Integrity vibrates at a discernible frequency. So do dishonesty, faith, fear, dignity, money. Everything vibrates at its own special rate, allowing people and things to connect with each other. We may resonate comfortably to some people or things and not to others. Individuals who are particularly sensitive to energy or changes in energy are able to discern the quality of something or someone by its vibration.

The Frequency and Resonance of Integrity

We commonly talk about "the vibes" of a particular group or person. We also may talk about being comfortable or uncomfortable in a situation. Perhaps the comfort or discomfort is difficult to explain, we simply feel good or do not feel good. We may experience mood swings. We may feel uplifted or drained because we are talking with someone. These can be indications of our reactions to particular energy frequencies near us.

When I perform my work as an organizational consultant, I "tune in to" or perceive the frequency at which an organization is vibrating. This I perceive in conjunction with a variety of elements and dynamics. I may, for example, notice that at the top of the organization is a person of high integrity and that others throughout the organization have similar high integrity. I may notice that still others are not in alignment with the integrity at the top. Ordinarily, high integrity goes hand-in-hand with a strong vision, a clear mission, a sense of dignity, and specific accomplishments.

My "tuning in" is not based on facts that I am told or observe with my physical eyes. In truth, I often have very little information of a factual nature when I am performing my most facilitative services. Integrity in an organization is the relationship to the organization's vision, ways of treating its people, perspective on money, image to the public, etc. The energetics of integrity are determined vibrationally, by feel, by sensing, by intuition.

Organizations with High Aligned Integrity

An organization that has high aligned integrity is effective. Incidentally, an organization with low aligned integrity can also be effective, at least for a while. By "high aligned integrity" I mean that the high integrity from the top permeates the organization. The organization lines up with a solid core that can be perceived energetically, which requires a sensitivity to the invisible world.

The results of this high aligned integrity can be seen in the visible world. Observable results may include effective meetings, high productivity, healthy turnover, strong market position. While these are likely manifestations of high aligned integrity, by no means do these manifestations create integrity. Such manifestations can also be created without high aligned integrity. We must perceive beyond visible indicators to recognize the energy or the vibration of an organization in the process of manifesting or is likely to manifest.

It is essential to go deep enough into the core of the organization's energy to effect deep change. In other words, we have to go beyond the structure, beyond what is noticeable in the visible world. To be truly effective, we must go beyond the concrete to change the concrete.

Some individuals in organizations become suspect of that which they cannot see or touch or hear. This strikes me as rather paradoxical, since those same individuals operate constantly in the unseen world. Values and principles and beliefs and thoughts are all part of the unseen world. We see the manifestations of these, but not the values and principles and beliefs and thoughts themselves. Caring about people and not caring about people are part of the unseen world. Actions that indicate caring and not caring are visible, but the caring and noncaring themselves precede actions and are unseen.

Exercise for High Integrity

Here is a suggested exercise to help you sense the energy of high aligned integrity in individuals and organizations. First, think about a person whom you hold in high esteem, whom you feel has high integrity. Take a few minutes to list characteristics you associate with this individual. Consider how you would describe the energy that emanates from this person. Look at the actions this person takes. See how those actions line up with what you know about high integrity. Notice how it feels to you -- warm? comforting? straight? solid? Find the descriptions that fit.

When actions do not line up with words or with purpose or with intention, a person has misaligned or unaligned integrity. This, too, has a particular energetic that is as important to be able to discern as high aligned integrity. Remind yourself of someone you know whom you feel is unethical or of low integrity. With that person in your mind, what do the energetics feel like? What is the temperature? What do you hear in the energy field? What are the sensations?

When the energetics of integrity become clear to you by examining a few individuals whom you know, you can ascertain a new person's integrity instantly. But you must go deep into the energetics, otherwise you are likely to rely on superficial data, or opinions, or wishful thinking, or the like. The same principles and approaches and vibrations that you discern about individuals can be applied to organizations.

You may argue that all this is totally subjective. Surely, there is an element of subjectivity, because you are the one drawing the conclusion. However, truth resonates at a particular frequency — a decidedly different frequency from non-truth. At a deep level, we all know the difference. It is this deep knowingness that allows us to discern the energetics of integrity, not just in a single individual whom we know personally, but in all individuals; not just in a known organization, but in all organizations. The purpose of exploring the energetics is to dip into this deep knowingness and let its consciousness work for us.