Elliot Jacques - Levels of Work

In Short

Match people to roles by cognitive complexity and time-horizon
Best for: Stratified systems theory / requisite organisation
Elliot Jacques - Levels of Work is a structured tool for coaching and facilitation. Match people to roles by cognitive complexity and time-horizon. It provides a repeatable framework that can be adapted to individual, team, and leadership development contexts.
Type of tool: Stratified systems theory / requisite organisation
Expected outcomes:
- Improved ability to match people to roles by cognitive complexity and time-horizon
- A concrete action or development plan to take forward from the Elliot Jacques - Levels of Work process

In Detail

Elliot Jacques - Levels of Work is a structured framework designed to help coaches, leaders, and facilitators match people to roles by cognitive complexity and time-horizon. It sits within the category of Stratified systems theory / requisite organisation, making it particularly useful for practitioners working on capability development, team performance, and individual growth in organisational settings.

In practice, Elliot Jacques - Levels of Work is delivered as a 4-step process. The process begins by map complexity levels: Stratum I (direct action, up to 3 months), Stratum II (diagnostic, 3-12 months), Stratum III (mut. The session closes by use to inform role design, promotions, and development planning. The structured approach ensures that participants move through a consistent experience while leaving room for the facilitator to adapt pacing and depth to the group's needs.

Elliot Jacques - Levels of Work provides a shared vocabulary that persists beyond the session itself. When team members reference the same model in day-to-day work, coaching outcomes become embedded in practice rather than remaining as isolated insights from a single workshop.

How to Use

Elliot Jaques' Requisite Organisation.

Map complexity levels: Stratum I (direct action, up to 3 months), Stratum II (diagnostic, 3-12 months), Stratum III (mutual recognition, 1-2 years), Stratum IV (situational, 2-5 years), Strata V-VII (strategic shaping, 5-50 years).
Assess what level of complexity the individual operates at vs what their role requires.
Identify whether the person is working below (frustrated) or above (overwhelmed) their natural level.
Use to inform role design, promotions, and development planning.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Provides a shared vocabulary that persists after the session and supports ongoing conversations Structured approach ensures consistent application across different cohorts and contexts Directly addresses the challenge of match people to roles by cognitive complexity and time-horizon through a proven conceptual structure	Risk of over-applying the model — not all situations fit neatly into any single framework Conceptual frameworks require skilled facilitation to connect theory to participants' actual work Some models have limited research evidence; practitioners should be transparent about this

Created by Elliott Jaques

When to Use

This tool is suited to the following coaching and facilitation contexts:

Context	Relevant
Individual Coaching	✓
Team Coaching	✓
Leadership Development	✓
Facilitation / Workshop
Online / Virtual

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