Levels of Success Factors

Let everything you do be done as if it makes a difference. — William James

According to SFM, effective and successful performance and change involves a number of levels of

success factors. These factors relate to our environment ( where and when we act), our behavior

( what we do), our capabilities ( how we think and plan), our values and beliefs ( why we think and act

the way we do), and our identity ( who we perceive ourselves to be) and our sense of purpose ( for

whom and for what we dedicate ourselves). The life of people in a team or organization, and indeed,

the life of the team or organization itself, takes place on all of these different levels.

The primary level is the environment in which the organization and its members act and

interact—i.e., when and where the operations and relationships within a venture or organization take

place. Environmental factors determine the external context and create the opportunities and

constraints within which people operate. A team’s or organization’s environment is made up of such

things as the geographical locations of its operations, the buildings and facilities which define the

“work place,” office and factory design, etc. In addition to the influence these environmental factors

may have on people within the organization, one can also examine the influence and impact that

people within an organization have upon their environment, and what products or creations they bring

into the environment.

At another level, we can examine the specific behaviors and actions of an organization or

individual—i.e., what the person or organization does within the environment. What are the

particular patterns of work, interaction or communication? On an organizational level, behaviors may

be defined in terms of general procedures. On the individual level, behaviors take the form of specific

work routines, working habits or job-related activities.

Another level of process involves the strategies, skills and capabilities by which the organization

or individual selects and directs actions within their environment—i.e., how they generate and guide

their behaviors within a particular context. For an individual, capabilities include cognitive strategies

and skills such as learning, memory, decision making and creativity, which facilitate the performance

of a particular behavior or task. On an organizational level, capabilities relate to the infrastructures

available to support communication, innovation, planning and decision making between members of

the organization.

Values and beliefs support the individual’s, team’s or organization’s sense of identity —i.e., the

who behind the why, how, what, where and when. Identity level processes involve people’s sense of

role, ambition and mission. Typically, a mission is defined in terms of the service performed by

people in a particular role with respect to others within a larger system. A particular identity or role is

expressed in terms of several key values and beliefs, which determine the priorities to be followed by

individuals within the role. These, in turn, are supported by a larger range of skills and capabilities,

which are required to manifest particular values and beliefs. Effective capabilities produce an even

wider set of specific behaviors, which express and adapt values with respect to many particular

environmental contexts and conditions.

Role and mission relate to another level that can best be referred to as the level of spirit or

purpose . This level has to do with people’s visions and perceptions relating to the larger systems to

which they belong and within which they participate. These perceptions relate to a person’s sense of

for whom or for what their actions are directed, providing a sense of meaning and purpose for their

actions, capabilities, beliefs and role identity. This sense of a larger system can extend from one’s

family to one’s profession, one’s community and all the way to the planet.

Planet

Spiritual

Field

Community

"Trans-Mission"

Profession

Who Else?

For whom?

Transpersonal

Family

Mission

Ambition

Identity

Who?

Role

Motivation

Personal

Beliefs/Values

Why?

Permission

Capabilities

Energy

How?

Strategy

Behavior

What?

Actions

Reactions

Environment

Opportunities

Where? When?

Constraints

Levels of Processes Within Individuals and Organizations

Success Factor Modeling TM takes into account these multiple levels of behavioral factors related

to success:

Environmental factors determine the external opportunities or constraints which individuals

and organizations must recognize and to which they must react. They involve considering

where and when success occurs.

Behavioral factors are the specific action steps taken in order to reach success. They involve

what , specifically, must be done or accomplished in order to succeed.

Capabilities relate to the mental maps, plans or strategies that lead to success. They direct how

actions are selected and monitored.

Beliefs and values provide the reinforcement that supports or inhibits particular capabilities and

actions. They relate to why a particular path is taken and the deeper motivations which drive

people to act or persevere.

Identity factors relate to people’s sense of their role or mission. These factors are a function of

who a person or group perceives themselves to be.

Vision and purpose relate to people’s view of the larger system of which they are a part. These

factors involve for whom or for what a particular action step or path has been taken (the vision

and purpose). In a business, this usually relates to the customers, the shareholders and the

team.

