Where does your organisation stand in the
levels of consciousness?
Organisations rarely operate from a single
level of consciousness and tend to cluster around three
or four levels.
Most organisations are strongly focussed in
the lower three levels of consciousness. The organisations
that make the list of the 100 best companies tend to focus
on upper level of consciousness.
The levels of consciousness are:
Level 1 - survival consciousness
Level 2 – relationship consciousness
Level 3 – self-esteem consciousness
Level 4 – transformation consciousness
Level 5 – organisation consciousness
Level 6 – community consciousness
Level 7 – society consciousness
Organisations tend to hover around at some
levels of consciousness. Each organisation has to find out
where they stand in the levels of consciousness. After finding
their level, the company has to make a determined effort
to move up in the levels of consciousness.
Survival consciousness:
For any organisation, financial survival is
the most basic criterion. When companies are survival consciousness,
they develop an exclusive preoccupation with the bottom
line and a deep-seated insecurity about the future. The
organisation tries to exercise control on everything and
defend its territory. They see employees and the material
as resources to be exploited for profit. They do not conform
to regulations and feel victimised by any regulation that
restricts their freedom to make money. Profit becomes the
end goal for the organisation and everything is measured
in terms of profit.
Relationship consciousness:
The organisation has to maintain a good relationship
with its employees, customers and suppliers. Customer satisfaction
and the kind of relationship it maintains with them is the
key for the survival of the company.
But when companies become too deeply entrenched
in this level of consciousness, they look at relationships
purely from the perspective of having their needs met. The
companies at this level of consciousness demand discipline
and obedience from their employees but don’t trust
them. They are often strong on tradition and image but weak
on flexibility and entrepreneurship. Family businesses tend
to operate from relationship consciousness.
Self-esteem consciousness:
The desire for greatness drives some organisation
to be the biggest or the best at what they do. These organisations
operate from self-esteem consciousness. They are competitive
and are constantly trying to improve the productivity and
quality of the product through cost effective measures.
The companies train their employees only if it has a direct
impact on the bottom line. Control is maintained through
hierarchical power structures and the company can degenerate
into bureaucracy if their focus is primarily on self-esteem.
Transformation consciousness:
This is the crucial level for any organisation.
The organisation has made a conscious decision to transform
itself from the lower level of consciousness to the higher
level of consciousness. The organisation tries to create
cohesion and shift their belief systems from self-interest
to the common good. The principal focus is self-knowledge
and renewal. The process of transformation begins with the
employee participation and involvement to promote innovation
and learning. During transformation, the culture of the
organisation shifts from control to trust, from punishment
to incentives, from exploitation to ownership and from fear
to truth. Vision, mission and values guide the company in
developing core identity and internal cohesion.
Organisation consciousness:
Building trust, community spirit, internal
cohesion, transparency and equality becomes the primary
focus of the organisation. This results in higher levels
of personal productivity and creativity and the development
of a positive culture that supports employee fulfilment.
At his level of consciousness, organisations recognise the
importance of employees finding, meaning and purpose through
their work. They encourage the alignment of their employee’s
personal motivations with the organisation’s vision
and mission.
Community consciousness:
At this level, the organisations achieve external
connectedness by creating partnerships with customers and
suppliers and supporting the local community. Community
consciousness helps organisations recognise the importance
of strategic alliances. They support the local economy by
working with businesses and voluntarily carrying out environmental
and social audits. The organisations support the employees
in finding personal fulfilment to work and to make a difference
in the local community by their contribution.
Society consciousness:
Service to the humanity and to the society
as a whole marks this level of consciousness. There is interconnectedness
of all life and the need for both individuals and organisations
to take responsibility for the welfare of the whole society.
At this level the organisations are conscious of ethics,
justice, human rights, peace and the impact of the present
day actions on future generations sustainable development.
The companies understand the importance of societal goodwill
in building a successful organisation, observe the highest
ethical principles, and always consider the long-term impact
of their decisions and actions. They always take a strong
moral position.
