atkinson advisor

Most business communications are contracts. They involve a discussion about who is going to do what, by when, with whom, and for what explicit and implicit rewards.

How people relate during the process will determine the quality of those contracts and the impact they have on future relationships among the people involved. Transactional Analysis (TA) is one way to make sure the process works well.

Developed by Dr. Eric Berne in the 1950s, TA defines three ego states – Parent, Adult, and Child – that all adults possess. The Parent is the status figure. The Adult is rational, logical, and non-threatening. The Child is emotional and free. These ego states help simplify the complex communications between people.

In business, the ultimate situation involves Adult-to-Adult transactions or communications where rational, logical people are discussing an issue in a non-threatening way.

Without knowing it, however, people often cross-communicate from one state to another. For example, someone can communicate in the Parent state to co-workers: “You guys need to get that report done by Friday.” Authoritative terms like “need,” “have to,” and “always” sound like our parents talking and often inspire a response from the Child state. In our example, the co-workers think, “This sounds like my dad telling me to clean up my room. What I really need to do is avoid this guy as much as I can.” If neither party changes style, this discussion could quickly deteriorate into an all-out argument.

This is just one of many possible communication combinations in the TA model. Understanding and utilizing the appropriate style can help managers communicate better with others, influence key negotiations, increase sales, and improve employee relations.

For more about Transactional Analysis, go to http://www.businessballs.com/transactionalanalysis.htm

Dr. James Grunig has spent 15 years studying exemplary public relations.

In his groundbreaking research, Grunig uncovered a means for organizations to measure the quality, and thus the success, of relationships with important stakeholder groups. He found that relationships have four essential qualities: trust, control mutuality, commitment, and satisfaction.

The table below explains each of these four qualities and provides a sample statement that exemplifies each. You can read more about Grunig’s research and how to measure relationships at The Institute for Public Relations.