312 Four Organizational Layers with Lee Riley

Jun 9, 2022

There are four layers that make up every organization (that is, a group of people gathered together in a structured manner for a specific purpose):

1. Material - the vision, job descriptions...you can put it on paper
2. Group norms - collective habits that connect the material pieces together
3. Interpersonal - between two or more people
4. Intrapersonal - going on inside of me - self-differentiation

These four layers are always simultaneously present in everything the organization does.  Challenges occur when one layer isn't functioning well or otherwise functioning layers aren't aligned.

The work of organizational development is fundamentally about discerning where the pressure points are (given these 4 layers) and then partnering with organizational leaders to make needed shifts.

Group training, individual coaching, and leadership team development are simply different means to work toward this same end (and therefore should reflect the same philosophy).

Lee Riley uses his coaching skills to help organizations develop their culture and leadership.  He recently joined the University of Washington part-time as a training and organizational development consultant.

You can reach Lee at leeriley.com or [e-mail]