TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS

Transactional analysis (TA) provides useful models for leadership styles. Eric Berne developed transactional analysis, and it has been applied, and written about ever since. TA has been used with organizational development and to improve quality of work life. 

TA is being used within relationship marketing to develop good human relations with Customers.

Studying TA can help you better understand people’s behavior, and how to deal with emotions in a more positive way. Below are three ego states, types of transactions, and life positions and stroking. Keep in mind that people are diverse and you will encounter a variety of ego states.

EGO STATES 

According to Berne, we all have three major ego states that affect our behavior or the way we transact. The three ego states are the parent, child, and adult. We change ego states throughout the day, and even during a single discussion a series of transactions can take place between different ego states.

Parent Ego State 

When the parent ego is in control, people behave from one of two perspectives: 

Critical Parent

When you behave and respond with evaluative responses that are critical, judgement, 

opinionated, demanding, disapproving, disciplining, and so on, you are in critical parent ego state. People in the critical parent ego use a lot of do(s) and don’t(s). Managers using the autocratic style tend to be in critical parent ego state because they use high task/directive behavior.

Sympathetic Parent

On the other hand, you can also be a different type of parent. When you behave and respond with reassuring response that are protecting, permitting, consoling, caring, nurturing, and so on, you are in sympathetic parent ego state. Managers using the consultative and participative styles tend to be in sympathetic parent ego state because they are using high supportive / relationship behavior.

Child Ego State 

When the child ego state is in control, people behave from one of two perspectives

Natural Child

When you behave and respond with probing responses that shows curiosity, intimacy, fun, 

joyfulness, fantasy, impulsiveness, and so on, you are in natural child ego state. Successful managers do not tend to continuously operate from the natural child ego state. 

Adapted Child

When you behave with confronting responses that express rebelliousness, pouting, anger, 

fear, anxiety, inadequacy, procrastination, blaming others, and so on, you are in adapted child ego state.

Managers should avoid behaving from the adapted child ego state because this type of behavior often leads to the employee becoming emotional and behaving in a similar manner. When managers are transacting with an employee in this ego state, they should not react with similar behavior, but should be in the adult ego state.

Adult Ego State

When the adult ego is in control, people behave in a thinking, rational, calculating, factual, unemotional manner. The adult gathers information, reasons things out, estimates probabilities, and makes decision with cool and calm behavior. 

When communicating in the adult ego state, you avoid becoming the victim of the other person by controlling your response to the situation. 

Generally, the most effective behavior, human relations, and performance come from the adult ego state. When interacting with others, you should be aware of their ego state. Are they acting like a parent, child, or adult? 

Identifying their ego state will help you understand why they are behaving the way they are and help you to determine which ego state you should use during the interaction. For example,

If the person is acting like an adult, you most likely should, too. 

If the person is acting like a child, it may be appropriate way for you to act like a parent rather than an adult.

And there are times when it is appropriate for you to act out of the child ego state and have a good time.