What are some of the influences behind Grayson James Consultants’ approach?

We sometimes refer to our approach as “ontological.” The term ontological refers to one’s “way of being.”  Individuals, teams, organizations, even  industries and countries each have their own particular way of being, or ontology.  Different ways of being bring with them different ways of thinking and acting. A person, team or organization’s way of being largely determines what is seen as possible or impossible for that individual or entity.

From this perspective, what people do in organizations (and the results they produce) flows directly from “how they are,” their particular way of being. When they change their way of being, entire new possibilities for action appear, often producing dramatic and unexpected results.  Contrast this with the assumption behind many of today’s training and consulting programs which attempt to change people’s actions without taking into account their underlying ways of being.

However, we can’t stop at helping people to alter their way of being. In order to really help executives develop their capacity for leadership within today’s ever-changing environment, we must help them to become continual observers and designers of their particular ways of being. 

How can someone design their way of being? As we’ve described elsewhere, one’s way of being is rooted in conversation (language), and in the structure or physical body of the individual, team or entity. (With respect to teams and organizations, we can think of the structure or “body” as consisting of the policies, processes, relationships, and so forth.) By working skillfully with the patterns of conversation and physical structure, we can shift the way of being, and unleash new possibilities.  It may sound esoteric, but it’s not. It’s very down to earth—and it works.

Our ontological orientation has strong roots in an approach to human and organizational behavior first synthesized by business philosopher, Dr. Fernando Flores.  He and his colleagues saw and developed the important interweaving contributions that such diverse disciplines as biology, linguistics and cognitive sciences have to offer the world of business and management performance. 

Since this synthesis was first articulated, many other important contributions have been made which have furthered this approach and taken it in new directions.  Some of the individuals behind these contributions include Dr. Rafael Echeverría, Julio Olalla, and Dr. Richard Strozzi-Heckler, all of whom Mr. James has worked with personally. 

Adding to this uniquely powerful orientation, Mr. James brings a deep background in executive leadership, in designing and facilitating collaborative ventures, and in fostering uncommon thinking for organizational leaders internationally.