Spherit Case Studies

Now you can see what’s really going on in your company — stat!

Now you can bring your team together on the same page on the same day

for an instant company analysis.

Now management and staff can be on the same page for effective,

productive engagement.

The StataSphere is a patented tool and process that provides companies

with a new way to navigate their way in a complex world.

This emergency management technology is designed to triage the

condition of an organization. It ignites collaboration, inspires innovation

and unleashes strengths, resources and strategies.

The StataSphere makes the complex comprehensible. And it does so on

one single page on a single day.

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn ........................................................................................................................................ 11

SSyysstteemm OOvveerrvviieeww ...................................................................................................................... 22

UUnnddeerrssttaannddiinngg SSpphheerree--CChhaarrttss .......................................................................... 44

CCaassee SSttuuddiieess

Study #1 – Housing Construction ......................... 6

Study #2 – Media Production ............................... 8

Study #3 – Hospitality ......................................... 10

Study #4 – The Sphere of Milwaukee ................. 12

Mergers and Acquisitions ................................... 14

HHooww iitt wwoorrkkss .................................................................................................................................... 1166

CCoonncclluussiioonn ........................................................................................................................................ 1188

Contact:

Phil Lawson

720-371-0002

Colorado, USA

a product of

Copyright 2009 Spherit Inc All Rights Reserved - www.Spherit.com

Copyright 2009 – Spherit Inc – www.Spherit.com page 1

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn

It is safe to say that many companies today are in crisis. Some are in a state of limbo, others a state of complete emergency.

The situation can be likened to the state of emergency a person faces during a health crisis—when they are experiencing inexplicable pain. When that occurs, they are motivated to take immediate action, to discover the source of the discomfort and seek appropriate help. It most often entails a trip to a hospital emergency room where medical staff can triage the situation—stat (immediately).

The same thing is happening within companies today. Pain is manifest in changing market conditions, financial uncertainty and confusion over response, survival and recovery. But before now, there was no swift and effective triage system available.

Spherit Inc has developed The StataSphere Emergency Management Technology (process and patented online visualization tool) that is designed especially to meet this need for companies. Today’s turbulent business market is creating challenges and stresses for company employees and management teams. Collectively, organizations can be overwhelmed, confused, disrupted and immobilized.

When a company is in distress, how can it quickly be evaluated? How can senior management and staff know what is really going on? More importantly, how can individual and collective strengths, assets and resources, be identified and leveraged to address the challenges they face?

Get on the same page

The first challenge is to get everyone on the same page.

The Spherit system offers a real time visualization model that reflects the perspectives of a group or individual—views of the experiences unfolding. The goal is to identify all the issues—show how they interconnect and how they are collectively shaping the current situation. The objective is to ignite collaboration, inspire innovation and unleash already existing capabilities. The byproduct is the elimination of fear, confusion and immobilization.

Leaders of organizations must know sales, cash flow, competition, inventory, technology and best business practices. But above all, it is vital to comprehend and factor in the motivations/perspectives of management and staff. It is essential for everyone to be on the same page. Only then, can the organization design and implement an effective engagement plan to move forward.

Now this is possible to do almost instantly—as efficiently as the process of triage in an emergency room—with the Spherit system.

For example, using a standard StataSphere* your entire senior staff or any group of employees can participate from anywhere in the world. It takes about 10 minutes. No preparation is required. First thing in the morning they simply go online and answer a short series of questions (using a number from 1 to 9). By lunchtime you and your team are on the same page evaluating the visualization model of your company. The review process can take less than an hour and is usually done in an online web meeting with Spherit personnel (or those certified in the process).

*The StataSphere can also be customized, at your request, for specific applications.


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The Spherit system is based on scientific discoveries made in the 20th/21st century regarding complex adaptive systems. It is in step with the times. The Spherit system is a reflection/reflective tool that reveals what an individual or group of people perceive to be reality—perceptions that actually drive the decision-making process of that person or group.

The insights are revealed on a sphere-chart display. Questions are based on comprehensive industry-related research/data, customized by professionals and related personnel in each field. Participants rate the answers, in most instances, by scale. There is no right or wrong answers. The data reveals the perceptions of the user(s).

