Memetic Coaching ?

Memetic Modification and Coaching effectiveness?

Meme: noun

noun: meme; plural noun: memes

·?????? an element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means.

·?????? an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.

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In psychology, heuristics are simple, efficient rules which people often use to form judgments and make decisions. They are mental shortcuts that usually involve focusing on one aspect of a complex problem and ignoring others. These rules work well under most circumstances, but they can lead to systematic deviations from logic, probability or rational choice theory. ?The resulting errors are called "cognitive biases" and many different types have been documented. Heuristics usually govern automatic, intuitive judgments but can also be used as deliberate mental strategies when working from limited information. Crucially, these “heuristics” can develop into memes if they are transferred inter-generationally or intra-culturally.

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In recent years, terms such as “Institutional Racism”, “Organisational Sexism” and “Sub-Consious Ageism” have been aimed at individuals and groups within our society. Many of the people challenged by these terms would never consciously advocate the negative aspects of these terms, but yet are facing up to the uncomfortable reality that they may be in some way culpable for their maintenance or promotion.

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Some suggest that the “The Law of Unintended Consequences” may be the cause. Others consider that the everincreasing speed of life is high-lighting “double-loop learning anomalies”, faster than organisations or cultures are currently able to deal with those issues. At a personal level, many individuals embrace performance enhancing activities or behaviour changing programs that repeatedly fail to deliver the desired results. Over time, coaches, mentors, trainers and teachers alike, watch outcomes fail to match intentions or worse still, high-light other problems which undermine the significant efforts expended in the drive to improve, grow or develop. What causes those undesirable or sub-optimal outcomes, when all the original intentions appear to be robust, pro-active and positive? We need to look more deeply into our human condition, as an answer exists in our genetic/memetic make-up. ???

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Similar to physiological human characteristics, it is accepted that non-physical human characteristics of cultural and societal imperatives are passed between generations. ?The transfer maintains a similar evolutionary cycle of replication, variegation and selection to its genetic twin. Its output provides elements of the next generation’s non-physical function. As the inter-generational transfer is accomplished by non-genetic means, the process is considered to be memetic. Successful evolutionary development is expressed in efficiency and speed of response to meet emergent situations although increasingly, the development of attitude, learning, behaviour and culture are significantly challenged by the ever-accelerating pace of change.

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Over time, an individual’s reactions and experience develop into successful responses which are shared between a group’s members and become societised. Those societised responses are nominalised, and embedded in both language and behaviour patterns, becoming memes. The memes validate, support and maintain the prevailing “appropriate thought patterns” that underpin “culture”. Importantly they also create and maintain a “psychological immune system” to blindly challenge or undermine the ingress of “inappropriate thought patterns” at both individual and group levels. In this way “memetic elements” play an influential part in maintaining both personal and cultural imperatives through successive generations.

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From an evolutionary perspective, there is advantage in a “fast response” when dealing with known situations, in order to “beat the competition” to the opportunity. Conversely there is greater benefit to address unusual or unknown situations with significantly more attention and consideration, ensuring that the chosen response successfully reflects the greatest level of understanding or mastery available within that one specific situation. In order to be successful, humans have developed the ability to make this “efficiency vs. accuracy” trade-off in almost every area of existence.

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The 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences prize-winner, Daniel Kahneman’s “Fast/Slow model” identifies these two “modes of thought” and outlines the dichotomy and cognitive biases associated with each of them. In his model, "system 1 thinking” creates compelling and complete “stories” that interpret the past, makes causal links with the present and importantly, predict the future outcome. “System 1 thinking” negates reflection as it provides an integral answer within its closing concept. This mode of thinking is seen to be fast, automatic, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious, instinctive and frequent. It is probable that "system 1 thinking” utilises memetic constructs to inform the “associative memory system” that enables effortless decision making across broad areas of existence, without considering complexity, reflection or feedback.

