The Volitional Meta-Programs Cognitive/willing 20-25

Front 1

#20. Direction sort:

Back 1

Toward/away from, past Assurance/future possibilities;
approach/avoidance

Away from (past assurance/avoidance) versus toward (future possibilities
/approach)

Concept: Our motivational sort describes our orientation in the world in terms of how we take action and make choices of value and importance. Do we move away from dangers or toward possibilities?

Away from describes thinking first about dangers, threats, apprehensions. This typically leads a person to prefer to first make choices about such matters as safety, avoidance of problems.

Toward describes thinking first about what a person wants: goals, dreams, outcomes, hopes, possibilities. This tends to lead one to develop a moving-toward
values-and-objectives orientation in the world.

Elicitation:
• What do you want from, say, a relationship or a job?

• What will having this do for you?

• What do you value of importance about ...?

Front 2

#21. Connation choice in adapting:

Back 2

Options/procedures

Procedures versus options

Concept: This meta-program relates to our adaptation style in the world, whether we move through it seeking to establish procedures, rules, and organized ways for how to do things, the right way to do things, or for whether we move through the world looking for options, choices, new ways to do things.

Procedure refers to seeing the world in terms of specific procedures for how to do things, and so sorts for processes, structures, and organization. This leads to such states as caring about finding and using the right way to do something, rules.

Options refers to seeing the world in terms of options and choices, inventing new ways to try things, exploring alternatives. This leads to such states as trailblazing, inventing, discovering.

Elicitation:
Ask why questions.

• Why did you choose your car (or job, town, bank ... )?

Front 3

#22. Adaptation sort:

Back 3

Judging/perceiving, Controlling/floating

Judger (adapter) versus perceiver (floater)

Concept: This meta-program refers to how we adapt ourselves as we move through the world. Do we use a style of navigating life by adapting ourselves to it (perceiver) or by working to make the world adapt to us (judger)?

Judger or adapter views the world (and so makes choices) by seeking to exercise control or management over the world. This leads to the state of taking charge, acting, innovating, being a mover and shaker. Very characteristic of the Western way of life.

Perceiver or floater views the world as whole and something mostly to observe, notice, and experience rather than manage or control. This leads to the states of fitting in, finding the natural rhythms of the world, being passive, enjoying the observation, being a spectator.

Elicitation:
• Do you like to live life spontaneously as the spirit moves you or according to a plan?

• Do you find it easy or difficult to make up your mind?

• If we did a project together, would you prefer we first outline and plan it in an orderly fashion or would you prefer to just begin to move into it and flexibly adjust to things as we go?

• Do you have a daytimer-type of calendar? Do you use it? Do you enjoy using it?

Front 4

#23. Reason sort of modal operators:

Back 4

Necessity/possibility/desire; stick-carrot

Necessity versus desire: impossibility versus possibility

Concept: These terms are modal operators in linguistics from the Meta-Model and reflect our modus operandi or style of operating with regard to such things as events, tasks, people, information, Do we have to, must we, should we, do we get to, do we say can't, do we say can?

Necessity refers to the meta-frame that establishes a world of shoulds, musts, have-tos-necessities, rules, compulsions, laws.

Desire refers to a world of wants, desires, hopes, get-tos. This invites one to live in a world of desires, dreams, goals.

Impossibility refers to viewing the world in terms of "can't", impossibilities, "it won't work". This invites one to live in a world of limitations, inhibitions, prohibitions.

Possibility refers to viewing the world in terms of, for example, possibilities, cans, competencies. It invites one into the world of hope and dreams.

Elicitation:
• How did you motivate yourself to go to work today?

• What did you say to yourself that helped to get you moving?

Front 5

#24. Preference sort:

Back 5

Primary interest: people/place/ Things/activity/information

Preference or value choice: people, things, activity, information, location

Concept: This meta-program refers to what we prefer as most important or significant in our choices.

People sort refers to the value and importance we place upon people and people issues: such as emotions.

Thing sort refers to the value and importance we put upon things, objects, technology, toys, and the like.

Activity sort refers to the value and importance we place upon activities such as tasks, projects, jobs, challenges.

Location sort refers to the value and importance we put upon places, surroundings, location, geography, environment.

Information sort refers to the value and importance we place upon information, data, researching, learning, reading, talking, seeing.

Time sort refers to the value and importance we put upon the time element, when we do things.

Elicitation:
• What would you find as really important in how you choose to spend your next two-week vacation?

• What kinds of things, people, or activities would you want present for you to evaluate it as really great?

• Tell me about your favorite restaurant

Front 6

#25. Goal sort: adapting to expectations:

Back 6

Perfection/optimization/Skepticism

Goal Striving Sort: perfectionism-optimization-skepticism

Concept: People differ in how they think-and-feel-and-choose to go after their goals. This meta-program relates to how we adapt and respond to expectations, goals, outcomes, striving.

Perfectionism: Going for flawless perfection, focus on end product, fearful of what could be wrong, miss the mark, never good enough.

Optimizing: Moving forward aiming to enjoy process and achieve aims, but taking numerous constraints into account.

Defeatist/skepticism: Negatively anchored to concept; refuse to set goals, refuse to compete.

Elicitation:
• Tell me about a goal that you have set and how you went about making it come true. If you set a goal today to accomplish something of significance, how would you begin to work on it?

Front 7

The volitional meta-programs Cognitive/Willing

Back 7

These Meta-Programs have to do with another focus of the attention of conciousness—conation. This term refers to choosing, willing, and attending our intending. We commonly speak about such in terms of our “will”—what we intend to think, perceive, feel, and do, and what we then follow up with attention.