Stage Intelligence Project

Using Stage Intelligence to Understand Stress

Chrismon Nofsinger — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:38:29 +0000

Stress leads our bodies through a set of physiological responses that are defined by three stages. Using this simple stage idea we can better navigate our own stress and the shocking effects stress can have on those we work with, live with, and love.

Alarm stage: The body responds to stress by kicking out adrenaline into the blood stream. The initial adrenaline “rush” can lead to many behaviors that once were productive – run away, throw rock @ lion – but may not be productive with your team members, family or friends.

Resistance: The body mobilizes resources to fight the source of the stressor. Most of us have figured out that going with our instinct of “fight or flight” is counter productive. However, the cost of remaining calm under pressure is significant.

Exhaustion: If the body defeats or removes the stressor the body moves to a recovery stage and begins the process of renewing the resources it spent dealing with the stress. If the stress remains the body starts the cycle all over again, draining vital organs and physiologic systems leading to predictable illnesses and loss of quality of life.

Big News!

Chrismon Nofsinger — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:54:33 +0000

Great news! Dr. Stewart Donaldson is joining Echo Garrett and me as a co-author of Stage Intelligence. Stewart is the Chair of Psychology and Dean of Organizational and Behavioral Sciences (SBOS) at Claremont Graduate University. Stewart is a thought leader in the areas of leadership and evaluation and is also deeply interested in how big ideas from psychology and management are applied and used in the “real world”. Stewart has developed and continues to lead one of the most extensive applied psychology graduate programs in the world. To learn more about Stewart and his many publications, please visit: http://www.cgu.edu/pages/904.asp

We are thrilled to have Stewart on the SI team. Onward!

Chrismon

Stages of Grief

Chrismon Nofsinger — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:49:23 +0000

One of the best known stage models and one that almost all of us unfortunately are familiar with is the Stages of Grief, which were outlined by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her seminal book On Death and Dying. The first stage — denial — is defined by thoughts like “This cannot be happening to me.” Next comes anger, which makes the grieving person difficult to console. In our culture people are typically very uncomfortable with any kind of pain or suffering, so a person who has suffered a trauma and who is in the angry stage becomes that much easier for people to avoid. The third stage is bargaining, a desperate negotiation with a higher power in regard to more time or a change in circumstance. The fourth stage brings depression. Finally, the fifth stage yields acceptance. Because most of our society remains so ill at ease with the fact that we all must die, pressure is sometimes placed upon the grief stricken to “get over it.” Stages cannot be skipped. They are a natural process and part of life.

What are Stage Models?

Chrismon Nofsinger — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:33:49 +0000

What are stage models? Our brains naturally collect data and recognize patterns. Many people take this natural ability to the next level and organize their ideas and data into distinct stages. We commonly utilize the stage lens to give order to what’s happening around us and to us — from economics to cancer/medical conditions to our careers. Simply by building your radar and awareness of stages, you can start to make more sense out of the noise and chaos.

Stage Models

Chrismon Nofsinger — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:29:31 +0000

Stage models are all around us:

stages of childhood,
stages of leadership,
stages of grief,
stages of a career,
stages of retirement,
stages of marriage,
stages of teams,
stages of organizations,
stages of spiritual growth,
even stages of falling in love.

Stage models provide roadmaps that lead us to a better understanding of our environment, ourselves, and others. Many authors, researchers and thinkers use the stage framework to explain and organize their ideas. Additionally, all of us naturally build and use stage models everyday, often attributing our own and others’ behavior to a “stage.”

Our forthcoming book STAGE INTELLIGENCE: Secrets of Happiness and Success is aimed at helping readers achieve a higher level of skill in understanding, identifying, and using stage models. We call this set of skills Stage Intelligence or SI. A higher level of SI helps increases insight and effectiveness across a broad spectrum of life’s opportunities and challenges.

Please take a moment to join the email list and add a comment. Thank you in advance for your support. We will be adding much more to our site in the near future. Stay Tuned!

Chrismon

Chrismon Nofsinger, Ph.D.
CEO
Nofsinger Group
cnofsinger@nofsingergroup.com
www.nofsingergroup.com