A Personal Guide to the Six Stages Framework: Finding Your Place and Your Path: How to Respond When Someone Says, I don’t See Colour.
Welcome. This guide is for anyone who has ever found themselves in one of those quiet, confusing moments where bias or exclusion shows up, leaving you thinking: “Did that really just happen? Am I overreacting?”
This guide introduces Dr. Shungu Hilda M’gadzah’s Six Stages Framework, a powerful tool for understanding where we stand on issues of equity and inclusion. It is crucial to see this framework not as a scorecard for judgment or a way to label others, but as a non-judgmental map. It helps us understand our own position, recognize the positions of others, and see the terrain of this complex journey more clearly.
The core purpose of this guide is to help you honestly locate yourself on this continuum and identify a single, manageable step forward—what Dr. M’gadzah calls a “realistic +1 shift.” It’s about progress, not perfection.
The Six Stages Framework is a diagnostic and navigational tool that moves us away from binary labels like “racist” or “not racist.” It creates a continuum that allows for self-assessment without shame, helping us see where we are and what a realistic next step could be.
Let’s explore the three key zones of this map to better understand the landscape of equity and inclusion.
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2. Understanding the Continuum: The Three Key Zones
The framework organizes 13 distinct stages across a continuum. This continuum is made up of a negative axis (representing resistance), a central pivot point (representing initial awareness), and a positive axis (representing growth and action).
2.1 The Negative Axis: Resistance, Denial & Harm (Stages -6 to -1)
This side of the continuum represents increasing resistance, denial, and harm. These stages are often rooted not in overt malice, but in a desire to avoid discomfort, protect a positive self-image as a “good person,” and prioritize “harmony and niceness” over “truth and specificity.”
The continuum begins at its most harmful point:
Stage -6: Extremist Leadership
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I am justified in using power and harm to protect ‘my group’ and attack others.” | Openly promotes hate, supremacy, or extremist ideologies. Organises or leads groups that target marginalised people. Justifies violence, dehumanisation, or removal of rights. |
Stage -5: Organised Hate / Violent Follower
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “People like them are a threat. I’m willing to support or participate in harm.” | Actively participates in hate groups, harassment, or targeted abuse. Spreads extremist content, conspiracy theories, and dehumanising narratives. Sees violence or intimidation as a legitimate tool. |
Stage -4: Overt Bigotry & Active Harm
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “It’s acceptable to openly discriminate. That’s just how things are.” | Openly uses slurs, stereotypes, and discriminatory language. Blocks access and opportunities deliberately (“people like you don’t belong here”). Feels little or no remorse for causing harm. |
Stage -3: Defensive Prejudice
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I’m just being honest. You’re too sensitive.” | Defends stereotypes as ‘common sense’ or ‘truth’. Reacts angrily to being challenged (“witch hunt”, “cancel culture”). Uses “free speech” to justify prejudice. |
Stage -2: Denial, Colourblindness & Fragility
This stage is pivotal because it often presents as fair-mindedness while actively blocking progress. Though the intentionmay be to signal fairness with phrases like “I don’t see colour,” the impact is to erase the lived reality of racism and other forms of inequality. This stage sits on the negative axis because it makes it impossible to address systemic issues. As Dr. M’gadzah explains, the logic is simple: if you ‘don’t see’ race, you can’t see racism.
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I don’t see colour / gender / difference. We’re all just human.” | Minimises or denies systemic inequality (“everyone has the same chances”). Says things like “why does everything have to be about race?” Becomes quickly tearful, angry, or withdrawn when inequity is named. |
Stage -1: Unaware, Disengaged, or Confused
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I’ve never really thought about this. It doesn’t affect me.” | Little awareness of equity or inclusion issues. Sees these topics as “niche” or “for HR/DEI people only”. May feel vaguely uneasy, but avoids engaging. |
2.2 The Pivot Point: Cautious Awareness (Stage 0)
This is the critical turning point where awareness begins to dawn, but action is often held back by fear, uncertainty, or a lack of vocabulary. People at this stage are often worried about “saying the wrong thing.”
The journey toward awareness begins here:
Stage 0: Cautious Awareness / On the Fence
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I’m starting to see that there’s a problem… but I don’t know what to do.” | Aware that discrimination exists, especially after events or stories. Worried about “saying the wrong thing” or being labelled. May intellectually agree with equity language but stay silent in practice. |
2.3 The Positive Axis: Awareness, Courage & Leadership (Stages +1 to +6)
This side of the continuum represents a journey of increasing awareness, courage, empathy, and a commitment to creating systemic change.