This display serves two very important purposes: 1.) It shows all relevant data on one single page. 2.) Seeing the data in that form, as it interrelates, allows the viewer(s) to process the information in both hemispheres of the brain. It allows them to “connect the dots,” instantly and efficiently.

The Spherit approach is different from assessments, which can be limiting in information-delivery, and time-consuming to review and comprehend. Assessments are based on 17th century science, i.e. mechanistic reductionism—an approach that equates humans to machines and separates their lives and companies into parts for analysis and problem-solving.

To brand the Spherit process and technology tool as something entirely different than assessments, we have called them “reflectments” to clarify the reflection/reflective nature of the system.

Reflectments are designed to help individuals and organizations to function completely—to comprehend all relevancies as they appear/unfold. It is a teaching device that assists the end-user to let go of outdated sequential/assembly line views of life and business. It allows the end-user to embrace the interconnected, self-organizing reality in which we live and work. It allows us to function in the “now.” It enables us to observe and respond to urgent circumstances, immediately—in other words, “cut to the chase.”

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The sphere-chart reflectment-style display is one of a kind and it is patented. There is no other approach that shows the shape or condition of a complex adaptive system—especially for practical, everyday use. The shape of an organization or individual is visualized in real-time on a sphere-chart. The process and technology tool are designed to facilitate a systems approach to one’s activities. It encourages individuals and groups to adapt, respond and thrive in the midst of discontinuous change.

Sphere-charts can awaken within us the ability to navigate new terrain—a valuable skill today when one small change can shift an entire system (business) and a big change can be catastrophic. (Complex adaptive systems can include companies, relationships, etc.)

The Spherit system is based on the science of complex non-linear causality. It enables us to break free of linear cause and effect beliefs and sets the stage for quantum leaps in understanding. It provides clarity to see and seize the most rewarding opportunities and actions.

It is also based on neuroscience. The sphere-chart display facilitates bihemispherical integration of the right and left brain. It engages the “whole” person. (In a company, the sphere-chart engages all stakeholder/ participants by providing a phase-state-snapshot of the situation).


To further explain the neuroscience … the left brain processes language and numbers in a logical, linear categorization method, whereas the right brain spontaneously processes information spatially, by seeing patterns and connections and responding to those creatively. When a person is aided to integrate words, numbers and shapes in a cohesive manner, by means of one single sphere-chart, that individual or group is now able to see the big picture. The sphere-chart helps them to easily identify patterns, trends and matches and gaps in view. The participants then give meaning to the sphere-chart data. Each sphere-chart tells its own story.

The sphere-chart display literally brings people together on the same page. It integrates thoughts and actions. As a reflective tool, as opposed to an analytic tool, it engages participants. (To track organizational changes, sphere-charts can be taken multiple times to observe how the organization shifts over time—over a few days, weeks or months. Results can be viewed by a variety of sub-group overlays, which can include title/position; department; education; tenure, etc.—all customizable.)

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It is important to clarify at this point that sphere-charts do not reflect a “mean” or a “norm.” That reality might be hard to comprehend, at first glance, because we have been taught that systems are comparable and therefore controllable. But, in reality, complex adaptive systems are not controllable and never have been. And that requires an un-mechanistic mindset to grasp.

The Spherit system is designed to recognize the uniqueness of each organization or individual and it graphically displays that uniqueness. The system is much like a person standing in front of a mirror. A mirror image provides no outside comparisons. It only reveals the person reflected in the mirror. The mirror does not judge. It does not tell you that you are too heavy or too thin, or that your clothing is fashionable or unstylish. You give meaning to your reflection. Your perceptions define you. And, it is important to remember here, that decisions are made on one’s perceptions. Inaccurate or biased perceptions will lead to inaccurate or biased decisions—which is not often the most productive route.

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The Spherit system renders obsolete the mechanistic (Industrial Age) mindset that trained us to look for the “broken parts” of a human or organization and then “fix” those “parts” in order to succeed.

