Do you know managers who don’t manage to let go? Who are far too motherly or “fatherly” with their teams? Who chew everything over and think ahead so that nothing can go wrong? Or parents who act in this way and perhaps also accompany their own 22-year-old children “helicoptering” to the interview for their first job?
Are you smiling and nodding? Or do you recognize yourself?
Perhaps you see someone who, in the language of transactional analysis (TA), has a strong ego states in the so-called caring parent ego. I refer you to my two introductory states on the 6 ego states of TA and why this concept is the central basis of our work.
If the “mothering” patterns are strong, it may be that the manager is afraid of not doing things perfectly. Or not “going down well” as a manager.
Our coaching is about understanding these backgrounds and helping managers to work through and change imprints. Ultimately, this puts them back in control of their behavior and their lives.
Because: to stay with this example, a strong caring parent ego is not bad in itself. It can contribute to openness towards others, to empathy, to empathy. Can strengthen and promote teams. Provide closeness and “home”.
The core objective of our coaching is very often for our clients to allow their ego states to enter into a confident, autonomous – not pattern-driven – inner dialog.
Would you like to get to know your ego states? Finding ways to more freedom, peace and energy? Taking the ‘wheel’ back into your own hands?
I would be happy to conduct an initial analysis of your ego states and patterns with you and reflect on the results together with you. Get in touch if you would like to know more about this “Short-term coaching on ego states”!
This article is part of the following mini-series on transactional analysis:
- How many am I? – A motivating introduction to transactional analysis
- How many am I? – The methodological and conceptual foundations of our coaching
- How many am I? Or: The caring and controlling project mother
- How many am I? Or: The little dictator
- How many am I? Or: The cold ice princess
- How many am I? Or: ‘The adapted little one’ with the explosions
- How many am I? Or: The rebel and the always bad world
- How many am I? Or: The imprisoned, deeply unhappy artist and free spirit
