In Spiral Dynamics™, and in Ken Wilber’s adaptation, the Green stage is often viewed in negative terms. This presentation will place Green into perspective as a transformational stage of development. As the highest stage in the first tier of stages, Green represents a launching pad through what Clare Graves called “a momentous leap . . .not merely a transition to a new level of existence but the start of a new ‘movement’ in the symphony of human history.”
Like the caterpillar becoming the butterfly, the person or organization centered at Green who would move to Yellow /Teal must undergo a radical transformation unlike the change required between any other two stages of human development.
For this reason, I think it is imperative that we begin to view the Green stage as a key transformational stage requiring significant “deconstruction” of worldviews and values before one is ready to emerge into second tier.
This means that we can expect organizations to ‘die’ – that is to change form so radically that they will not be recognizable when they emerge at the higher stage. Many will not complete this process; they will either remain a first tier organization or they will cease to exist.
The process of moving from Green to Yellow/Teal is little understood for at least two good reasons – one, there is no single way to do it; and two, we are often looking for a smooth transition with organizations looking as they did when at Green. This has to change – we need new eyes to see.