Background

Consultants working with organisations using the 'Open Systems Planning' approach of Clark and Krone saw organisations as having a central 'reason for being' or 'core mission'. There had to be one answer to the question 'What business are we in? '.

Chris Bull and Janet Mills, working in ICI in the early '70's extended the idea of core mission to apply to a person. They created a method, using the 'Open Systems' approach and counselling, to enable an individual to discover his/her own core mission. They called this personal mission 'core process'.

The positive centre of the individual is unique. As that person goes through life he/she will finds situations in which everything goes well. Under these circumstances the core process, which is at the heart of the centre, is operating freely. We have found that the core process is consistent through time for an individual. Thus the life/job that will best suit a person is one that is consistent with the core process.

The core process describes the best way for the individual to handle any situation. It is very useful as a guide to management style and in team building situations. We find it remarkably hard to imagine anyone else working in a different way from us. It can also provide a guide when people feel stuck. Ask them 'What would you do if you were following your Core Process?

The form of the core process is a verb and a noun. Typical examples are Growing Life and Lighting Fires. The person gives a very rich meaning to these simple words.

Step one. The client draws a life line containing at least three or four significant ups and downs, as below. (You can draw a line connecting these incidents).

Step two. The client describes the life line in detail as a facilitator or colleague listens and draws out the feeling and meaning of the experiences.

Step three. The client picks one 'up' to explore in more detail. The facilitator elicits verbs and nouns that describe what the client was doing and what she/he was doing it to/with.

Step four. The client picks three or four words from each list that appeal to him/her.

Step Five. The client synthesises the words into a phrase that has strong personal meaning to the client. This can take quite a long time as the words are inevitably very positive. It helps to work with less than perfect words first before homing down on the final phrase. This will be an active verb with a noun and possibly a modifier.

This could be "Growing Harmony"

Step six. The core process is now 'checked'. If it is to be useful the client will feel it inside her/him, often in the region of the heart. It will feel exciting and lead to the client making many new connections to their experience. The client will see how it fits all the labelled 'ups' in the lifeline (Stage one). It is often the opposite of the downs. She/he will see how to use the process as a life direction or a way out of a crisis. All core processes are two-way. They show our preferred way of giving and receiving energy. Finally, many see their core process as an aspect of a positive process that is going on the world

Early work in an ICI course developed a great increase in energy, self confidence and willingness to be supportive. People reported they had less ups and downs and got out of the downs faster.

I have used it since mainly in one-to-one counselling when career counselling with CEPEC and independently. It is good at liberating energy, self awareness and imagination. People also become more determined to make their contribution to the whole. It also works well in a small group. People then support each other.

More Information

There is more information about core process on the Flame Institute website.