Why do the majority of values fall in three main clusters?

Q. I can not help wondering why the majority of values fall in three main clusters: Organizational, Self- Actualization & Emergent Order. Is this because this is where the majority of people are living their lives?

A. There are eight value clusters associated with seven world-views. At least two clusters are associated with each worldview. Chapter 6 of New Wisdom II describes how these values unfold in a person's life. The unfolding is from "simple to the complex:

• Values build on each other. We have to experience certain aspect of life before the concepts associated with come values can emerge. The early values which emerge in our life are related to much simpler concepts than those which emerge later in life.
• As we move from childhood to adulthood there's an "explosion" of values which come into our consciousness as we find ourselves in relationship to ever expanding and more complex systems -- family, friends, schools, organization, society, eco-system, etc. This explosion explains why there are so many values in the organization, self-actualization, and emerging order clusters.

Q. How does the balance affect individuals who do fall outside the norm? Does the tool accurately pick up such distinction?

A. No. In order to determine the balance point between focus on self and focus on global transformation, the AVI's algorithm determines the centre of gravity of the values on the values map. This process is like children (each child representing a value) on a see saw. Those in the middle have less influence on the balance point than those at the ends (representing self-preservation or global transformation). Both size (= priority) and position matter. Large size (= high priority) has more impact on the balance point than the same size (priority) at the middle.

What are Key Values?

Years of experience in running values workshops has reinforced the belief that it is better to introduce the language of values using 50 key-values rather than the 128 values The 50 key-values are not an abbreviated list of the 128 values. Rather, they are a grouping of the 128 into 50 sets of related values.

Even though this is the way the Minessence Group has to date approached the gradual introduction, in workshop situations, of the 128 values. We are currently planning to completely drop the key-values approach and replace it with a short list of representative values chosen directly from the 128 values.

Do the Colours on the AVI Values Map have any particular meaning?

Yes. The colours are used to indicate the priority of your values.

From highest to lowest priority the default colours are: Navy Blue - 91 to 100%, Dodger Blue3 - 81 to 90%, Dark Green0 - 71 to 80%, Saddle Brown - 61 to 70%, Red3 - 51 to 60%, Khaki - 41 to 50%, PaleGoldenrod - 31 to 40%, Moccasin - 21 to 30%, PapayaWhip - 11 to 20%, LemonChiffon - 1 to 10%

The colours listed above are the default colours for the online AVI. It is possible for different Values Consultants to use their own colour scheme, however, the categories of priority are the same.

How do I get back in to complete my values inventory?

If you were logged out, for any reason, while completing the AVI, you can resume simply by going to the same link you used to access the AVI. LogIn using the UserID and Password you supplied when you entered your contact details. None of your responses will have been lost. You will be taken to the page before the one where you left off.

I completed the AVI online selecting DEMO as the code. I now want to find out my scores on the values test. How do I do that?

There are a range of AVI Reports available. Please go to this page to make your selection: http://www.minessence.net/AValuesInventory/ordermyavi.aspx 

I did the values questionnaire however I ended it a bit short..what do I do now?

Question: "I did the values questionnaire however I ended it a bit short and didn't complete the last prioritisation of the last two (of three) lists. I clicked 'next' by accident. I'm not sure how much this will affect the overall score. Can someone advise on what is the best course of action?"

Answer:

Not ranking the values on the last page won't make much difference to the overall pattern of your values. The last page only lists your lowest priority values. By not ranking them they are all given an equal low rank.

The two pages before the last enable you to rank your highest priority values. Ranking the values on those pages is important for your inventory of values to be useful. If you wish, you can always log back on with the UserID and Password you registered. You will find all your responses have been saved, so you can quickly go through the inventory to get to the last three pages where you will have to undertake the ranking again. No charge is made for re-taking the inventory in situations such as this.

How do the AVI Brain Preference Indicators differ from Thomas's DISC with reference to: - reliability? - skill development?

The Brain-Preference indicators from the AVI are based on a Systems Science Model of the brain developed by Walter Lowen. There is a clear "audit" trail from Lowen's work to our implementation.

The correlations between Brain-preference and values are reported in New Wisdom II.

As for reliability, for starters the AVI is simply an inventory of a person's values, and as such, just reflects back to a person their current choices which are expressed as current priorities/preferences.

If a person's choices change over time the AVI report will be different.

The questions then are: Has the questionnaire reliably reported the person's choices? (the answer here is yes as the there is a one on one relationship between the statements chosen and the values chosen) and, has the person reliably identified in their mind what is now important to them? On the latter point - the AVI is not a psychological test instrument - it is a map (for self-exploration), not the territory. The instrument is designed to aid people in the process of "individuation" - i.e. discovering through experience and reflection, one's uniqueness.

What are Brain-Preferences?

Brain-preference refers to how you prefer to relate to the world around you because of how your brain is "wired"

What are Values Clusters?

The 128 values have been found to map into eight clusters: Self-Preservation, Security, Family/Social, Organisational, Self-Actualisation/Service, New-Order, Wisdom, and Transcendence.

Values clusters are simply collections of related values.

What are values?

• They are your unconscious motivators
• Values act as filters. You view the world around you through your values. Things which don't match your values, you don't see - or, in other words, you only pay attention to that which is important to you.
• Your values are your lifestyle priorities.

How can I change my world-view and leadership style?

Make sure you have effective strategies in place to have your foundation values met. It is important that they are a foundation, not an Achilles’ heel.

Taking on ever more challenging activities, and gaining the skills to be competent with them, will impact on your world-view, and hence, leadership style. Of particular importance are those activities which require interpersonal, imaginal and system skills.

To move to a new paradigm (world-view) you have to fully embrace the language of that paradigm. So, if you see people as human-beings and not as cogs in a machine, you must refer to them as something other than your most valuable "assets" - you could not be a human "resource" manager, you would have to, say, be a human "relationship" manager. Thus, attention to linguistics is part of the answer.

How do we reconcile decisions made in the past with our world-view of the present?

The best you can do here is to ensure quality decision making processes are employed in making your decisions. This does not guarantee that you've made the 'right' decision, however, it does mean you're likely to have made the best decision you could at the time based on the information and knowledge available to you at that time.

How do we make those important decisions to ensure that they remain viable into the future?

All the decisions you make throughout life are based on the values you hold at the time you make the decision. Your values change when your worldview changes.

Say you experience a significant emotive event that completely changes your worldview, then if you had made a decision before that event, and are now faced with that same decision you will make it differently because you now have different priority values.

What is the AVI?

The AVI is A Values Inventory. It is designed to identify, out of 128 possible values, which are a priority for you.