AAP

Association for the
Advancement of Psychosynthesis

The Effects of Psychosynthesis Training
on the Self-Actualization Process in Managers

As the theme of this newsletter is service, I would like to share one element of service which I feel is essential to psychosynthesis: the service that psychosynthesis performs in the elevation of consciousness and increased effectiveness in the world of those whom we serve. How effective is this service? I am certain that there are many anecdotal stories regarding the effectiveness of psychosynthesis (I have hundreds of them). But do we have any solid evidence of it?

The following describes the research that the International Association for Managerial and Organizational Psychosynthesis (IAMOP) has conducted to assess the effectiveness of psychosynthesis training, primarily with managers.

Introduction

Why is it that some people seem to be leading more fruitful lives than others? In my opinion a fruitful life involves:

• sense of life purpose
• authentic interpersonal relationships
• meaningful activities
• living in harmony with self and others
• clear thinking
• identification with higher human values
• flexibility with a sense of rhythm

Individuals functioning at these levels appear to have moved beyond the earlier ego-oriented needs of the Maslow hierarchy to identify more with the Self-Actualization level. (A. Maslow, Motivation and Personality, New York: McGraw Hill, 1954.) A basic premise of psychosynthesis is that self-actualization is a natural process involving the unfoldment of latent potentials. (R. Assagioli, The Act of Will. New York: Viking, 1973.) And it is, I believe, part of the work of psychosynthesis to support the development of those latent potentials.

At the self-actualization level, individuals begin to consciously cooperate with this unfoldment and devote energy to actualizing it. It is assumed then that in the field of business where my work lies, the most effective manager is a self-actualizing manager. Psychosynthesis provides practical methods to enable individuals to facilitate their own self-actualization. As part of our service, it is our job not only to offer psychosynthesis training but to offer evidence of its effectiveness through the use of research. This is the research that IAMOP has conducted to help validate the effectiveness of psychosynthesis.

Defining Self-Actualization

The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring self-actualization. (E. Shostrom, Personal Orientation Inventory. San Diego: Edits, 1960.) The following is a brief description of POI categories defining self-actualization.

(TC) Time Competence
Time competence deals with the degree to which we live in the present. A self-actualizing person does not tend to live in the past in terms of regrets or resentments, nor in the future. Self-actualizers see life as a continuum, and are focused on their life in the present. At the same time they see life as a pattern. They see how their life has been unfolding, and how it is evolving toward meaningful goals. They understand how their present situation is moving toward the future, and how they can create a more fulfilling future by their actions in the now.

(I) Inner Directed
This second POI category is the most significant measure of the self-actualizer: inner directed, independent, and self-supportive behaviors as opposed to outer directed, dependent behavior. Self-actualizing persons have less of a need for approval from other people. This does not mean they are not concerned with others, but it does mean that their choices are made from their own center of consciousness.

Self-actualizers attend to their center of will. They are concerned with following their own inner vision. They have fewer needs for achievement, having satisfied that level of need on the hierarchy. They are not so concerned with results. They have their own definition of what is good for them. Each experience of success or failure is seen as an opportunity to learn and grow. Self-actualizers are very centered individuals; that is, they are aware of who they are and of the choices that they make in the world.

(SAV) Self-Actualizing Values
The third category is values. There are a number of values that self-actualizers tend to hold and that non-self-actualizers reject. This score on the POI represents the degree to which one agrees with the values of self-actualizers. These values are reflected in the categories named in this section (inner directed, present focused, etc.).

(EX) Existentiality
The category that is found to be the most difficult to attain is flexibility. Non-self-actualizers tend to be locked into a particular value system and have great difficulty in seeing other points of view. They tend not to be very accepting of people who believe differently from themselves. Self-actualizers are not wishy-washy, but they are not locked into a rigid, dogmatic way of perceiving or behaving in the world. They are more free and loose, thus they can respond more creatively to situations as they arise. Since they can embrace multiple points of view, they are better able to appreciate and work with the values of others.

(FR) Feeling Reactivity
This category deals with feelings and is related to inner directedness. Self-actualizers are sensitive, aware of their own needs and feelings, and introspective. They have asked themselves: "What are my real needs at this time?" "What are my goals?" "How do I really feel about this?" Feelings for the self-actualizer are a source of information that deepen perceptions of the world and support increasing effectiveness.

Non-self-actualizers tend to be insensitive to their own needs and feelings. They thus miss out on a great deal of information about themselves and others.

(S) Spontaneity
Self-actualizers tend to be more open and authentic in behaviorally expressing their feelings; whereas, non-self-actualizers tend to cover up their feelings and not express them for fear of a loss of approval. This kind of spontaneity is not emotional, impulsive or reactive behavior. It is not the 60s "me-generation" attitude of just doing your own thing. It is behavior in service of the whole person-one's inner self. It furthers career objectives or does the job better than it was done in the past. At the same time, the self-actualizer does not eliminate routines and procedures that are tried and true but supplements these with a wider range of options.

(SR) Self Regard
This category is the highest for business majors. Self-actualizers have high self regard. They value themselves and their accomplishments. They are aware of their strengths and appreciate them. Non-self-actualizers do not have very high self regard. They tend to degrade themselves, put themselves down and not accept their own strengths. They tend to project their own self worth onto others by seeing strengths in them that they deny in themselves. As a result, they are often unable to live up to their full potential. Instead, they settle for less than is possible or optimal for them.

