Hello Jamie (& other interested in Human Dynamics):
Human Dynamics provides a systems approach for interpreting human
behaviour. Since 1979, Dr. Sandra Segel [she's in Topango, CA at (310)455
1149], has been conducting cross-cultural research to explore the
possibility of universal principles in human processes such as learning,
problem solving, communication, team functioning, etc. Human Dynamics has
been developing workshops based on the noton that each person has three
personality principles: the physical, the emotional and the mental.
>From my experience with Human Dynamics, like other typologies (MBTI),
there is the danger that one's preference, uncoverd through a series of
self-assessments, becomes a crutch or a self-limiting tool when the
participant misinterprets the term "core dynamic" as being their only
behavioural option. It drove me nuts after attending a session to hear
people making statements like "you see I always knew I could never get
into accounting, now I know its because I'm an Emotional-Subjective".
When in fact such self-awareness should challenge people to develop the
other capabilities less accessible, what I think Segal calls our "deeper
capacities".
The mental, emotional and physical principles combine to form nine
distinct "ways of being". Five of these personality dynamics (such as the
Emotional-Objective or the Physical-Emotional) predominate in North
America according to Segal's research. No significant correlations have
been found between the three dynamcis based on gender.
Although, I've not used this model explicitly with my clients, I have
found it useful as a tool to share within our facilitation team, in terms
of explaining learning styles of clients or some troublesome team dynamics
at play due to personality differences. The model is very simple to
explain and has some very basic common sense to it.
See you on-line, Tim
-- Tim Dixon, Director Corporate Adventure Training Institute Brock University St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 (905)688 5550 3120 e-mail:tdixon@arnie.pec.brocku.ca