PCM for Business

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Two Process Communication Graduates were the Secretary of State and

President of the United States
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with her husband former President William Clinton
and a few of their friends, attended a Process Communication seminar taught by Dr. Taibi
Kahler, when she was first lady of Arkansas. She used the concepts as first lady and in her
law practice. Everyone hopes that she will be successful in using the concepts to promote
world peace in her position as Secretary of State.

When he was President, Bill Clinton used the concepts of Process Communication in all of
his speeches and used Dr. Kahler as a psychodemographer in his campaigns. He told the
Pauleys that he considered Dr. Kahler to be a “genius”. Former President Clinton's nick
name was the great communicator.

Start this training with the classes below:

1. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR ONE: CORE TOPICS

2. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL®
SEMINAR – SEMINAR TWO: CONFLICT
RESOLUTION AND MOTIVATION

Process Communication and Teamwork

In an article in the “Harvard Business Review of March 20, 2012 entitled “The Hard
Science of Teamwork”, Alex “ Sandy” Pentland describes how his team at MIT’s Human
Dynamics Laboratory has proven mathematically that ”how people communicate is more
important than what they say”.

You can read the article here.

According to the article, Pentland and his team also have proven that great teams
communicate frequently, talk and listen in equal measure and equally among members,
engage in frequent informal communication, and explore ideas and information outside
the group.

According to the article, the team can “predict with eerie precision whether a team will
perform well or not” by measuring how they communicate. The team also has proven that
people can be trained to improve the “how” of communication and that by changing the
way they communicate they can improve teamwork and become a highly effective and
productive team.

Dr. Taibi Kahler’s research since 1971 also has documented this. Teams who have been
trained in the concepts of Dr. Kahler’s model have improved communication within the
team, with customers, and with everyone with whom they interact. This has resulted in

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improved team productivity, effectiveness, and profitability in many areas –
manufacturing, healthcare, education, government agencies, the service industry, and in
non-profit organizations. Healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities have
improved patient safety, patient satisfaction, staff satisfaction, and staff productivity.
Educators have improved student academic achievement, greatly reduced student
disruptive behaviors in the classroom, including bullying, and increased student, parent,
and teacher satisfaction with the school system.

Understanding and applying the concepts of Dr. Kahler’s Process Communication Model
allows teams to improve individual and team communication and effectiveness and
enables team members to become high functioning lean teams.

Start this training with the classes below:

1. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR ONE: CORE TOPICS

(3 DAY training) can be combined with Seminar two when offered together.

2. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR TWO: CONFLICT

RESOLUTION AND MOTIVATION (2 Day Training)

3. QUALITY TEAMS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

4. QUALITY NEGOTIATION RELATIONS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

Corporate Vice President Adds $10 Million to Company’s Bottom Line

Paul Munzies was the Vice President in charge of collections in one of the largest financial
institutions in the world. When he took over his new division, morale was low and there
were invisible walls built up between the different departments. People from one
department did not talk to people from the other departments and, as a result, there were
repetitive emails to customers, contentious phone calls to customers, and contentious
phone calls and emails between employees in different sections of the division.

Paul heard about the concepts of Process Communication and decided that he could use
them to communicate more effectively with his staff and build trust with them. He
believed this was crucial if he was to reduce tension and improve the performance of
everyone in the division. Also, he intended to combine the different departments in an
effort to break down the walls that existed between them. For that to work, he decided
they needed to have a common language. Therefore, he wanted everyone in the division
to be trained in the concepts. After everyone took the training, there was an exponential
increase in trust and in relationships between employees. They began to communicate
with each other more effectively and to resolve issues with each other and with their
customers. They began talking about things other than work and they began to trust him.
This was critically important for him to get them to buy in to his plans. He communicated
his trust to the managers and they in turn communicated their trust to their people. As a
result they had great success. The performance improvement was quantifiable. They
contributed an additional $10 million to the company’s profit the following year.

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The following is an excerpt from “Communication: The Key To Effective Leadership".

Start this training with the classes below:

1. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR ONE: CORE TOPICS

(3 DAY training) can be combined with Seminar two when offered together.

2. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR TWO: CONFLICT

RESOLUTION AND MOTIVATION (2 Day Training)

3. QUALITY TEAMS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

4. QUALITY NEGOTIATION RELATIONS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

Turnaround Specialist Uses the Concepts of Process Communication to Successfully

Rescue 2 Companies

Fred LeFranc is a turnaround specialist who has 30 years experience working in the
restaurant chain business. He took over as CEO of a restaurant chain that was in trouble.
He turned it around using the concepts of Process Communication. He was so successful
that Inc. magazine did an article on him. He believes that understanding the concepts of
Process Communication gives leaders a spotlight on someone’s brain. This enables the
leaders to understand where their team members are coming from, to be more tolerant of
their positions, and to understand how to deal with them. Therefore, he used the concepts
in his strategic planning meetings and found that these concepts took all of the noise out
of meetings. It reduced the in-fighting and distress reactions and allowed his staff and
restaurant managers to focus on improving the profitability of their restaurants. He
believes that to be successful in turning a business around, CEO’s have to change the
language and the culture of the business. The concepts of Process Communication
enabled him to do this very successfully.

Prior to this he was president of another company. He introduced the concepts of Process
Communication to the company and had a 35% increase in same store sales in 3 years.
This was unheard of in the restaurant business. He also had double digit growth in
transaction average and in head count.

Start this training with the classes below:

1. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR ONE: CORE TOPICS

(3 DAY training) can be combined with Seminar two when offered together.

2. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR TWO: CONFLICT

RESOLUTION AND MOTIVATION (2 Day Training)

3. QUALITY TEAMS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

4. QUALITY NEGOTIATION RELATIONS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

COMMUNICATION: THE KEY TO ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS

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President Dwight D. Eisenhower defined leadership as “the art of getting someone
else to do what you want done because they want to do it.” Throughout his
career, he worked to establish trust with the people he led by establishing relationships
with them and communicating clearly with them . Lee Iacocca, the former CEO of
Chrysler Corporation, in his book Where Have All The Leaders Gone? lists the ability to
communicate as one of nine traits that effective leaders must have. Irwin Federman, the
former CEO of a high tech company, said, “I contend that all other things being equal we
will work harder and more effectively for people we like. And we will like them in direct
proportion to how they make us feel.” Clearly, he too felt that establishing positive
relationships with colleagues and subordinates was critically important in being a
successful manager.

Mazlow clearly recognized the importance of relationships to performance of duties when

he listed relationships before mastery in his hierarchy of needs. He said that people must
have their basic needs for food, shelter, etc. met first. Then he listed safety as the need
that must get met next. Third came relationships and only then did he list mastery and job
performance. Unfortunately, many managers are so focused on goal achievement that
they forget the needs of their people and do not bother to establish relationships with all
of them. They may believe that the fact they are being paid to do a job is sufficient
motivation, and therefore, they neglect to establish relationships with them. Effective
managers know that this is not enough.

Quality managers must be able to communicate clearly and, if they are to be effective,
must establish relationships with everyone. Unfortunately, none of the management or
leadership books tell managers and leaders how to communicate more effectively or how
to establish positive relationships with others so that every stakeholder will see their
vision clearly and will want to help their managers carry it out. Most people have difficulty
communicating with and establishing relationships with those who are not like them. The
purpose of this article is to explain how this can be done so that everyone is happier,
healthier, and more productive.

Dr. Taibi Kahler, an internationally acclaimed clinical psychologist, has developed a

model that shows people how to individualize the way they communicate so that they
clearly convey their vision to all those with whom they interact. His Process
Communication Model® shows managers how to establish relationships with everyone,
including those who are not like them, by individualizing the way they motivate each
person. In this way people will be happier, will like the manager more, and will be more
willing to help the manager carry out her or his vision. Dr. Kahler’s research and that of
several others who have applied Dr. Kahler’c concepts in the workplace, clearly show that
the key to establishing positive relationships with people is to help them get their
motivational needs met positively and speak their language. (Kahler, 1991).

Dr. Kahler’s Process Communication Model® describes the characteristics of

six distinct personality types, including the way they perceive the world, their
preferred management or interaction style, their preferred mode of

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communicating and their motivational needs. The model also describes what
each of the types will do when in distress and provides both proactive and
reactive antidotes for dealing with them.

Written by: Judith Ann Pauley, PhD.

Start this training with the classes below:

1. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR ONE: CORE TOPICS

(3 DAY training) can be combined with Seminar two when offered together.

2. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR TWO: CONFLICT

RESOLUTION AND MOTIVATION (2 Day Training)

3. QUALITY TEAMS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

4. QUALITY NEGOTIATION RELATIONS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

The Quality Management Forum Establishing Relationships:

The Key to Maintaining Quality Teams

Dr. Taibi Kahler, an internationally-acclaimed clinical psychologist, has shown that the
key to forming positive relationships with employees and fellow team members is to help
them meet their motivational needs and to use an individualistic style to manage them
(Kahler, 1982). He suggests that managers will be more effective if they communicate
with and motivate each employee in the way that is most effective with that person. This is
described in some detail below.

