Personal Life Styles

Introduction

• A consistent pattern of behavior, with quasi- constancy and predictability, can be called as style.

• These self consistent way of behaving has an underlying theory or inter- connected network of propositions explaining the pattern.

• The concept of life styles was originally proposed by Adler in 1930.

• For Adler, the individual's STYLE OF LIFE is one's personality, the unity of the personality, the individual form of creative opinion about oneself, the problems of life and his whole attitude to life and others.

• During the first few years of life, each individual develops a style of life that greatly influences his behavior

• The life style of the individual is considered the key to his behavior

• Each person develops his concept of self and of people and of the environment which surrounds him in his own unique and personal way.

• Basic life styles: (1). The well-adjusted does not strive for personal superiority, but seeks to solve his problems in ways that are useful to other as well as himself. (2). The second type wants to prove his personal superiority by ruling others. (3). The third type is the getting type. They want to get everything through others without any effort or struggle of their own. (4). The fourth tries to avoid every decision. They are the avoiding type.

• In a study doe by Bray,Campbell and Grant (1974), two distinct pattern of life styles emerged:

• Enlarging Style, which was associated with career/ job success

• Enfolding Style, which was associated with less success

Characteristics of Enlarging lifestyle

• Is oriented towards goal of innovation, change and growth.

• Is adaptive, concentrates on self development• Looks for responsibility and is likely to achieve a

position of influence • Change in his values and his with family and

formal religious practices may weaken.• Does not enjoy the company of his childhood

friends

Characteristics of Enfolding lifestyle

• Is oriented to the goals of tradition, stability and inward strength

• Is not an active member of social or community organizations.

• Values family ties and childhood friends• Is not comfortable moving out from the

familiar atmosphere.• May not concentrate more on self

improvement program

Interpersonal Styles

• Influence is a central function in a managerial role

• A manager has to influence subordinates to achieve work objective and help them to develop.

• The process of helping others to learn and change is essentially the process of influencing individual’s ideas, values, attitudes and behavior.

• These influencing role also has an impact on others ability to solve future problems.

• They can develop others or can make them dependent, limiting their autonomy.

• Their habitual ways of interacting with their employees, participants trainees or clients can be called as interpersonal style.

• A useful framework which can be used to describe an individual’s style is transactional analysis.

• The two basic concepts used to understand influence styles are the ego states and the existential positions.

• Each person involved in transactions with others has three ego states:

- The Parent: regulates behavior and nurtures- The Adult : collects information and processes

it- The Child: has several functions, primarily

concerned with (a) creativity, curiosity and fun (b) Reactions to others (c) adjusting to other’s demands, or sulking.

• Each ego state is important.• The functional and dysfunctional role of these

depends upon the life position a person takes.• Harries (1969) has conceptualized four

primary life positions:- I’m OK – You’re OK- I’m not OK – You’re OK- I’m OK – You’re not OK- I’m not OK – You’re not OK

General Interaction Styles inFour Life Positions

Avoidant Diffident

Bossing CompetentConfidentConfrontingCreative

Not ok OK

Not ok

OK

Not OK OK

I

Manager/Trainer/Consultant

You

Employee Participant Trainee or Client

• The four general interaction styles can be elaborated by combining them with the ego states.

• Two dimensions of the Parent ego state, three of the child ego state, and the adult state are used.

• Each ego state meets a basic need.• Avary (1980) has proposed that six basic

needs are met by the six ego states, which can be OK or Not OK

• The need to express love and care, manifested as nurturing parent (OK) or rescuing parent (OK)

• The need for power, faith and self confidence as firm parent (OK) or critical part (not OK)

• The need to think and evaluate information as an adult (OK) or any not OK ego state.

• The biological needs and the need to feel and experience stimulation as a natural child (OK) or a person (not OK).

• The need to be creative or intuitive as a “little professor” (OK) or a rebellious or defensive child (not OK)

• The need for approval and safety as an OK – adapted child (OK) or a helpless child (not OK)

Twelve Influence Styles by Pareek

Ego States Styles in two life positions

Not - OK OKNurturing parent Rescuing Supportive

Regulating parent Prescriptive Normative

Adult Task obsessive Problem Solving

Creative Child Bohemian Innovative

Reactive Child Aggressive Confronting

Adaptive Child Sulking Resilient

• Rescuing Style: indicates a dependency relationship. The support is provided conditionally, contingent on deference to the provider. The general attitude is one of superiority; the person’s support constantly reminds others of their dependence. This style does not help others become independent.

• Supportive Style: Support is provided when needed. Managers encourage their subordinates and provide the necessary conditions for continuous improvement. People in this style have patience on learning about the problems and are empathetic.

• Prescriptive Style: People are critical of the behavior of others, develop rules and impose on others. They make quick judgments and insist that certain norms be followed. They may give advice and prescribe solutions rather than help others to work out alternative solution to their problems.

• Normative Style: helps in developing proper norms of behavior and help others understand why some norms are more important than others. This style helps not only to helps to solve specific problems but also develop ways of approaching a problem and raises questions about relevant values. They emphasize a general approach to a problem.

• Task obsessive Style: are more concerned with task. They are not concerned with feelings. Matters not related to task are ignored. They are insensitive to the emotional needs, personal problems and apprehensions.

• Problem- solving Style: is concerned with solving problems and is not concerned with merely task. For such persons, problems have various dimensions. The focus is on dealing with and solving problems. People with this style solicit the help of and involve others too.

• Bohemian Style: The creative child is in this style is active. Has a lot of ideas and is impatient with current practices. They are nonconformists and experimenting with new ideas. They rarely allow one idea or practice to stabilize before going on to another.

• Innovative Style: are enthusiastic about new ideas and approaches and enthuse others too. They nurture their ideas so that they result in concrete action and become internalized in the system.

• Aggressive Style: People in this style are fighters. They fight hoping that it will help them to achieve the desired results. Their aggressiveness makes people avoid them and not take them seriously.

• Confronting Style: is concerned with the exploration of the problem. Perseverance is the main characteristic. They are concerned with problems rather than people, and explore various dimensions. Such people are not only very frank and open but are also perceptive and sensitive. They respect the feelings of others.

• Sulking Style: People keep their negative feelings to themselves, find it difficult to share them and avoid meeting people. Instead of confronting problems, a person with this style avoids them and feels bad about the situation but does not express these feelings openly.

• Resilient Style: shows creative adaptability- learning from others, accepting other ideas and changing their approach when required.

• Although people in influencing role may show several styles, only one style will be used more frequently than others.