Spatial For the purpose of working with the silm® model the spatial mode is defined as our intrinsic sense of operating or Being in a "world out there." We cannot actually see the Universe, but we can have a sense of the seperate stars we see in the sky as forming the Universe. In the same way we might identify different features of our country of birth or where we live as "home." The familiar buildings, the land, the people, the language, the beliefs, the history, the traditions and so on; we might have a sense of their belonging together and of us to them. In business we can gain a sense of the network to which we belong, of our customer base and potential markets. From the spatial perspective psychologicial models have evolved such as those to be found in Social Psychology, and Existential and Systemic approaches in counselling or coaching. In organizational psychology we also find ways of understanding organizations in spatial terms, including cultural and political perspectives. We can also have a sense of an "inner world." This might be a sense of "self," something that we might label "me." It might also be said that we experience this inner world through feelings and emotions. The spatial aspect of this is the capacity to have a "sense of..." not the actual physical experience. Intuitive The intuitive mode here refers to our ability to create something more than the sum of the parts. Four dots on a page can be seen as just that, four dots on a page, or as a square. Our ability to "see" four dots as a geometric shape is linked to the creative process that offers different and alternative interpretations of the same perceptual input. The process is unconscious although we can intentionally "flip" from one interpretation to another at will. In a similar way we might experience flashes of inspiration, insight, or alternative solutions to problems. This creativity, related to "parallel processing," underpins the arts, literature as well as physical design, mechanical or technological innovation. A building encloses a space, there is only the one space. But we can use it as a bedroom, a workshop, an office or whatever. We can also be creative about our own Being. I can potentially choose to be whatever I want to be, acknowledging of course genetic disposition. It could be said that psychodynamic models that focus on unconscious processes reflect the intuitive mode. We can also understand organizations form this perspective concerned with the constant flux and transformation as an organization adapts to its environment. Back to Top Logical The logic mode refers to our ability to take things step by step, physically or mentally. This is often called "serial" processing. There is a logical order in which to build a house; foundations; walls; roof. A simple computer program works this way as it runs through a sequence of commands. If we want to get from A to B we have to pass through certain points in between. This process is the opposite but complimentary to the intuitive mode. After intuitive insight logic is required to put ideas into practice. We might reason that this or that way of going about it is easier or better. We also anticipate or predict the future reasoning that a particular action might have certain consequences. In this way we tend to build up a collection of deductions or assumptions about the World. These ideas about the World are often described in psychology as "constructs" and we are said to use them as we negotiate our familiar world. Other psychological approaches include Cognitive Psychology that is often applied in the coaching situation. In Organizational terms we can think of organizations as logical machines, as efficient rational bureaucracies. The term "machine bureaucracy" is common. Material The material mode is here concerned with the fact that we are physical organisms. We have basic needs which must be met to sustain physical life as well as human needs. But a lot of the time those needs are met by established unconscious routines. We need to consciously work out the best route to get from A to B. But the next time we may go straight to B perhaps thinking about what we are going to do when we get there or daydreaming about next years summer holiday. The need for shelter is paramount to most people, particularly in colder climates. Aquiring a home and collecting the chattels that make everyday living easier is quite high on the priority list for most people. Once these basic needs are met then it is possible to concentrate more on sophisticated needs. This ladder of needs has been described as a hierarchy of needs. Of course there are and always will be exceptions, for example, the penniless but fulfilled artist. Other psychological theories that are concerned with learning routines and developing skills include Behaviourism, the principles of which can be applied in coaching. In organizations, particularly manufacturing, we can appreciate the dominance of the material mode with the emphasis on highly efficient means of production. Scientific management is one example. There can be little concern for inner world well-being when such principles are taken to extreme. Back to Top The concept of a "mental gearbox" allows us to think of the above modes of thought as discrete, suggesting that they can potentially occupy conscious attention independently. For example, if you are trying to work something out step by step the "Logic mode" clearly defines and sets up the problem for the "Intuitive mode" to resolve. Often this will occur when you take a break. Perhaps relaxing over a cup of coffee an idea or solution will come to you. Being consciously aware of the silm® modes, as mental gears that you shift in and out of, allows you the flexibility to maximise the mental tools that you posess. After a while this "intentional" changing mental gear may become second nature . Of course you have always been changing mental gear unconsciously as you tackle different tasks and situations, but just perhaps not consciously aware of the process. Back to Top