Effort Shape and Individual Difference

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movement pattern analysisLamb affirmed that “effort goes with shape organically.”  Yet careful study of an individual’s movement pattern will reveal an emphasis on effort more than shape, or vice versa.   Lamb came to feel that this difference was fundamental and significant.

For example, he observed that an emphasis on effort reflected an Assertion-oriented approach to decision making.  Such a person is driven, applying his or her energies, both physical and mental, to make things happen.  This decision-maker gets results by focusing, applying pressure, and setting the pace.

An emphasis on shape reflects a Perspective-oriented approach to decision making.  An analogy to drawing is helpful here.  If I’m drawing an apple, and I change my position relative to this object, my view and perspective also changes.  Thus shifting places and shaping the body allows the decision-maker to see the situation from different angles, broadening the scope, gauging value, and projecting the steps needed to reach a goal.

Recent pilot studies have shown that the relative emphasis on either Assertion or Perspective is predictive of how much information and how much time an individual needs to make a decision.   These results demonstrate the validity of movement  analysis when compared with other established criteria for discerning individual differences in decision making.

There is, of course, much more nuance in a Movement Pattern Analysis profile.  From a research perspective, however, it is vital to test the most global factors first before digging deeper.  With positive results to date, research efforts can continue.  There is still much to be learned!

What Makes a Good Team?

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movement pattern analysis teamLong before diversity became a political issue, Warren Lamb was encouraging diversity in management teams.  His model of diversity was not based on age, race, creed, or gender. Rather it was based on decision-making style.

Lamb found that the best teams are made up of people who have different decision-making strengths.   That is, you need someone on the team who is strongly motivated to Investigate, someone who Explores, someone who is quite Determined, someone high in Timing and so on.

There is just one problem.  When people approach decisions in very different ways, they are likely to get on each other’s nerves.  The Commitment-oriented individual wants to take action here and now.  The Attention-oriented person needs time to think things over and have a good look around.  Attenders can bother the Intention- oriented person who feels the first thing to be done to get to grips with the issues and resolve what needs to be done.  So there is a lot of potential for conflict in a diverse team.

And this is where the third value comes in – divergent decision makers need to learn to tolerate each other’s approaches and to appreciate what these very different motivations bring to the table.

So, in addition to Warren Lamb’s grounded theory, which brings meaning to patterns of movement, I would like to add three values that are equally important to the practice of Movement Pattern Analysis and particularly important at this moment: respecting individuality, fostering diversity, and encouraging tolerance.