to determining which ^vMEMEs are active within individuals and groups. It provides the basics for using the principles of Spiral Dynamics in the field, including introductions to the Streams process for organizational design and refinement as well as the Templates model for building organizational intelligences to fit, form, function, and flow. In other words, to answer the question "How should who manage (or teach or lead, etc.) whom to do what, when?" Sessions are lively, interactive, and fun, but also demanding, thought-provoking, and intense. Participants will complete a package of self-analysis instruments using both pencil-and-paper and computer technologies. They will be required to demonstrate competency applying the theory and assisting others to understand its implications with a project which runs throughout the course and is completed with a follow-up report.

SD2 goes more in-depth into the seminal work of Dr. Clare W. Graves, the foundations of Spiral Dynamics theory. Chris Cowan worked directly with Dr. Graves during the last decade of his life, and brings bring a unique perspective to his elegant research and the powerful ideas it has generated. Because they have been working full-time with the theory since the early 1980's, applying it areas ranging from business management to municipal planning to breaking the apartheid impasse in South Africa, there is no better source for a clear and accurate understanding of how "the emergent, cyclical, double-helix model of adult bio-psycho-social systems development" can impact individual lives and organizational futures in positive ways. This session is for those who want to "get behind the scenes" of human emergence and really understand the deep forces that produce trends, waves, and strategies. It also provides a venue for discussion specific applications, projects, and research initiatives. Because the advanced seminar is designed both for expanding background knowledge and sharing field experiences using the theory (it represents the second step in the certification process), enrollment is limited to those who have completed SD I or bring unique expertise/experience to the group. Participants must demonstrate applications of theory to real-world problems and issues. 

(Prerequisite: Successful completion of SD1. Based on our experience, "SDi," SD-integral, and the various offshoots do not adequately prepare students for our SD2 program and do not meet the prerequisite requirements. Furthermore, because of legal actions initiated by the Spiral Dynamics Group, Inc., in 2006, students of Don Beck and/or his associates will no longer be eligible for fee discounts to attend our SD1 courses.)

This will be the "graduate" version of Spiral Dynamics and will include more about assessment methodologies (and pitfalls), training others in use of the theory, and explorations of the many parallel models of human development that Graves understood as well as those which have emerged subsequently. This seminar series requires the participation of other expert "Gravesians" as resources and presenters, thus it can only occur with considerable advanced planning. If you have an interest in an SD3 session, please let us know.

SD3 is designed for preparation of authorized SD trainers who will be able to Certify their students at the SD1 level.  SD1 is the minimum requirement to use assessments or to conduct authorized training in SD.  Participation in SD3 requires certification in SD1 & 2 with attendance at three SD1 sessions and two SD2 events;, a minimum one year's application of the technology; and presentation of a case study applying assessment from the NVCC 'warehouse' in such a way as to demonstrate mastery of the material and its theoretical underpinnings.  Train-the-trainer work and practice instruction will be included, in addition to online study.

Students who sign up for this will be required to carry out several monthly pre-course assignments with an NVCC mentor. This is to prepare them for training - which will be rigorous - since they will act as authorized NVCC/ISDO trainers in SD and Dr. Graves' work.  They may selection a core competency area to focus study on such as teambuilding, diversity, human resources, organizational change and transformation, leadership, management, etc.  This increased rigor is to help ensure quality of training, mastery of materials and cohesion of theory.  Many people are offering their versions of SD/Graves, but some are also distorting it.  This course will prepare a cadre of experts who can accurately present this point of view, act as regional resources, and maintain the integrity of the work as it evolves.   All applications will be subject to approval and project proposals with supporting research must clearly be outlined for acceptance.

The SD Corporate Transformation  course taught by Chris Cowan and Natasha Todorovic applies Spiral Dynamics theory to practical change and OD interventions in the public and private sectors.  It addresses issues of assessment as well as methods to structure and implement change.  It runs for 4 days as a free-standing program or for 3 days as part of a 7 day SD1/SDCT package.  Assessments are administered prior to the course.

The hands-on approach begins with a refined awareness of the individual -- whether as client or consultant -- then shifts focus to explore the dynamics of groups.  CT participants look at a range of change methodologies as well as ways to determing what kind of change is appropriate, how to set strategy, and how to move from good ideas to great outputs. 

The basic frame is SD, but a wide range of other tools is also introduced. SD CT involves a case study company which participants research and analyze during the course. They then generate recommendations based on assessment data, observations, and simulations, thus taking theoretical understanding into a real-world application. 

The course can be conducted entirely in-house or as an open seminar in which participants other than employees of the host organization are invited to participate.  If your company is interested in becoming an SD CT case project and can provide a minimal level of participants, contact NVC Consulting for further details.

We continue to believe that a form of certification and legitimacy is important because of the growing number of people who claim to be "experts" with The Graves Theory or Spiral Dynamics based on reading the very limited publications or attending a brief introduction.  Those who wish to represent themselves as authorities on the Emergent Cyclical Model and/or Spiral Dynamics need to understand the specifics of this point of view in some depth before they begin flying its flag, even when they are prestigious in other areas.

We continue to find that some of these self-proclaimed authorities are spreading third and fourth-generation misconceptions and, to quote Dr. Graves, continue "looking for simplicity that is not there." Remember that this point of view is really about the streaking comet of human development, not the comet-tails that show up as value systems or the behavioral traits of the levels of existence.  This is not a typological model; it is a way of thinking. The types of people school continues to promote this theory as a way to sort everyone into over-simplified categories. Even worse, a few then offer ways to manipulate people based on those false assumptions. Whether maneuvering people for ostensibly positive or negative reasons, that is still not a proper use. This is a model which depicts complexes of flowing systems within people as Life Conditions and internal Neurobiological systems interact, not merely pigeon-holes or boxes.