(SA) Self Acceptance
This is the most difficult characteristic for managers to actualize. Most managers are already at the achievement level and have been very successful. At the same time, they have a tendency to feel they have to be perfect. In one sense they need to accept their warts as well as their strengths. Non-self-actualizers tend to be fearful of making mistakes and therefore tend to limit their risk-taking behavior.

Self-actualizers are concerned about improving things, but they do not define themselves as weak persons if they happen to have a weakness. "I have a weakness, but I am not a weak person."

(NC) Nature of Man/Woman
Self-actualizers tend to see human beings as essentially good, and to notice and emphasize the positive qualities in self and others. Non-self-actualizers tend to see the basic nature of humans as essentially evil or negative: "People are essentially lazy. They don't like to work. They are born sinners," and so on.

(SY) Synergy
The key to this characteristic is the ability to synthesize opposites. This is to see the positive parts of each, eliminate the negative and create a new whole based upon the synthesis of the positive aspects. Self-actualizers are able to synthesize and integrate opposing points of view. They tend to avoid labeling people. Self-actualizing managers attempt to bring out the best in employees. They are able to accept people as humans regardless of their faults and failings.

(A) Aggression
Self-actualizers feel free to express their anger rather than repress it. Non-self-actualizers deny feelings of anger or express it in a hostile manner. Self-actualizers are able to express anger in a constructive fashion, which involves first making the conscious choice to express the feeling and to not just blurt it out.

When the expression of anger is an act of will, there are many options for expressing it. The self-actualizer shares the anger so that it is an effective communication that creates new understanding or opens the way to problem-solving and constructive action.

(C) Capacity for Intimate Contact
Non-self-actualizers tend to avoid intimate contact. As they do not normally feel good about themselves deep down, they do not want to get close because others might discover how unlovable they really feel. They hide behind their roles with stereotyped actions, and others experience them as distant, hard to talk to, awkward to work with.

Self-actualizers tend to develop warm, authentic interpersonal relationships. They go beyond roles to relate to other people in this warm, caring manner: "As a self-actualizing person I can have close, meaningful, authentic relationships. I feel loved, and am able to love others without demanding that they love me in return."

Research on the Effects of Psychosynthesis Training

The training program is described in IAMOP Monograph 4-6, "The Self-Actualizing Manager: An Introduction to Managerial Psychosynthesis," by John Cullen and Douglas Russell (Thousand Oaks, 1990).

1. The Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) Study

In order to assess the effectiveness of psychosynthesis to facilitate the self-actualizing process, a study was conducted utilizing the Self-Actualizing Manager Workshop (SAM). The POI was administered to a sample of 56 MBA students enrolled in six classes. Upon the completion of the workshop, the POI was administered again.

A repeated measures analysis of variance statistical technique was utilized to analyze the results. All of the measures on the POI showed significant changes between the before and after tests. Table 1-1 summarizes these results.

Conclusion

This study indicates that a basic managerial psychosynthesis training program can facilitate the self-actualizing process in managers. Future studies will involve other measures of self-actualization and the effects of managerial psychosynthesis on managerial effectiveness.

2. The Inventory of Self-Actualizing Characteristics (ISAC) Study

(A. Banet, Inventory of Self-Actualizing Characteristics (ISAC), 1976 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators, San Diego: University Associates.)

The Inventory of Self-Actualizing Characteristics (ISAC) was also administered on a before and after basis to managers taking the Self-Actualizing Manager Workshop (SAM). The results indicated that the self-actualizing level as measured by the ISAC significantly increased as measured by a repeated measures analysis of variance.

Table 1-2 summarizes the results of the ISAC study. Descriptions of the ISAC scales are contained in the above mentioned reference.

Conclusion

The results of the ISAC study indicate that participation in an introductory managerial psychosynthesis workshop facilitates the self-actualizing process.

3. Effects of Psychosynthesis Training on Managerial Effectiveness

The following study explored the effects of psychosynthesis training on selected measures of managerial effectiveness. Three groups were selected as the independent variable. Group 1 had no previous psychosynthesis training; Group 2 participated in an introductory managerial psychosynthesis workshop (SAM); and Group 3 participated in advanced psychosynthesis workshops.

The dependent variable was a set of psychometric instruments judged to measure attitudes related to managerial effectiveness. Details of the study are described in the dissertation by Findley. (M. Findley, "Assessing the Effect of Psychosynthesis Training on Managerial Effectiveness," Sierra University, 1988.) Although it is not my intent to describe this study in detail, the major results indicate that psychosynthesis training had an effect on the following managerial characteristics:

• Verification of the ISAC study described earlier
• Decrease in Ego Identification
• Increased Insight
• Increased Vision
• Increased Entrepreneurial Orientation
• Decreased Passiveness
• Increased Assertiveness
• Increased Androgyny

Conclusion

Summary

It has been my experience and that of many others that psychosynthesis is not easily accepted by the traditional scientific psychological community. While this does not mean that we should attempt to conform to traditional standards, it does mean that if we want this valuable orientation to be more widely accepted, we need to be able to demonstrate at least by acceptable scientific standards, and at best by reliable and valid case histories as well, that we provide an effective service.

It is my wish that psychosynthesis training programs with various emphases and populations provide evidence of their effectiveness, in hopes of increasing the acceptance of psychosynthesis in the scientific community.