My Tool Box

When working with individuals on personal growth and development, team management, team building skills or organizational diagnostic consulting, I have found multiple systems to be effective.  All the tools require openness, honesty and vulnerability.  .

Archetypes

What is an Archetype?  The term has its origins in ancient Greek and is a symbol, theme, setting, or character type that recurs in different times and places in myth, literature, novels, movies and rituals so often as to suggest that it embodies essential elements of “earthly” human behavior.  The Archetypes unite the human unconscious across cultures and continents, industries and markets.  What occurs on one side of the planet occurs on the opposite side of the planet.

Swiss psychologist Carl Jung used the word “archetype” to refer to recurring patterns found in earthly stories.  He identified twelve primary types that symbolize basic human behavior and motivation.  It is helpful to know and understand which archetypes are at play in oneself and others in order to gain personal insight into behaviors and motivation.

What is to be learned?  The Archetypal theme, basic desire, goal, greatest fear, strategy, limitation, talent, as well as, alternate names.  Understanding which archetype is in play at any given time, is it being manifested maturely or immaturely and how are the archetypes integrated is critical.

MBTI

The Meyers Briggs Type Indicator is a powerful tool for personal growth which is based upon Jungian Psychology and his studies.  The Sensate and Intuitive functions are the processes of perceiving or how information is gathered or taken in, while, the Thinking and Feeling function are the processes used for decision making.  Coupled with the attitudes of Extraversion or Introversion and Judging or Perceiving this tool creates the pathway to true maturity.  It is an evolutionary process identifying a preferred dominant function beginning in childhood and offering the possibility of moving through a second and third preferred function and, finally, the fourth or inferior function bringing authentic self-awareness, understanding and acceptance offering the balance of personality preferences.

 HBDI

The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument is a quadrant model for Whole Brain Thinking.  It is a preference model identifying primary, secondary and tertiary ways of thinking.  The quadrants include facts and data, form or performance, relationships and possibilities.  The HBDI is an excellent tool for organizations in identifying strengths, limitations and challenges in multiple areas: communications, marketing, decision making, team building, conflict resolution, problem solving, strategic planning, risk taking, providing feedback and contract negotiation.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is an analytical method which is used to identify and categorize significant internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) factors faced in an organization.  It provides information that is helpful in matching resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates and is therefore an important contribution to the strategic planning process.  It should be used as a dynamic part of the management and business development process.

Enneagram

The source of the (any-a-gram) remains in dispute and may be traced back 4000 years, back to Islamic Sufi mysticism, back to the Desert Father with the Common Era being in the twentieth century. History does indicate it consists of multiple ancient wisdom traditions.

The Enneagram consists of “nine” points and has often been referred to as, “The Work.”  Consisting of Virtues, Passions, Holy Ideas and Fixations it is a dynamic tool for personal growth and development with a serious influence upon the Spiritual path.  I consider it to be my Ph.D. program.

Twelve Steps

  1. Admit to being powerless and that life has become unmanageable.
  2. A Power greater than me will restore sanity.
  3. Turn my will and life over to the care of the Greater Power as I understand the Power.
  4. Make a moral and ethical inventory of myself.
  5. Admit to another and myself the exact nature of my missteps.
  6. Desire the removal of these defects of character.
  7. Petition the removal of these shortcomings.
  8. List all persons harmed and be willing to make amends to them all.
  9. Make amends wherever possible except when to do so would injure another.
  10. Continue self-examination and when wrong take ownership and admit it.
  11. Seek through prayer and contemplation a relationship of reverence, friendship and service to the Greater Power, as I understand the Power, desiring what the Power wants, as the Power wants it, when the Power wants it, because the Power wants it.
  12. With this spiritual awakening carry this message to the world by modeling and living these principles in all  affairs.

NOTE:  I am a firm believer in all twelve step recovery programs and I am ready, willing and able to travel this path with you.  Regarding the language within the programs referring to “I am” (insert the addiction or moral issue) I disagree with this language and ownership.  Ones’ essence is so much more than ones’ ego behavior.  “I Am” references the Spiritual or Essential nature of Being, of which … I am.