An archetype is a
universally understood term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which
others are copied, patterned, or emulated. Archetypes are often used in myths and storytelling across
different cultures. In this case we are going to use this term as a model of a
person, personality, or behavior. These new forms of categorizing people in
different groups have a lot of benefits because they teach us more about
ourselves and make us realize why we react in certain ways during different
situations. In addition to that, leaders are continuously
changing as well as the work environment, which is becoming more complex and
competitive. Companies don’t want an individualistic leader anymore; they are
looking for leaders who have a good dynamic with the followers and similar
values to the company. Sometimes it can be hard to find the person that will
fit the role or position, but fortunately now we can use the archetypes to
learn more about the people we work with. Once we know the archetype, it will
be easier to figure out if it can be a good candidate for an organization. As I
mentioned before, the work environment is continuously changing and the
assessment of leadership potential and the development of leaders is now a top
priority for every organization. Therefore, the different types of archetypes
will make the job easier in order to find the combination of archetypes needed
to be effective in specific kinds of organizations.
I too found the concept of archetypes to be very interesting. I like how you commented on archetypes playing an important role in job selection because that really makes sense when you take time to think about it, and I wouldn't be surprised if certain employers were looking into archetypes before hiring. I feel as though in my current job my dominant archetypes are very compatible with the position that I'm in and I feel as though that is why I have been at my job for going on 6 months now. When reading about archetypes and the PMAI I found that we all have a little bit of each archetype present in us, but we only use certain ones in certain contexts. My question is, do you think we really use all of these archetypes in given situations? Or do you think that we consistantly use our dominant ones, in addition to maybe one or two more?
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI really like the archetype theory, but I think it could be dangerous to say we are catergorizing people in different groups.. this is one reason I did not like the trait based theory- because someone may think they should be doing or not doing something based on their "label". That being said, I do agree that archetypes help a person realize why they act in certain ways in certain situations. I think because archetypes change throughout ones life, I think it would be important to consider other factors when creating a successful team.
I enjoyed reading your blog.. it really made me think.. Any Thoughts?