What Is The LIFO® Method Theoretical Background Basic LIFO® Method Concepts “Every person has his or her own style of dealing with many different situations in life. There is no average style. We tend to behave differently in different situations and to activate different styles. However, there are one or two styles that we prefer to use and thus use more frequently than the others. These are our preferred styles.” “Seen through the framework of the LIFO® Method, no style, blend of styles or behavior is good or bad.” “The LIFO® Method assumes that we have to be aware (and have to make other aware) of our behavior – to be able to shape ourselves better and to improve our ability to engage in interactions with groups. In LIFO® Training you do not get absolute recommendations, but, instead learn to recognize possibilities and how you can change your style. Principally, you know all the styles; they are all familiar to you. You use them with varying frequency and intensity. If you become aware of this, you can learn to select and alter styles and behavior so you can choose what is most appropriate suited for certain situations.” Why Should I Use It When getting it right first time matters, the Lifo® Method offers a truly fast, effective and lasting path to high performance in individuals, teams and organisations. How Does The LIFO® Method Work LIFO® Methodology Personal growth occurs first through self-assessment. To do this, an instrument was developed (THE LIFO® Life Orientations Survey) to help people survey their strengths and to provide a tool for making it easy to communicate about personal differences. It was intended that “the (instrument) would encourage each of us to explore ourselves in a relatively non-defensive way and to share the insight gained in a way that would help us work better with others. The LIFO® Survey was designed as a means to discover one’s personal strengths and improve communication. It was never intended to be an instrument for diagnosis! The survey also provides a means of differentiating between “intention”, “behavior”, and “impact” on others. That provided a means for assessing consistency between these three dimensions. Recognizing consistency or non-consistency (personal congruence) can “…have us examine our intentions, the choice of behavior, and the effects we have as a result of such use. When results do not reflect what is desired, management processes need to be used: to recognize the situation involved, the other person, our real intentions and the meaning of the behavior we selected, and the change required.” Viewed this way, the analysis of the survey results makes the LIFO® Survey a personal change management tool. Where Did It Come From This practical methodology is based on a sound psychological model that can be applied equally to individuals, teams and organisations. How Is The LIFO® Method Different The Lifo® Method has so many advantages over other instruments. It takes a fundamentally different approach from typing or labeling. It holds that you are not one type or another: it demonstrates that people prefer some behavioral styles more than others. Though it begins with a styles-based instrument, it does not typecast people. The LIFO Survey describes differences in behavior, rather than perception and judgment as does the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI). People are willing and able to change what they do. Perception and judgment are much less amenable to change. Styles, not Types Once again, there is “a bit of philosophy” : All four styles are part of us. Styles! Not types. The term “type” has the clear implication that you are a “driver” or an “analytical”, etc. There are no types in the LIFO® Method and thus, for example, also no “drivers.” There are for example different styles (a collection of behaviors, attitudes, and values related to a common principle: e.g. a Controlling-Taking, i.e. activity-oriented, style. As mentioned before, none of you fits neatly into one type-box. There is no stamp on your forehead. You have a strength-profile that is composed of four such behavioral orientations that you use with differing frequency, intensity, and skill. The LIFO® method does not use attention-grabbing terminology for styles, but simply words that capture the basic behavior of the style.
Preferred, Backup, and Least Preferred Styles
Favorable Versus Unfavorable Conditions When people encounter Unfavorable Conditions, many tend to change their style-profile. What are Unfavorable Conditions? “Uncomfortable” situations are those that are “tight” decision-making ones, social stress, conflicts with others. The profile shifts in more than 50% of all survey evaluations we have seen in many years of working with the LIFO Surveys. Another style may become the preferred one and/or the backup one. Even if profile does not change much outwardly, we are able to detect many shifts when evaluating surveys that tell us about the “inner contest” between people’s intentions and the possible behaviors that they have at their disposal.
IBI – Intention, Behavior, Impact A LIFO® Survey also asks you how you behave, or sometimes even only which words in lists of adjectives apply to you. You are asked:
These perspectives help provide information to make sure you are being received as you intended.
LIFO® METHOD Quick Reference Guide
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