Core Belief Research Explained by Saunders-McDermott Consulting

1. Core Belief Research
Explained

2. What Are Core Beliefs? (1)
• Core beliefs are deep seated beliefs that people
hold - about the world in which they live, work and
play
• Core Beliefs influence everything a person does -
from the type of house they buy, the job or career
they pursue, through to the life partner they choose
• Core Beliefs are developed over time - based on
regular interaction with family, friends, clients,
colleagues and other sources of information such as
the media, politicians, movies, television and the
internet

3. What Are Core Beliefs? (2)
The most notable thing about Core Beliefs
is that they cannot be easily changed –
what can be changed is the intensity with
which they are held
• This intensity can be reduced or increased
by the information that is shared with
people - and how this information is
communicated, received and processed

4. Different Types of Core Beliefs
From a stakeholder engagement perspective,
Core Beliefs fall into two types:
- There are people who disagree with a
client’s position because they hold anti-
positional core beliefs, and
- There are people who agree with a
client’s position because they hold pro-
positional core beliefs

5. Examples of Core Beliefs
Core Belief 1 - Smoking is Bad for a Person’s Health’
• This Core Belief is anti-positional for the smoking lobby and cigarette
manufacturers, but
• It’s pro-positional for the health lobby and a large proportion of the
general public who oppose smoking
Core Belief 2 - People Should Have the Freedom to Smoke if
They Want’
• This Core Belief is pro-positional to the smoking lobby and cigarette
manufacturers
• It is anti-positional to the health lobby and a large proportion of the
general public who oppose smoking

6. What is Core Belief Research?
• More recent research into Core Beliefs* has confirmed that people use nine
different processes - to form their Core Beliefs
• These processes are dependent on a number of factors - including people’s
individual personalities as well as how they react emotionally / logically to specific
situations or events, particularly when faced with the stress of having to deal with
‘change’
• What this means is that how a person responds to the emotional stress
associated with making a decision will tend to follow a specific pattern - each and
every time a person has to deal with ‘change’ of any kind
• These behavioural patterns can be tracked over time – to identify the key
characteristics and thus the ‘personality profile’ of the person
• Once a person’s personality profile has been identified, this enables their core
beliefs to be confirmed - and their future behaviour / response to specific issues
or other matters accurately predicted
* Core Beliefs, Harnessing the Power by Peter Burow, Copernicus Publishing

7. Example of Core Belief Research (1)
• The Core Belief profiling system
comprises 9 different profiles
• These profiles each have distinct
and fundamentally different patterns
- in terms of how they think, feel and
act
• Each of these profiles also likes to
receive and process information - in
very different ways
• What this means is that each profile
will pay attention to and direct their
energy very differently
• This is because each profile group
has different ‘core beliefs’ - about
what they need to survive in life for
survival and achieve satisfaction

8. Example of Core Belief Research (2)
The focus of the 9 different Core Belief Profiles include:
• Profile 1 – focused on social integrity
• Profile 2 – focused on satisfying the needs of others
• Profile 3 – focused on achieving results
• Profile 4 – focused on being better than the rest, an elitist
• Profile 5 – focused on analysing all available information, information is power
• Profile 6 – focused on fear but also fiercely loyal, driven by caution
• Profile 7 – focused on opportunities, adventure and creativity
• Profile 8 – focused on achieving all of nothing
• Profile 9 – the passive type who doesn’t want to get involved, but watch out for
the passive aggression if you push them too hard

9. Effective Use of Core Belief Data (1)
• Core belief data can also be used to track
the movement of stakeholders - through
the four phases of change
• Core belief research will identify what %
of your stakeholders are in which
quadrant - at a specific point in time –
• Their movement through the four phases
can then be tracked over time - as a way
of measuring the effectiveness of your
engagement and communication activities
• This kind of research can have a major
impact - on the overall success of your
investment in stakeholder engagement
and public participation programs

10. Effective Use of Core Belief Data (2)
• During periods of change, the aim is to move as
many stakeholders as possible into the
reasoning/acceptance quadrants - thus reducing
the emotions of anger or denial
• By not knowing which of the four states of
change stakeholders are in – it becomes
extremely difficult to develop and implement a
successful engagement, consultation and
information program