From this point, growth becomes more intentional:
Stage +1: Curious & Reflective (But Inconsistent)
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I want to understand this better and reflect on my own biases.” | Actively seeks out books, podcasts, training, and diverse voices. Starts to notice their own assumptions and blind spots. Shows empathy in some areas but may still miss others (e.g., good on race, less aware on disability or sexuality). |
Stage +2: Intentional Ally (Early Practice)
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I’m trying to show up differently and use my voice, even though I still get it wrong.” | Speaks up more often in low-risk situations. Practices inclusive language, behaviour, and decision-making. Willing to apologise, repair, and learn when mistakes are pointed out. |
Stage +3: Active Ally & Advocate
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I understand that my actions have impact. I’m prepared to take some risks for equity.” | Challenges exclusionary behaviour in meetings, families, and professional spaces. Backs up marginalised colleagues, friends, patients, or students in practical ways. Advocates for fair processes, policies, and representation. |
Stage +4: Courageous Disruptor / Equity Leader
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “I’m committed to changing how systems work, not just how individuals behave.” | Uses their role to change policy, procedure, and culture. Creates safer processes for reporting harm and promotes psychological safety. Accepts that they may face pushback, and plans for it. |
Stage +5: Systemic Change Maker
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “Equity is built into how I lead, design, and make decisions.” | Embeds equity and inclusion into strategy, budgets, and accountability. Co-creates solutions with those most affected, rather than imposing them. Builds diverse teams and flattens unnecessary hierarchies of power. |
Stage +6: Transformational / Beacon of Change
| Mindset | Typical Patterns |
| “My leadership is about building just, compassionate systems where everyone can belong and thrive.” | Is widely recognised as modelling equity-centred, trauma-informed, inclusive practice. Holds complexity: personal healing, structural change, and community care. Inspires and equips others across sectors to move along the continuum. |
Now that we’ve explored the stages, the next step is to gently and honestly locate where you might be standing right now.
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3. How to Locate Yourself: A Guided Personal Reflection
This section is a space for gentle, honest, and private reflection. The goal is not judgment, but clarity. Remember, your stage isn’t a fixed identity—it can shift from day to day and vary depending on the specific equity issue you’re considering (e.g., race, gender, disability, sexuality).
3.1 Start with a “Body Check”
Dr. M’gadzah encourages us to start with a “Body Check” to build self-awareness. Think about a time when equity, bias, or inclusion was discussed. Before analyzing your thoughts, notice your physical reactions. This is not a personal failure. These physical responses are important data; they are often survival strategies learned over years of navigating racism, microaggressions, and power imbalances. Honoring this data is a compassionate way to understand your internal state and capacity to engage.
You might notice:
- A tightening in your chest or jaw
- Your heart beating faster
- An urge to laugh it off, change the subject, or shrink yourself
3.2 Reflection Questions for Self-Discovery
Use these questions to explore where you are on the continuum without judgment.
- Locate Yourself: “Where do I tend to sit on this continuum on average? Where do I think I sit on specific issues like race, gender, sexuality, or disability?”
- Name the Gap: “Where would I like to be by the end of this year – and what would a realistic +1 shift look like?”
- Reflect on a Moment: “Think of a time you heard a phrase like ‘I don’t see colour.’ Which stage does that sound like? And which stage were you in when you heard it or responded to it?”
With this self-awareness, the goal isn’t to leap to the end of the continuum, but to take a single, meaningful step forward.
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4. The Power of the “+1 Shift”: Making Gentle Progress
The most practical and powerful part of this framework is the idea of the “realistic +1 shift.” The goal isn’t to become a transformational leader overnight. It’s to make small, consistent, and sustainable progress from wherever you are right now. This approach relieves the pressure to “fix everything at once” and makes this lifelong journey feel more manageable.
4.1 What Does a “+1 Shift” Look Like?
Here are a few concrete examples of what a small step forward might be:
- From Unaware (-1) to Cautious Awareness (0): Gently increasing exposure by starting to notice where inequality shows up in everyday life, whether in the news, in your community, or on campus.
- From Cautious Awareness (0) to Curious & Reflective (+1): Moving from silence to active learning by seeking out a book or podcast on the topic, or simply noticing your own defensiveness during a conversation without judgment.
- From Curious & Reflective (+1) to Intentional Ally (+2): Translating insight into small actions, like practicing more inclusive language in a low-risk situation or making a conscious effort to listen more in a group discussion.
- For someone navigating harm: For a person who often stays silent after experiencing a microaggression (Stage 0), a +1 shift might be simply sharing what happened with a trusted friend later, or rehearsing a response for next time, rather than feeling pressured to confront in the moment.
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5. Conclusion: Your Journey, Your Pace
The Six Stages Framework is a lifelong tool for growth, not a one-time test. The real work lies in treating yourself and others with compassion while aiming for that gentle “+1 shift.” This journey is about deepening our understanding, building our courage, and contributing to a world where more people feel seen, valued, and safe.
Take care of your body, your nervous system, and your truth. You deserve to be seen, not erased.
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23 minute podcast
I don’t see colour: Through the SSF Lens video clip
Dr Shungu H. M’gadzah: Inclusion Psychologists Ltd. Copyright: © 2025
www.sixstagesframework.com | www.inclusionpsychologists.com
🚧 From Toxic to Thriving: A Follow-Up on Psychological Safety
After the powerful response to my last post on The 8 Pillars of Psychological Safety, I wanted to share this next part of the conversation.
👣 What would it take to make psychological safety the norm, not the exception?
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The SSF 8 pillars of Psychological safety
#SixStagesFramework #Equity #Inclusion #RacialEquity #EverydayRacism #AntiRacism #PsychologicalSafety#SeeColour #ColourConsciousNotColourblind #Bias #DEI #Leadership #NHSEngland #SystemsChange#DrShungu #BuildingBridgesOfEmpathy #BiasBusters #SSFLens #ColourblindMicroaggressions #Equity+1
#SSFHowTo, #DrShunguHowTO