The Allegory of the Six Stone-Workers

A good illustration of the influence of these levels on motivation performance is the allegory of the

six stone-workers. The allegory focuses on six individuals whose work ranges from poor to excellent

as does their level of satisfaction. As they work, the lowest performing and least satisfied worker is

asked, “What are you doing?”

Looking at the clock, he grumbles, “I am waiting for my time here to be through so I can go home

and do something I care about.”

The next stone-worker, who performs a little better and is not so completely bored, is asked,

“What are you doing?”

He looks up from his task. “What does it look like I’m doing. I am hitting a rock,” he answers,

slightly annoyed.

The next stone-worker, who does average work and is somewhat more engaged in what he is dong,

is asked, “What are you doing?”

“I am using my skills to craft this block of stone,” is his matter-of-fact reply.

The fourth stone-worker, who is quite motivated and doing decent work, is asked, “What are you

doing?”

He responds with determination, “I am earning a living to support my family and put my children

through school. That’s what I am doing.”

The fifth stone-worker, who is not only doing excellent work but also looking over the others to be

sure that their work is adequate, is asked, “What are you doing?”

“I am a master stone mason and I am building a cathedral,” he responds with enthusiasm.

The sixth and most accomplished stone-worker is completely involved and present in each

movement he makes. He constantly surveys the work of the others and does his best to keep them

focused and interested as well.

When asked, “What are you doing?” he says with deep reverence, “I am helping to create an

environment to help people to connect with their souls.”

These responses reflect the six levels of factors we have been exploring in this book.

The first response, “waiting for my time here to be through so I can go home,” is about the

environment (the where and when).

The second response, “hitting a rock” is about the specific behavior (what).

The third answer, “using my skills to craft a block,” is about capability (how).

The fourth reply, “earning a living for my family,” is about values (why).

The fifth response, “a master stone mason building a cathedral,” is about mission (the who).

The sixth answer, “creating an environment to help people to connect with their souls,” is about

the deeper purpose and vision (for whom and for what).

Each level brings greater meaning, motivation and presence into the same activity. Clearly, the

deepest levels have the greatest influence on motivation, performance and ultimately the sense of

success.

Critical Success Factors Questionnaire

Identify a project or venture that you were personally involved with that has already been

successfully achieved. To bring the critical success factors out more clearly, it is useful to have a

contrast. In this regard it can be useful to identify a project or venture that you were personally

involved with that was not so successful or maybe even failed. What were some of the differences

that made a difference?

Successful Project/Venture: ____________________________________________________

Model some of the Critical Success Factors by considering the following SFM questions:

1. What part did vision play in reaching success?

How important was it to the successful project or venture for there to be a clear vision or

purpose?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

What was the vision or purpose?

2. What identity factors were involved in the success?

How important to the success of the project or venture was having and communicating a clear

sense of brand or identity?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

How would you describe your identity and distinguishing characteristics? What would be a good

symbol or metaphor for your identity and unique qualities?

3. What values and beliefs supported achieving the success?

a. How important was having and communicating core values to the success of the project or

venture?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

What were those values?

b. How important to the success of the project or venture was it for people to believe in what they

were doing?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

What beliefs supported or motivated people to follow through and succeed?

4. What competencies and capabilities contributed to the success of the project or venture?

How important to the success of the project or venture was having particular skills and

capabilities?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

Which skills and capabilities were most significant?

5. What specific behavioral steps and actions were most responsible for the success?

How important to the success of the project or venture was having a specific behavioral plan?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

Which actions were most important? Where was it important to be flexible in the action plan?

6. What environmental opportunities and influences were part of the success?

How important to the success of the project or venture was reacting to the environment

(opportunities and constraints)?

Not Somewhat Very

Important Important Important

Which environmental factors were most significant?

7. Reflect upon what you learned from going over these questions.

Were particular levels of factors critical for the success of the success of the project or venture at

some stages more than others?

Were there any combinations of factors that seemed particularly important at certain times?

How would you summarize what you have learned?

How can you use what you’ve learned in order to be more likely to succeed in future projects and

initiatives?