The Spherit system enables a person or company to flex and adapt—swiftly and efficiently—to life’s

complexities and uncertainties. It helps us to accurately identify strengths, skills and potential. It helps

us navigate our way.


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Below is a legend showing how to read the information displayed on a sphere-chart.

A sphere-chart is a reflection of the participant’s perspectives. It is not an analytic assessment. There is

no judgment. There is no right or wrong answer. There is no good or bad position for a node, good is

not a 9, bad is not a 1 or visa-versa.

Participants are asked to answer questions with a simple low/high 1-9 response. If, for example, the

participant feels communication in the company is very strong they may rate this at 9. If they feel that

stress on the job is high they may rate this also a 9. Strong communication at a 9 is desirable; stress at a

9 is not desirable. Conversely, they could rate competition low at a 1, in this instance a potentially

desirable response.

As discussed in the overview, the sphere-chart is like an electronic mirror, reflecting the shape of the

company. Meaning is given by the participants in discussion of the sphere-chart.

A sphere-chart conveys its insights by shape, trends, matches/gaps and nodal position (see next page).


Shape: Instantly shows the overall condition of the organization—strong and confident; timid and in

turmoil—and overlays provide insights into the harmonics or discordance in views within the

organization.

Trends: High, low or mid-range provide insights into the overall temperament of participants.

Matches and gaps: Responses by different participants or groups reveals areas of shared or similar

views (potential strengths) and areas where perspectives differ (opportunities for vital discourse).

Patterns: The connection between various nodes highlights consistency or inconsistency in responses,

which can indicate the degree of self-awareness and/or openness in participants.

Nodes: Individual node positions provide specific details on the perspectives of a single factor or issue.

Shape has meaning

Patterns of connections

Trends

Node position provides details

High

Low

Mid-range Matches and gaps

in perspectives

Gaps

Matches


SSttuuddyy ##11 –– HHoouussiinngg CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn

This company did construction work on more than 10,000 houses a year.

In a briefing by the CEO, he stated that 70% to 80% of all the problems he had in the company were the

result of the “project superintendents.” He wanted to replace most of them and reorganize the

company.

Having experienced the value of a custom sphere reflectment previously, he commissioned a new

custom reflectment to evaluate the organization before making his proposed changes.

All members of his senior staff participated. The results are shown below.

The superintendents, who are the yellow plot overlay, did not stand out with any significant issues. You

can see they self-rated themselves a bit lower in understanding the company strategy and corporate

finances. But understanding the company strategy was not required to do their jobs effectively.

However, another group did stand out. It was identifiable that they had some very different

perspectives from the rest of the organization. This department was represented by blue plot overlay.


The blue plot overlay was the customer service department.

In a 20 minute web meeting the organization’s reflectment sphere-chart was reviewed with the CEO. It

was pointed out that there was nothing indicating serious problems with the superintendents, at least

nothing that would indicate they were responsible for 70% to 80% of the problems the company was

experiencing.

When the blue plot overlay of the

customer service department was

reviewed the CEO sighed. He said

that he knew that there was

something going on with the

department but that he liked some

of the people. He did not want to

confront them and risk his personal

relationships.

As seen to the right, the customer

service department did not feel

that they were supported in their

activities. They rated much lower than all other departments in job satisfaction, being appreciated,

growth opportunities, recognition, rewards and pay. They also rated the company’s ethics significantly

lower.

After seeing the sphere-chart the CEO took corrective action with the customer service department.

The company realized significantly increased profits the next year even though experiencing a decrease

in revenues.

A series of additional custom reflectments were

created for this client to evaluate the specific job

functions and performance of the superintendents.

A customer satisfaction sphere reflectment was

created and administered with all major clients.

Overall, as seen above, clients were quite satisfied.

But as seen to the left they were able to quickly

identify clients that needed some extra attention.

Changes were made in accord to the findings.


SSttuuddyy ##22 –– MMeeddiiaa PPrroodduuccttiioonn CCoommppaannyy

This privately held company had revenues in excess of $100m annually. When we were contacted they

had experienced their first decrease in revenues since they had been founded.

The EVP was concerned and commissioned a custom reflectment. All senior management participated

except the CEO. The plot overlays below are broken out by department.

