Professional Development


23 - Parent-Child transactions
It is interesting to see the relationships and functional problems in an organization through the techniques and terminology of transactional analysis, not necessarily in a business setting, but also in a family. For example, when Parent-Child transactions occur in an organization it usually follows that the boss retains complete control over the activities and results of their co-workers or subordinates, and as a consequence there is a lack of freedom of action, there is no delegation of work or responsibility. Risk taking is minimized, but dependence is created and the co-workers do not learn to make decisions. It is an effective system and organization, and it saves time, since decisions will be made even without good communication. Orders are definitive and undisputed, but creativity is curbed and it can become bureaucratic. Activities are carried out according to a single pattern or criterion. It is difficult to replace such a boss since this makes them irreplaceable and indispensable, and work routines are established.