The Top Down Approach Is Outdated

The (R)Evolution starts with YOU!

A question that bothers many people working in companies is this: How can I as an individual effectuate change from my current position? This is a really relevant question, which becomes more and more urgent these days, especially when you realize that in your company the way of working is no longer sustainable, but you don’t have a job in a leading position.

Many people live a life which is about repeating habits that make it comfortable for them. Every morning they take the same way to work, do for 7 to 12 hours things that repeat themselves and provide only low fun – if they do at all – and see their job as required course and assumed security in order to make a living. However, what is so interesting about a life where you already know beforehand what the week will be like? When you ask people this question you get answers, which can in the end be summed up in one statement: “I can’t do anything against it, because I am caught in the hierarchical and social structures.”

At first sight this seems to totally logical. Every day we are actually confronted with strongly protected, hierarchical structures that have existed for decades so that we assume that they are irrevocable. Protected means in this case that we are facing structures that are heavily defended by politicians and business leaders. The most strongly protected hierarchical structure is the public school system, in which children are deprived of their genius and creativity and are trained to be standardized, adaptive, sleeping sheep. The second best protected hierarchical structure is the modern economic system, which is about competition, abuse of power and the biggest profit. The higher the position you hold in the company, the more power and corresponding influence you have. Especially in big corporations it is visible how deep this suicidal virus sits in peoples cells. Recently I talked to a representative of a huge German car manufacturer who confirmed that many colleagues are focused on climbing the job ladder in order to test on each rung how much more power they have. It goes that far that their Gremlin – the unconscious shadow part in each person – actually enjoys reaching a position that allows them to manipulate colleagues, make them small and even fire them. It is like an alleged and totally insane adrenalin rush.

How far has humanity gone? How far have companies gone? It seems that a certain misbelief forms the entire system: Evolution = Growth – in the sense of higher, faster, further, better, more profit, more material wealth. The thought of growth in modern society is based on competition, scarcity and abuse of power.

More and more people see the current drawbacks and would like to change something. The core question is: How can I as individual change something in a well defended, hierarchical structure? Many people don’t see any possibility to effect change out of their current position. Instead, they have resigned and in a frustrated way keep playing the known game.

At this point the suggestion is to shift your perspective. Take into consideration that you have chosen an environment in the form of the second best protected hierarchical structure to deliver your individual, evolutionary service.

In the business context we normally hold a typical, old model in us about how change happens in a company. It is the so called top-down approach, which means that change can only be triggered from the top management, from the people holding a corresponding position. The working mass is controlled by top management. Therefore the general attitude with employees – especially on the operative level – is that they can’t change anything. Instead they get stuck in thoughts like “If only I was in a higher position…”, or “If only I could convince the boss to take a different direction…”, or “If only I could deliver this crucial 3-minute presentation in a meeting…”, or “If only I could be sure that I was not fired when I open my mouth…”, etc.

Let’s get to the point: As individual you are facing the second best protected hierarchical structure and you might not be at the top of the hierarchy. Instead you hold a position that is seemingly powerless. This fact tears you apart (otherwise you would not read this article), because you intuitively sense that you are here on Earth to do something else than vegetating at work. You have enough will in order to try something and to take the word evolution to heart in its original sense: Evolution is the gradual change of inheritable characteristics of a population of creatures from generation to generation (Source: German Wikipedia). Evolution is currently about updating the human thoughtware so that a different kind of working with each other and (and with the Earth) becomes possible.

You have a crucial advantage compared to your colleagues, because when you look around in your office you might very likely find a lot of hopelessness, suppressed pain, frustration and mere survival. However, when you read this article, then you are a so called edge worker. You are ready to create something different and are looking for possibilities. The invitation at this point therefore is to adapt a new perspective, which might inspire you to get up every morning and go to work.

Take into consideration that there is a wild part in you that already broke rules in the past and still continues breaking rules or would like to break rules so that you are able to deliver your special service and contribute to evolution. It is exactly this part that can take on a different attitude with regard to change. People around you are begging you subtly to do so, because if you don’t effect change, who will?

Instead of being stuck in the top-down attitude (“If only I was in the right position…“) it is about changing your perspective realizing that you are already part of the organization and at the exactly right position. If you change only a little bit, it causes everyone else around you and in the organization to change, because the form of the environment follows the change. This is a universal law. As soon as you change your inner structure and your presence, the Universe adapts to your new form and so do all people around you.