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In complete contrast "system 2 thinking" is correlated with intelligence and is slower, more deliberative, effortful, calculating, conscious, logical and infrequent. Crucially, “system 2 thinking” requires significantly more mental energy to deliver outputs which are only specific to individual situations. As a result it is highly valued but used “sparingly” by most individuals. In many cases it remains under-exercised even when emergent situations demand its use over the habituated “system 1 thinking”. Whilst all people value the control and influence that “system 2 thinking”, provides, it is “system 1 thinking” that predominates for most and in most situations. Overall, decision-making is a dynamic interaction between these two modes with the most successful individuals maximising the balance between the two, acting “fast” in general and “smart” when necessary. On the contrary, the less successful individuals maintain a dogged reliance on “system 1 thinking” even when it proves to be ineffective or even harmful to their situation.?

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Problematically, “system 1 thinking” invokes “fast (superficial) responses” to questions, even to the extent of re-creating or re-imagining “easier” questions that may be answered more quickly and so avoiding the risk of being “bogged down” by complex considerations. Because of this preference towards limited reflection, memes which have absorbed and assumed over time, are seldom, if ever evaluated or reassessed. Those unchallenged memes are maintained as “truisms” and often used in decision making. However, they are not available for identification or appraisal for their appropriacy, accuracy or validity to the developmental outcome of an individual within a coaching environment.? For a successful coaching outcome to be achieved it will be necessary to spend time exploring and clarifying the underpinning memes which may provide contrary or opposite reinforcement to individual’s wish to develop new mind-sets, behaviours or actions.

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From a Coaching perspective, the choice of “system 2 thinking” is the obvious starting point when individuals use dialogue and questions to clarify their scenarios and intentions. This remains useful, valid and powerful in many situations. Consequently, when individuals filled with good intentions and with appropriate agreements or commitments in place, fail to achieve their goals, a memetic modification (MM) approach may be desirable. “Memetic Coaching ?” focuses on exploring “system 1 thinking” and may be an appropriate technique to pursue the needed breakthrough when other techniques have proved unsuccessful. ?The underpinnings of Memetic Process emanate from the theories of Kahneman , Dawkins and Blackmore, while Memetic practice reflects significant influences from the work of John Whitmore and Tim Gallwey.

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?Principles of Memetic Coaching ? ?

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·?????? Memes are non-genetic carriers of cultural information, pre-dating heuristic equivalents

·?????? Memes are characterised by the “replication, variation, selection” evolutionary process

·?????? Memes like Genes inform and structure successive generations opinions and assumptions

·?????? Memes inform thinking, often as accepted constructs without consideration or reflection

·?????? Memes operate automatically, affecting our decision-making but seldom develop or learn

·?????? Memes inform and support “fast response thinking” of Kahneman’s “system 1 thinking”

·?????? Memes can become obsolete or damage our success by operating without our awareness

·?????? Memes by definition can “mutate” by default, or if the original is negated or challenged

·?????? Memes, as “packets of information” need deconstruction before they can be evaluated

·?????? Memes contain useful associations and should not be negated without careful consideration

·?????? Coaching typically explores “system 2 thinking” with its associated reflection and evaluation

·?????? Memetic Coaching ? explores “system 1 thinking” to identify origins of instinctive responses

·?????? Memetic Coaching ? represents a definable process addressing deep rooted assumptions

·?????? Memetic Coaching ? identifies, explores, evaluates and redesigns “obsolete“memes

·?????? Memetic Coaching ? requires specific technique, similar to “unfreeze, shift, refreeze” model

·?????? Memetic Coaching ? embraces Positive Psychology, CBT, NLP, TLT, Gestalt and Bio-Feedback

·?????? Memetic Coaching ? has individual, organisation and cultural dimensions and applications?