In his Process Communication Model, Dr. Kahler identified six distinct personality types
based on how each takes in and processes information. He also suggested a preferred
management style, mode of communication, and motivational needs for each type. Kahler
predicted what each personality type will do if in distress, and he provided both proactive
and reactive methods for dealing with them.

The Six Personality Types

Kahler labeled the six personality types Harmonizer, Thinker, Persisters, Dreamers,
Rebels and Promoters and listed the characteristics and motivational needs of each type.

Although everyone displays a predominant personality type, each person integrates

aspects of all six. Kahler describes this as a six-floor condominium in which some floors
are more fully developed than others. Research shows that most adults can access two or
three of their types fairly easily, but that most children can access only one or two of their
types (Kahler, 1996).

Because each type is motivated differently, employees who are like their managers tend to
do well on teams led by those managers. Conversely, those who are not like their
managers may have difficulty. Many managers have Thinker and Persister as their most

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well developed parts. Consequently, these are the types of employees who perform well on
teams run by Thinker and Persisters. Rebels, Imaginer, and Promoters sometimes have
difficulty with Thinker and Persister managers because of miscommunication, and
frequently they end up quitting or being fired for insubordination or for poor attitude
(Gilbert, 2004). It is no one’s fault. Both managers and employees are doing the best they
can with the communication tools they have available to them at the time. So how can
everyone do better?

Motivating the Six Types

Kahler has shown that employees of all six types can do well on teams and in the
workplace when they are managed and

motivated according to their particular needs (Kahler, 2000). A working knowledge of the
concepts of Process Communication enables managers to understand how to motivate.
Managers can ask themselves:

1. How can I provide personal recognition for the Harmonizer?

2. How can I give recognition for work and provide time structure for the Thinker?

3. How can I ensure that the task is meaningful for the Persister?

4. How can I provide reflection time, space and structure for the Imaginer?

5. How can I ensure that the task is fun for the Rebel?

6. How can I incorporate action and excitement for the Promoter?

If managers implement the answers to these questions, employee motivation and job
performance may improve, and negative behavior will stop. Managers will also be able to
spend more time focusing on goals and less time putting out fires. “Learners who get their
needs met in school seldom cause trouble, because doing something that interferes with
getting a need met is not in their self interest” (Savage, 1991). Although Savage was
talking about students in the classroom, his comments are applicable in the workplace.
Dr. Jonathan Knaupp, a professor at Arizona State University, said, “We can give
employees what they deserve or what they need. If we give them what they need, they will
deserve more” (Knaupp, 1990). This is the key to establishing relationships and to the
success of every employee—helping them get their motivational needs met every day.

The "needs" of your team from the CEO viewpoint

Cepheid CEO John Bishop says that he keeps a list of the personality structures of his
employees on his desk, and he values that list more than anything else in his office (Wilan,
2007). He explains that by knowing how individuals on his staff approach the world
enables effective communication with them. He has learned that if he knows how his staff
thinks, he can understand the motivations for their recommendations as well as
communicate his positions to them in a way most likely to get a desirable response. This
knowledge also helps him achieve his goals: high quality products, positive cash flow, and

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annual increases in revenue (Wilan, 2007). Larry Adams, former president of Martin
Marietta Corporation, found the concepts of Process Communication very useful, and he
told the authors that “the concepts complement the concepts of Total Quality beautifully”
(Adams, 1992).

First break all the rules

In their book First Break All The Rules, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman described
the results of extensive interviewing done by The Gallup Organization to determine the
effectiveness of workplaces. They found that if employees answered the following twelve
questions affirmatively, they worked for an effective manager in an effective organization:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?

2. Do I have the materials necessary to do a good job?
3. At work do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone else at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This last year have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

These questions relate to the needs of the six personality types. For example, asking if
opinions count relates to the conviction need of the Persister. Wanting praise relates to
the recognition of work need of the Thinker and the Persister. Having a friend at work
refers to the recognition of person need of the Harmonizer, while having the opportunity
to do what one does best relates to the strengths of each personality type. Helping
employees get their needs met greatly improves job satisfaction, the desire to produce
quality work, and willingness to adjust to new ideas (Kahler, 2000).

Kahler explains in the The Mastery of Management how each of the six types prefers
to be managed and describes what each type will do when that person’s needs are not met
positively. For example, Thinker and Persisters are most productive when their
supervisors use a democratic management style in which they set team goals and the
paths chosen to achieve them. Harmonizers consider their co-workers part of their
extended family and are most productive in an environment in which everyone is
nurtured. Rebels are most productive when their managers use a laissez-faire
management style in which they are encouraged to use their creativity to find innovative
solutions to problems. Imaginers respond well to an autocratic style in which they are told
to do one thing at a time and are left to accomplish it. Promoters also respond well to an
autocratic style; tell them the goal and the quick reward they will get for achieving it, and
then let them do it (Kahler 2000). Managing everyone the same is not managing them
equally, nor is it treating them fairly.

