Dimensions of Sofi

Sofi can seem overwhelming but it helps integrate five critical dimensions of our lives.

People vertically down the middle. From the organization down to the interaction with customers or clients.

Time from the far future, "Then" to the present, "Now".

Space and Distance from "Far" to 'Near". And finally Method, "How" to use tools and effect "What".

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We find that we are often at odds not because we actually disagree, but because we are thinking about different things when we talk. One of us is talking about now or short-term and the other is talking about then or long-term. One is talking about near to us and the other is considering a greater distance from here. One is considering how we do our work and the other is referencing what the effect of our work is. One may be focused on our group while the other is thinking about stakeholders beyond our group. When these differences in imagined situatedness are recognized the discussions make more sense to both discussants. At least we know that we are talking about the same thing. Whether or not we can agree on what is real or what will happen or what we should do or should have done is an entirely different matter--but such considerations are on a firmer footing when we can locate ourselves in these conversational spaces and dimensions.

In institutional settings I find the VSM and Sofi framing to be very useful.