Applications of Transactional Analysis

Transactional Analysis (TA), thus, facilitates communication. TA studies transactions amongst people and understands their interpersonal behaviour. It was developed by Eric Berne, a psychotherapist. He observed there are several ‘people’ inside each person who interact with other people in different ways.

Transactional Mind Games

Psychological ‘mind games’ played at work are often a series of repeated transactions. The game may make sense at some superficial level, but in the end, it’s typically about strengthening someone else’s psychological position or avoidance. For example, “Passing the Buck” often occurs in organizations that pass important decisions on up to different hierarchical levels of management. Another example is “The Blame Game,” an attempt to shift responsibility from one person or group to another.

A boss may play the “Why Don’t You/Yes But” game when he calls a meeting to get suggestions on some issue, but then puts down each suggestion offered by the employees only to point out that his solution is the best answer.

Emphasis on Stroking

An important part of transactional analysis techniques is the concept of stroking, suggests professional skills platform Tools Hero. Humans have a continual need for strokes, which can be understood as simple units of interpersonal recognition. Managers and supervisors can create a positive work environment and positive relationships with employees by giving constant strokes. Examples include verbal praise of an employee, compliments or positive feedback about a project. Strokes can also be physical, such as a handshake or pat on the back. Negative work attitudes may ensue if employees experience negative strokes, such as constant criticism from an overbearing boss.

Crossed Transactions

When observing transactional analysis in communication, it is common to see crossed transactions, which can take place between a supervisor and employees or between employees themselves. When crossed transactions occur, a break in communication likely results unless one person shifts his response to a complementary ego state. This may happen when the receiver forms the wrong impression about the sender’s message or responds in an ego state differently than what you might expect.

The Complementary Transaction

Successful communication in the workplace requires complementary transactions. This involves one person initiating a conversation in one of the three ego states, such as parent-to-child, and the respondent sending a reply back to the sending ego state, such as child-to-adult, Breathe HR explains.

For example, a supervisor communicates in the parent-to-child ego when he reprimands an employee for being late. If the employee responds by apologizing and saying it won’t happen again, the employee is in the child-to-parent ego state and the result is a complementary transaction.

Also, consider two co-workers evaluating a failed project. If one person sends an adult-to-adult message of “Let’s figure out what went wrong,” a complementary adult-to-adult response from the other would be “Yes, let’s get to work and find out what happened.”