AIM FOR
IDENTITY MATURATION
AIM FOR IDENTITY MATURATION
WHAT ARE IDENTITY MATURATION AND VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT?
Identity Maturation (IM) is a methodology developed by Aephoria Partners over the past 13 years. The methodology draws strongly on Constructivist Development Psychology, and Maturity and Ego Development studies. In the Integral Coaching community, it is sometimes referred to as vertical development. It has a rigorous academic background, has been written up in the book Steward Leadership, which was co-authored by Dr. Julia Kukard (Aephoria), Professor Kurt April (University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business) and Kai Peters (former Dean of Ashridge Business School in the UK).
The IM approach integrates many lines of development into one integrated measure of identity and maturity. These strands of maturity include cognitive, emotional, social, moral, spiritual, interpersonal, somatic, ecological and intrapersonal lines of development. The model is based on the idea that when our own identity is very limited we only see the world in a very narrow way. How we experience ourselves determines how we experience the world and how we lead and manage in the world. The model can be used to predict and develop leadership skills, in particular intrapersonal, interpersonal and relationship skills, strategic thinking skills, sustainability orientation, self-care, conflict and performance management, and predisposition to diversity and inclusion.
THE AIM IDENTITY MATURATION ASSESSMENT
The IMf is a projective assessment comprising sentence stems that a participant completes using free text. There are 15 sentence stems to work with that use a range of existential, organisational and developmental angles to illuminate the inner world and frame of reference of the client. There are no right or wrong answers for this kind of assessment, so clients need not prepare in advance.
Research has shown that self-reported measures of maturity, integration and stage are plagued by inaccurate estimations and skewed notions of our own development. Sentence completion is by far the most time- and cost-effective approach to measuring stage of development and it offers much more accurate results than other assessments.
The answers are marked by two human raters and our state-of-the-art machine learning algorithm. The raters are trained experienced psychometrists, therapists and teachers of adult development. They make use of a reference resource (the Sentence Completion Guide, or SCG) that tracks sentences across stages in a rigorous manner and there are strict protocols in place that govern resolution of disagreement between raters. The SCG is based on a similar manual for the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT) and for the STAGES model (Loevinger, 1985; Murray, 2017) as well as the extensive body of research in this field (see Cook-Greuter, (2008); Loevinger, Carlson, Westenberg, & Lasker, (1977); Pfaffenberger, Marko, & Combs, (2011)). The SCG also informed the development of the marking algorithm that is continuing to evolve as technology and the size of the dataset expands. The reliability and validity report is available for review and is updated annually.
BENEFITS OF THE AIM IDENTITY MATURATION ASSESSMENT
- Used as a pre-and post-intervention assessment to clearly show return on investment
- Highly cost-effective when compared to other adult stage/maturity assessments
- Time-efficient for client
- Quick turnaround times of marking
- Valid and reliable
- Developmental focus (moving from stage identification to unlocking development)
- Integrated with the Enneagram to enable a personality-informed view of stage
- Available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and others
- Maximises accuracy of marking through integration of human and machine marking methodologies
- Correlated with other valid adult development assessments
- Beautifully designed, accessible and user-friendly reports
- Inclusive, diversity-sensitive report content
- Compatible with multiple coaching approaches (Integral and others)
- User friendly self-service portal for easy administration
WHY WORK WITH VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT?
This Identity Maturation assessment is a mirror that enables self-awareness, other-awareness and system-awareness. It points towards what is being seen, regarded and processed, and what remains unseen or disregarded. It can indicate stuckness and fallback in a way that provides a path for getting unstuck and recovering developmental ground.
It is also a map that provides pathways for growth, development and further maturation.
Our work shows that the following impacts are unlocked through working with this powerful developmental framework.
INDIVIDUAL IMPACT
- Self-awareness
- Maturation and identity expansion
- Increased agency
- Leadership attunement and insight
- Breaking of patterns, getting unstuck
- Energy and motivation for further growth
- Greater systems awareness and impact
- Greater comfort with uncertainty, ambiguity and change
- Clarity on developmental goals and pathways
- Improved quality of decisions
- Improved strategic capacity
TEAM IMPACT
- Enables management styles and processes that are more aligned with employee maturity levels and needs
- Leads to more effective collaboration and group decision making
- Supports developing a more inclusive work environment and team culture
- Increases appreciation of difference and a decrease in defensive and dismissive behaviours
- Improves conflict resolution
- Accelerates collective maturation for greater strategic and systemic impact
- Encourages longer term timeframes for decision making and strategy
- Builds higher EQ and care towards team and organisation culture
- Gives clarity on the development interventions that are appropriate for a team to support more cost-effective development spend
ORGANISATIONAL IMPACT
- Supports transversal collaboration
- Builds healthy, inclusive cultures and climates
- Drives strategic, sustainable decision making
- Increases an organisation’s capacity to respond to complexity
- Improves return on investment for human capital spending
- Provides clarity on return on investment for transformational and developmental programmes such as leadership development
- Rehumanises the workforce
- Supports innovation, change and transformation agendas
- Allows the organisation to be clear on the requisite maturity required for successful implementation of solutions and approaches, saving money, time and effort
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AN IDENTITY MATURATION FEEDBACK SESSION
- Our coaches are trained to work in contextual, client-centred ways that don’t stereotype or box people
- Our approach is developmental and helps you move from a conversation about stage to a conversation about range, stuckness, fallback and your long term development goals and trajectory
- The client and their lived experience are at the centre of the feedback
- The session is sensitive to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice
- We do not do feedback that is formulaic
- Some of the feedback might feel a bit tough – looking in the mirror is useful and empowering, but not always easy
- An Identity Maturation feedback session is often part of a deeper coaching engagement and may be used to assess return on investment for longer term leadership development programmes
BECOME AN ACCREDITED AIM PRACTITIONER
If you are already trained to provide one-on-one developmental services (coaching, therapy, counselling etc) you can join our online accreditation program. The Level 2 training that forms part of the AEPT certificate will give you access to the Identity Maturation assessment for your clients.
IDENTITY MATURATION FRAMEWORK WHITE PAPER
This White Paper explores the Identity Maturation framework (IMf) and the stages of adult development it measures. In bringing together Constructivist Development Theory with Existentialism, it offers a unique developmental perspective. Download the paper to learn more.
IDENTITY MATURATION FRAMEWORK WHITE PAPER
This White Paper explores the Identity Maturation framework (IMf) and the stages of adult development it measures. In bringing together Constructivist Development Theory with Existentialism, it offers a unique developmental perspective. Download the paper to learn more.