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Managing a person with an Imaginer base.

One of the authors, Joseph Pauley, had a Imaginer secretary who was not getting any
work done. She needed direction and she needed help prioritizing the many tasks she had
to perform each day. Joe did not realize this, and so the secretary sat at her desk in severe
distress all day. After learning of the Imaginer’s needs, Joe used an autocratic
management style with her, helped her prioritize her duties each day, and made certain
that she was able to get time alone each day to complete her duties. The secretary
immediately showed what great secretarial skills she had; all her tasks were done every
day and she ran the office efficiently and effectively. Joe learned a great lesson: Take
advantage of people’s strengths and do what is necessary to help them work around their
shortcomings.

Signs of Mismanagement

When team leaders and managers do not individualize the way they interact with their
colleagues and employees and do not motivate each according to her or his needs, those
employees may show signs of distress that are predictable and observable. Managers who
know the warning signs and recognize the significance of distress behaviors can quickly
intervene to re-motivate the employee.

For instance, when Harmonzers are mismanaged, they tend to make mistakes that result
in the team having to do extra work or to do tasks over. Mismanaged Rebels tend to miss
deadlines, withhold information, or sabotage the project, which usually results in the
team getting behind schedule and missing production deadlines. Promoters might create
a negative atmosphere, resulting in team members distrusting each other and reducing
team cooperation, while Imaginers shut down and are unable to focus on the tasks at
hand, resulting in other members of the team having to do more than their share of the
work (Kahler, T. 2000).

When Thinkers are mismanaged, they tend to take on more and more work because they
believe they can do it better than anyone else, often resulting in their taking on so much
that they cannot do any of it well. When Persisters are mismanaged, they insist that
everything be done their way; if team members refuse to comply, the Persister may cease
to be a team player and may subconsciously work to destroy the morale of the team
(Kahler, 2000).

All of these negative behaviors stop or are greatly reduced when managers individualize
the way they communicate with and motivate their employees. Rework is eliminated,
deadlines are met, employees stop sabotaging projects and manipulating their colleagues,
and everyone works together to ensure that the team functions successfully.

Conclusion

One key to successful implementation of quality programs is for managers to customize

their management styles to their employees’ personality types. Managers must also strive
to help all employees get their motivational needs met every day, if possible, but at least
weekly. When managers do this, their employees are happier, healthier, and more

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productive—and they are more willing to work hard to accomplish the goals of the team.
In addition, the mistakes, sabotage, and missed deadlines that interfere with producing
quality products, disappear or are greatly reduced. When employees display negative
behaviors, they are sending the message that they are being mismanaged. Managers who
heed this message and individualize the way they motivate their employees are the most
effective managers. When each person is motivated according to her or his needs, team
members will be more willing to implement quality processes, teams will function more
efficiently, and products will be of much higher quality (Kahler, 2000).

Authors’ Note

By Judith Ann Pauley, PhD, and Joseph F. Pauley

Dr. Taibi Kahler, Taibi Kahler Associates, Inc., Little Rock, AR owns the copyright for the
name and description of the personality types, the character strengths for each, the
personality condominium structure and the nomenclature for describing the
psychological needs for each type and the distress patterns of each type in his Process
Communication Model.

Start this training with the classes below:

1. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR ONE: CORE TOPICS

(3 DAY training) can be combined with Seminar two when offered together.

2. PROCESS COMMUNICATION MODEL® SEMINAR – SEMINAR TWO: CONFLICT

RESOLUTION AND MOTIVATION (2 Day Training)

3. QUALITY TEAMS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

4. QUALITY NEGOTIATION RELATIONS SEMINAR (2 Day Training)

References
Communication: The Key To Effective Leadership.Adams, L. (1992). Personal communication.
Buckingham, M. and Coffman, C. (1999) First break all the rules. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Gilbert, M. (2004). Communicating effectively: Tools for educational leaders. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow
Press.
Kahler, T. (1982). Process communication model. Little Rock, AR: Kahler Communications.
Kahler, T. (2000). The mastery of management (4th ed.). Little Rock, AR: Kahler Communications.
Kahler, T. (1996). Process communication model: A contemporary model for staff development. Little
Rock, AR: Kahler Communications
Knaupp, J. (1990). Personal communication.
Savage, R. V. (1991). Discipline for self-control. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Wilan, K. (2007)
“The Scientist: Magazine of the Life Sciences,” 21(1), p. 68.

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