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Stages of Memetic Coaching ? Practice

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???????????? Establish the client's readiness for Memetic Coaching ? and contract appropriately

???????????? Establish professional coaching principles, process function and time-frames

???????????? Develop rapport and a support mechanism for raw emotion exposed in the process

???????????? Establish a focus, direction of travel or specific desired outcome

???????????? Use time-line principles to identify the first recalled memory and effect of the meme

???????????? Identify all of the thoughts, feelings and responses to that meme

???????????? Fully explore all of the associated emotions that validate that meme

???????????? Explore historical impact, current implications and projection associated to the meme

???????????? Accept discomfort, insecurity and negative emotions are fully recognised and subside

???????????? Tag, nominalise or express all of the recalled facets of the meme

???????????? Explore the short-medium-long term implications of maintain the meme if unaltered

???????????? Explore alternative options to the meme, maintenance, deletion and redesign etc

???????????? Identify the thoughts, feelings and responses to the alternative memetic options

???????????? Explore associated emotions validating/undermining the alternative memetic options

???????????? Choose a new memetic response and identify triggers to initiate it

???????????? Create an embedding process for the meme and emotional validations to reinforce it

???????????? Determine how the meme is available for future replication, variation and selection.

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In greater detail, there are eight stages of practice within Memetic Coaching ? intervention. These would be delivered sequentially and with the fundamental aim of serving a perspective coachee to make breakthroughs that have remained elusive in other interventions. These stages are most likely delivered over a 1-3 session span , depending on the individuals involved.

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1/ The first stage involves an “introductory session” during which the coach assesses the client's readiness for Memetic Coaching ? and contracts appropriately. Considerations will include interpersonal-chemistry, rapport and the professional practice requirements necessary from individual, organisational and/or cultural dimensions. Dialogue may identify the need for development of specific skills and/or behaviors necessary for improved performance and future success. In addition other conversation may explore the occurrence of? de-railing, distressing or damaging historical incidents and current or future situations that elicit emotional disturbance.

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2/ Phase two requires the coach ensuring the client has adequate methods of handling emotional distress and good coping skills during the sessions. In significant change a client may need to use stress reducing techniques during or between sessions. However it is crucial that dependence on these techniques is not an outcome Memetic Coaching ? as the re-design of useful and appropriate memes should, into the future, negate any associated stress at source.

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3/ Phase three the client is assisted in identifying time-lines associated with their nominated focus. Questions aimed at establishing the following are necessary:

???????????? the most vivid image related to that memory and any associated negative beliefs around self, emotions, body sensations and/or other organisational or cultural ramifications.

???????????? a focus on the image, negative thought, or body sensations and be encouraged to “just notice” whatever happens within the moment of the meme’s effect.

???????????? encourage the client to verbalise on sensations, awarenesses, energy, action, implications and assimilations associated with this negative meme

???????????? initiation of a preferred positive belief being established and the validity of that e positive belief is rated, with regards to the intensity of sensations, awarenesses, energy, action, implications and assimilations associated with the positive meme.????? ?

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4/ In phase four the client is assisted in

???????????? letting his/her mind go blank and to notice whatever thought, feeling, image, memory, or sensation comes to mind. If the client becomes distressed or has difficulty with the process, the therapist follows established procedures to help the client resume processing. This is repeated until the client reports no distress related to the targeted memory,

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5/ In phase five the client is assisted in identifying

???????????? the preferred positive belief that was identified at the beginning of the session, or a better one if it has emerged, and to focus on the incident, (while simultaneously engaging in the eye movements).

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6/ In phase six the client is assisted in identifying

???????????? emotional validations around the increased confidence in this positive belief. The therapist checks with the client regarding body sensations.

???????????? If there are negative sensations, these are processed as above. If there are positive sensations, they are further explored and assimilated.

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7/ In phase seven, closure, the coach explores techniques to trigger reflection and? reminders of the re-framing and the self-calming activities that were mastered in phase two.

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8/ The final element is stage 8 and begins with a re-evaluation of the previous work, and of progress since the previous sessions. The overall goal is produce the most comprehensive and profound treatment effected in the shortest period of time, while simultaneously maintaining a stable client within a balanced system.

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After this process, clients generally report that the emotional distress related to the memory has been eliminated, or greatly decreased, and that they have gained important cognitive insights. Importantly, these emotional and cognitive changes usually result in spontaneous behavioral and personal change, which are further enhanced with standard Memetic Coaching ?? procedures.

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To know more about Memetic Coaching ? ?or contribute your comments, please contact Anthony Sheldon at [email protected]? or on this Linked-in post.