The (r)evolution towards a new way of working starts directly with you. This means as soon as you change in a way that you hold a new context for a new, sustainable way of working and decide to take a stand for that, change already started. To do so, 3 essential components are necessary:

1.    Shift your identity

2.    Keep your center and be your own authority

3.    Discover your pearl

1. Shift Your Identity

In order to start it is necessary – as described above – to shift your perspective. To do so, it is very helpful to leave your old job identity behind and take on a new identity. As employee with an assigned job title and an assigned position you could only act in the specified and limited scope. Shift your identity by no longer driving to work as e. g. Clerk of Accounting, Key Account Manager, or Finance Manager, but instead choosing an identity that inspires you and that fits the new context. You could for example enter your company as a Bridge Builder, an Evolution Catalyst or a Next Culture Work Pioneer. You thus free yourself of the predetermined title construct that only limits you and only allows you to be the one you are supposed to be in order to stay controllable for the hierarchy protectors. You know that you are bigger than that.

2. Keep Your Center And Be Your Own Authority

What is crucial for holding a new working context is keeping your center. Each person has a physical center, which is three fingers wide below your belly button in the middle of your body and that helps us to be balanced. At the same time each person has a so called energetic center, which takes its origin in the size of a grapefruit and is movable. We tend to quickly give away our energetic center to other (authority) persons or things. At work most of the employees give away their energetic center – and thus their power – e. g. to the boss, the CEO, the loud colleague, the emails, the phone or the important customer appointment.  In addition, the majority of people has their energetic centers in their heads and constantly thinks about all kinds of stuff. Giving your center away certainly has advantages. When you give your power to somebody else, then you don’t have to take responsibility, don’t have to take action, don’t have to make decisions and can keep going with the comfortable victim attitude and thus keep being the victim of the system or a specific person. When you give your center away, you are not dangerous for other people, because you behave adaptive, are nice and do what others say.

Fact is though that the world needs YOU with your full power, being your own authority and being fully present. You can reach that state by learning how to be centered. You center yourself by consciously using your attention to locate your energetic center and then use your conscious intention to put it on your physical center. As soon as the energetic center is on your physical center you are centered and have your power. This is a completely different game than behaving adaptive.  When you keep your center then you are able to take a stand for something, e. g. a new working context. How do you want to bring about change when you don’t have your power and authority? Learn to be centered (just as reference: a centered starting position is typical for some martial arts like aikido, judo or fencing. From this stable, grounded starting position you can move everywhere you want).

When you keep your center – and thus your own authority – (r)evolution already happens. As soon as you are centered, you no longer give your center away to your desk, your mobile phone, and your emails or to other authority figures that enter your office. Then you no longer accept unquestioned what a person of a seemingly higher position tells you. This can be frightening, because when you are your own authority, who can you blame if something goes wrong..?

The following chart shows the difference between adaptive behavior and being centered.

3. Discover Your Pearl

You already know that each individual is unique. One way that each person is unique is the so called pearl. The pearl is like ca catalyst that carries a message and sits in the center of your being. The pearl is like a jewel that you have been carrying with your since you were born. It includes the essence of your creating on Earth, the message of your vocation. To be able to decode the exact message of your pearl and bring it to life, it is essential that you first of all build enough matrix. Matrix is the structure on which consciousness can grow and is built through distinctions that allow you adapt a completely new perspective. The more matrix you have the more consciousness you can hold and the more you can unfold this jewel inside of you.

The thing is this: In order to get to this core, to this pearl of your being, you need a certain initiation. If you don’t get yourself initiated and learn to take responsibility for your attention, your intention, your feelings, your shadow and bright principles, etc. then you are not ready for your pearl. Modern culture does not provide this kind of initiation. Modern culture is focused on standardizing people so that they adapt to the rules of the mainstream society and live below their potential.

They way of your pearl is unique and does not lead into the direction of the mainstream way, which is only focused on material and monetary success. Your pearl brings you on the path toward your true potential, your inspiration and what you came here for on Earth. Take this path! It would not be helpful to tell you at this point how you can find your pearl, because then you risk that your mind eats the explanation and goes “Ah, yes, understood”, you would store the answer in the drawer “understood2 and not go any further. Part of you knows what I mean with the pearl. The invitation therefore is to start exploring. Start looking for your pearl.

The first two steps – shifting identity and being centered – already cause change in your field and thus in your environment. People around you will sense that you are more present and more powerful and that you don’t buckle anymore. Keep working in this already changed field of the organization. Thus you start a completely new gameworld. You can do this! The top-down approach is outdated. The (r)evolution starts with you!

Author: Nicola Nagel