How it works

Compilar is a fundamental baseline for people's behaviour in groups, worth learning in conjunction with other techniques listed below. Especially if you find other people's social behaviour intrinsically confusing.

Engagement is Key

Compilar is founded on the concept of engagement (and disengagement). Engagement is the effort we wish to make in a social situation. Emotional investment, time, intellectual effort. We need to be selective because there may be other things we can devote ourselves to, that might be more rewarding or useful.

People regulate their engagement in predictable ways. Compilar sets out what those factors are. Understanding what makes people engage and disengage will help you to understand and predict their behaviour.

Preferences - The Two Modes

Compilar recognises that people coordinate in two fundamentally different modes:

Egalitarian mode relies on shared purpose, mutual respect, and distributed authority. It works when there is complexity and uncertainty, and there is time to consider options.

Hierarchical mode relies on formal power, clear accountability, and individual incentives. It works when speed and clarity are essential.

Groups are successful (and their members fully engaged) when their mode aligns with

• Requirements for decision-making speed and complexity
• Group member preferences
• Leadership style
• Organisational structure

Compilar focuses on universal predictors (Pillars) that modulate each person’s engagement, and:

• The instinctive behaviours (Forces) that each Pillar generates
• The relative importance (preference) that people place on some Pillars versus others
• When individual preferences clash with other members of the group
• When individual preferences clash with organisational structure
• When individual preferences clash with a leader's style

Five Matched Pairs of Pillars

The two modes are represented by five pairs of matched Pillars, designated by the acronym PILAR (Egalitarian Pillar vs Hierarchical Pillar):

Prospects: Outcomes for oneself and the group (Group Prospects vs Own Prospects)

Involved: How help and support are exchanged (Indirect Reciprocity vs Direct Reciprocity)

Liking: Do colleagues and superiors like you? (Popularity vs Status)

Agency: Are you able to speak your mind? (Diverse Expression vs Normative Expression)

Respect: Perceptions of trustworthiness and competence (Outgoing Respect vs Incoming Respect)

Understanding how PILAR operates in each mode reveals how individual preferences drive behaviour and their engagement.

Noting there is a continuum in people’s preferences, which gives the full name of the theory: Compilar.

What Its Not

Compilar is not the entirety of social behaviour, its just a baseline.

It does not include (but may in future be extended into - please check the blog):

• Influencing people (including sales techniques, empathic communication)
• Conversational techniques (including small talk)
• Interpersonal connection (including friendship and romance)
• Professional communication
• Social reputation (blog entry)
• Diversity and cultural awareness
• Personality profiles