Communication Meets Personality
During our work with clients—whether in consulting sessions or seminars—we are often asked how the so-called “black box” that is the human being works. People want to know HOW other people (and themselves) tick. They want to understand WHY people in their circle behave, work, live, communicate, and organize themselves and their lives the way they do.
Personality models encourage stereotyping
Why were so many personality models—both good and not-so-good—developed in the first place? To understand how different personality structures work. People love to categorize others and pigeonhole them. This gives people a sense of security, since they know how to deal with “that kind of” person—whichever box they fall into—in order to get along with them. At first glance, such approaches simplify life. But after a “personality seminar,” once the initial enthusiasm has faded, the old behavioral patterns quickly return. Old habits triumph over the recently acquired knowledge about the (all too often mechanistic) understanding of human personality.
Still Image vs. Real Life
Understanding the human personality is a truly enlightening experience. But knowing that,
- how to nurture relationships on a daily basis,
- how I can adapt my behavior from one moment to the next—practically from second to second—to match that of the person I'm interacting with,
- how I can quickly build rapport with other people,
- how I build relationships in the process and
- how I can also gather countless pieces of information about a person's personality structure along the way,
- to use all of this to build a relationship that is mutually beneficial in the long term,
is a whole different story.
It's like the difference between a picture of a person that I put on my desk and actually living with that person day to day. We agree: The latter requires more skill in building relationships!
The Best of Both Worlds
The Process Communication Model®, or PCM for short, bridges the worlds of personality structures and communication models. This is because the PCM is both a communication model AND a personality model. As such, the PCM communication model presents various concepts and practical tools for positive conversations, for motivating people, and for anticipating, preventing, and resolving conflicts.
Simply by using the right combination of word choice (including sentence structure), tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, and body language in any given conversation, you’ll very quickly be able to enjoy spending time with others—such as your partner, children, teachers, coworkers, bosses, customers, and so on—simply through communication alone—and this applies to every moment of our lives.
And here's the best part
The Process Communication Model® toolkit shows you how to recognize these five behavioral patterns in a conversation and how to adapt your communication style to your conversation partner by adjusting these five behaviors—second by second. For example, changing your sentence structure (by using a question instead of a command, or vice versa) combined with a change in tone of voice can result in a dramatic improvement (or deterioration) in communication. And with PCM, you’ll know how to respond appropriately in the spirit of a positive “OK-OK” attitude. This also leads to short-, medium-, or long-term improvements in the relationship. And yes! It really is that simple!
Six Different Ways
With a little practice in observing and applying the five behavioral traits, anyone can discover the mix of the six different PCM personality types and their impact on behavior—both in themselves and in others. And they can do so by focusing on the mix of these six personality types without falling into simplistic stereotyping. PCM shows you how to get the most out of the combination of your strengths, skills, motivators, communication styles, and much more—and thereby fully develop your personality’s inner repertoire.
And what about its practical applicability?
Countless tips and inspiring insights for better communication are explained, practiced, and reflected upon under expert guidance in our PCM seminars and workshops. Even years after our PCM seminars or PCM coaching sessions, clients tell us that they still use PCM tools for self-management or for shaping their personal and professional environments. And they still enjoy it years after their PCM seminars! Why? Because they understand the social dynamics between people and the mechanisms of their own “black box” and those of the people around them. In addition, they know how to adapt to these other “black boxes” by making simple changes to their language patterns—from one moment to the next.
Would you also like to gain a better understanding of the “human black box”? Then why not attend one of the upcoming PCM seminars or treat yourself to personalized PCM coaching (including a PCM personality profile): >> www.imc.or.at or www.ptc-musselmann.de