What visually jumps out, in looking at this sphere-chart, is the lack of agreement in the perspectives of

the senior management staff.

There was no agreement on what the strategy was or the effectiveness of the strategy in the current

market, as seen in the first sector. While trending a bit similar in operations (3 o’clock position) there is

significant diversity in views with regards to training and reviews (4 o’clock position).

Telling is the high level of agreement on the low rating of communication from the executive team (the

first node in the Connect sector).

Additionally, there are significant gaps in view on the company’s openness to suggestions and staff

support (5 o’clock position); staff appreciation and growth opportunities (7 o’clock position) and

whether line management had the authority and resources to do their jobs (10 – 11 o’clock position).


Even more insights are

gained when we turn on

the executive blue plot

overlay (this did not

include the CEO).

#1.) We see the

executives trending

lower than the overall

management team in

perceptions of

operational activities

#2.) Higher in disaster

plan–if there really is

one it is not known by

the rest of the team.

There are significant gaps between the executives and management staff in views on how well the

company is anticipating and meeting customer needs and expectations (#3). Additional gaps are seen in

how well the company is providing a quality product that has real value for customers. There are other

gaps in views as well including moral and employee recognition (#4).

Conclusion

The CEO was the founder of the company. After the sphere-chart was reviewed he admitted that he

made up the company strategy on the fly. And he was not prone to share the strategy. We see the

impact of this in the confusion about the strategy by the senior team and the low rating in executive

communication. These insights are supported by the overall discordant views seen on the sphere-chart.

While not micromanaging day-to-day operations, the CEO controlled all financial decisions by means of

his long-time support person who was in charge of finance. This person’s arbitrary control of company

finances frustrated the management team and in their view thwarted their ability to do their jobs

properly.

Adding to the deteriorating situation was the fact that the industry they were in, and had dominated for

many years, was in major transition with new large, well-funded competitors.

The CEO sold the company a few months later.

As is the case in many organizations there was a sense by the EVP and general management staff that something

was not right in the company – but there was no consensus on what the actual situation was. They all knew sales

were down and competition was up, but beyond that fact there was no shared understanding of the situation or of

what action was required. The reflectment sphere-chart gave voice to the views and concerns of the management

team. They could finally see their individual and collective views.


SSttuuddyy ##33 -- HHoossppiittaalliittyy

As a sophisticated upscale hospitality group, with multiple properties, this client put great emphasis on

customer relations and assuring that guests have a wonderful experience.

To this end, the company conducts annual internal surveys in which staff members rate each

department. Traditionally, they had used assessments that spit out a simple numerical result, i.e. a 7.8

or other singular number evaluation.

When they used the spherical approach to accomplish this they found that:

Sphere-charts were much faster and less disruptive to the staff and operations. All staff members from

19 departments and facilities participated. It provided more than 700 spherical views into the inter-

workings and interrelationships between all departments.

The Sphere-charts revealed previously unseen opportunities to improve operations further enhancing

the client experience. Many of the departments and facilities were in excellent shape, as seen in the

sphere-charts below. But there were surprises as seen on facility sphere-charts on the following page.

This sphere-chart

shows the gender

plots, male and

female for this

department.

There is strong

harmonics in their

views.

When the same department was

viewed by the number of years of

employee tenure, we still see strong

agreement by the various groups.

Compare this facility’s sphere-charts

to the ones on the next page.


While overall the departments were in good shape they were quickly able to identify a facility that was

not following the trend.

After reviewing this sphere-chart with the senior staff they acknowledged that they felt there were

some issues with this facility. But the graphic display of the sphere-chart instantly brought home the

severity of the issues. It gave voice to what they had felt but had been unable to verbalize.

As seen below, the issues identified in these sphere-charts go beyond simply assuring a high level of

customer satisfaction.

This sphere-chart shows

the gender plots, male and

female for this facility.

Blue is male, green is

female. There are very

significant gaps in their

views.

The sphere-chart shows an

area of concern not

previously recognized that

requires immediate

attention.

