Dilts Pyramid
Aim
Dilts pyramid is a concept useful for mentorship and career/life orientation. It helps an individual to understand the connection between different levels.
Description
TARGET GROUP
Teenagers and young adults
TIME NEEDED
1,5 hours
Dilts pyramid is a concept that consists of six levels of human personality that are interconnected in two directions. Levels are:
The lower level determines the higher. For example, the environment in which an individual grows up determines his/her behaviour. His/her behaviour (habits) determines his/her abilities. His/her abilities determine his/her values or beliefs.
From a higher level, it is possible to influence a lower one. For example, when an individual changes his perception of his/her own identity, he/she consequently also change some of his/her beliefs. Another example is when an individual changes his/her belief, his/her own habits are also changed as well.
Two important uses of the tool/concept in career orientation:
- Talking about topics such as (professional) identity and personal mission is usually very demanding for young people and adults. However, when we climb up the levels along the Dilts pyramid, the conversation about these topics seems only as a gradual upgrade of the previous level(s).
- Dilts pyramid helps an individual to understand the connection between different levels. In adolescents, we often observe a gap between the ideals embodied by its mission and the concrete actions embodied by behaviour. The tool clearly shows the system according to which these two categories are interdependent.