Confirming that there are

serious issues at this

facility is this sphere-chart

showing the staff overlay

ratings when broken out

by years of tenure with

the facility.


SSttuuddyy ##44 –– TThhee SSpphheerree ooff MMiillwwaauukkeeee

This project was one of the initial activities of a local nonprofit organization to aid in a “revitalization” of

the economically depressed city of Milwaukee. Funding came from Peter Buffet’s NoVo Foundation.

The objective was to use a local public radio station to initiate dialogue with citizens/listeners and create

a shared sense of community. One of the first activities was to ascertain how residents viewed local

government; the economics of the city; social conditions, issues of race, education, law enforcement,

and quality of life.

The media/research company which directed implementation of the citywide spherical reflectment was

highly pleased with the number of participants which reached 940. This project proved to be the basis

for a community initiative called Unified Milwaukee.

Overall, citizens rated government and economics low. Community resources are also low but non-profit

and faith orgs were helping. Incarceration rates, gang impact, crime were high. Diversity was valued

high, though opportunities for people of color were low. Education was about a 5 (mid-range) but,

regarding the overall quality of life, participants as a group felt it was a good place to live and had strong

pride in the city (see last node).

Normally, we do not spend much time on the aggregate plot. In this case the aggregate is important

because of strong harmonics seen in the gender, age, race, economic, educational and faith overlays.


The most fascinating finding during this project in Milwaukee was the extraordinary level of agreement

among citizens. The results were shocking to many. Prior to seeing the results of the reflectment, it was

believed that the various groups would perceive the city radically, differently. That was not the case.

The details are not important here. Simply notice the visual trends and the high level of harmonics seen

in the shared perspectives by all groups demonstrated by the group overlays. We see no differences in

views by men and women. There is no generation gap in perspectives about the city. Education did not

alter their views. Neither did race or faith. The findings were amazing.

Residents could see that they agreed on matters and could focus their activities on what to do from a

collaborative perspective and not a divergent one. In other words, it took the “fight” out of the process.

Men and women agree Races trend similar

No generation gap from 18 to 65

Education didn’t make a difference

Income trends from under 10k to 100k

Faith or lack of faith didn’t impact views

No generation gap in views from 18 to 65

Poor or rich – from 10k to 100k yr income


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Many mergers and acquisitions fail to meet expectations. The anticipated synergies may have all

sounded good and made logical sense. The numbers could have worked great when discussed in the

boardroom. The two companies complimented each other in their markets.

But companies are people. Success in a merger depends largely on ‘soft’ issues, people issues—difficult

issues to quickly and accurately evaluate.

The sphere-chart below is an example of how two companies considering a merger or acquisition can

quickly see how the staff of each views their organization (the overlays on the sphere-chart below are of

real companies but they were not considering a merger or acquisition – this is only an example).

At a glance the plot overlays of these two companies appears to be somewhat similar. In the vast

majority of areas the staffs of both companies rate their respective company above a 5. The trends in

both companies appear to be somewhat parallel.

Should they merge? The key to answering that question is the recognition that the real insights about

the two companies are found in the patterns throughout their responses, not an individual issue.


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On the sphere-chart below are circled seven areas of gaps in the views of the staff of the two companies

about their respective company.

Significant gaps in the staffs’ understanding of and belief in their company’s strategy (#1) suggests very

different management approaches and staff views of management. These differences are given

additional support in (#2) the difference in training and the gap in disaster planning. One of the largest

gaps between the staff of the two companies is in executive and management communication in (#3).

The red company staff feels suggestions are not listened to near as well as the blue company staff and

they don’t get as strong of support as seen in (#4).

This trend continues in (#5) with red giving lower ratings for being appreciated, feeling less growth

opportunities, morale is lower, recognition is less, rewards are less and pay is not felt to be appropriate.

In (#6) the staff of red feels the company’s ethics are lower than blue. Finally in (#7) red rates having the

authority and resources needed to do their job as lower. The staff of red also feels the company is not as

flexible or as adaptable and that the appropriateness and timeliness of responses are lower.

In minutes, executive management of both organizations has access to vital information—invaluable

data for decision-making during a merger proposition and what actions would be required to succeed.


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The StataSphere Emergency Management Technology is designed for real time evaluation and analysis

of the shape/condition of an organization. Results are displayed graphically on a patented, single page

sphere-chart. StataSphere projects are usually concluded in 24 hours or less.

The StataSphere ( a product of Spherit Inc) provides unparalleled insights into the status of an

organization and shows why it is in its current shape. To put the tool in context, it has the speed and

pricing of McDonalds but the value of Whole Foods Market.

Implementation of the base StataSphere is a three-step process:

Step 1 - After contracting for the project, a private web site is set up by Spherit Inc. The url for this web

site is given to the client/organization who then distributes the web address to all participants.

Step 2 - Participants complete the online questionnaire (less than 15 min) by the designated deadline.

Step 3 - Review of the organizations' StataSphere is conducted online via a web meeting. All parties in

the review process are given a private, secure url and phone conference number for their

participation in the review. From the information uncovered during the collaborative process,

those involved can craft a response plan that engages all participants.

The Spherical Review

The Spherit system is designed to recognize the uniqueness of each organization and graphically display

that uniqueness. Foundational to the concepts of the spherical approach, the participants give meaning

to each StataSphere.

The StataSphere is a reflection of the views/perceptions of all participants. The review process elicits

meaning from the participants as they see, for the first time, details about their organization displayed

as an interconnected whole.

The online review of the organization's StataSphere is usually completed in one hour or less.

Spherit personnel (guides) do not participate in voting and they make no judgments. There is no right or

wrong answers. The organization is not compared to a “mean” or a “norm.” The spherical review

process reveals insights in the resulting shape, trends, patterns, relationships, matches/gaps and specific

responses as seen in the overlays of StataSphere participants. Overlays are created by title, department,

age, gender, education, tenure, industry experience and location, etc.

Follow Up Activities

All parties involved can quickly and easily learn how to read a StataSphere. This allows them to become

true collaborators in developing and implementing response activities.


Organizations can contract to take the StataSphere multiple times. When participants are able to "see"

the shape of their organization change, flex and adapt, over the course of a few days, weeks, or months,

it provides them with a greater level of commitment in their response activities.

Spherit guides are not consultants who will tell organizations what to do or how to do it, but they can be

retained to further educate and support an organization as it fully implements a complex adaptive

systems approach to business management.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a core aspect of the StataSphere. The responses of individual participants will at all

times remain confidential unless permission to reveal their identity is granted by the participant or

unless they agree to non-confidentiality prior to taking the StataSphere. (While reasonable efforts are

made to ensure confidentiality, it cannot be assured in organizations or departments of 5 or less

individuals if individual overlays are viewed.)

Question modifications or additions

Group overlays are created from participants answers to a short series of demographic questions when

they complete the StataSphere. The specific designation in title/position, departments and location can

be customized as needed.

The StataSphere questions have been carefully designed to cover the vast majority of issues

organizations commonly face.

The wording of questions can be modified if desired at additional costs. Minor wording modifications (5

questions or less) can be made and the StataSphere deployed the same day. No questions can be

deleted.

Additions of up to 5 questions requires at least 1/2 day to implement.

Modifications or additions of more than 5 questions is a customization project requiring a quote for

costs and timing.


TTiimmiinngg iiss eevveerryytthhiinngg ......

As mentioned earlier in this document, the mechanistic/reductionism view that ushered in the Industrial Age and permeated our lives, jobs and management approaches throughout the 20th Century is now obsolete. Today, complex adaptive systems, chaos theory, complexity, self-organization and quantum reality define our world. We live in a world of systemic integrationism and we must act accordingly.

It is a world in which advances in technology or a single act of terrorism can change things overnight—a globally interconnected economy that shifts at unprecedented scale and speed requiring swift unparalleled responses.

Words like "predictability" and "stability" have been replaced with "flexibility," "adaptability" and "responsiveness." To thrive in unpredictable times we must be fully informed in our personal lives, organizations and activities. We must be fully engaged. We must see the forest and the trees. We must see the whole picture.

And we must do it stat!

Spherit Case Studies

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