Human Dynamics: A New Framework for Understanding People & Realizing the Potential in Our Organizations

by Sandra Seagal, David Horne

Based upon 17 years of ongoing research involving more than 40,000 people from over 25 cultures, extensively field-tested, and adopted internationally by Fortune 500 companies, Human Dynamics? is a developmental system that demystifies the complexities of how people function and interact with one another. Human Dynamics presents a powerful framework for understanding the distinct ways in which we process information, learn, communicate, relate with one another, manifest stress, maintain well-being, and develop as human beings. At the heart of Human Dynamics are the three universal principles we all share in different capacities--mental, emotional, and physical--fundamental threads that cross culture, age, race, and gender to unify us all. As we learn to appreciate our commonalities and differences, we can use our unique gifts and apply new understanding to enrich our relationships, heighten "collective intelligence", communicate more effectively, work together more productively, enhance creativity, optimize team learning, and strengthen organizational performance. Actual accounts from major companies including Intel Corporation, Intermountain Healthcare System, and London Life Insurance Company document how Human Dynamics can optimize business relationships, organizational learning, teamwork, and communication.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Psychology, Reference

335 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jan Höglund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introduction
The underlying direction and purpose of this book is to enhance the quality of life that people express individually and collectively.[1] People are different both in how they process information, and in what information they process.[2]

Nine Personality Dynamics
Nine different personality dynamics are identified based on people's mental, emotional, and physical capacities. The book presents five of them, which make up over 99.9% of the population.[3] The authors claim that most people in West are emotional-physical (55%) or emotional-mental (25%), while most Japanese are physical-mental, and a majority of Chinese are physical-emotional. The authors suggest that the fundamental difference between East and West derive more from these differences in personality dynamics than from the differences in culture.[4] What if it's the other way around—or, at least, works both ways—that the culture influences each individual's personality dynamics?

Conclusions
The construction of the nine different personality dynamics feels artificial to me. While reading, I couldn't identify my own personality dynamic. Maybe it's because I had difficulties in remembering each personality dynamic. Or, maybe, it's because I'm in that 0.1% of the population which isn't covered by the book? Anyway, the key takeaway for me is that people have genuine, and often drastically different, ways of looking at the world. Different ways of perceiving, processing, and acting. Talking about that and how we need to deal with each other is eye-opening, challenging, inspiring, and painful—regardless of the framework used.

Notes:
[1] Sandra Seagal and David Horne, Human Dynamics: A New Framework for Understanding People and Realizing the Potential in Our Organizations (Pegasus, 1997), p. 13.
[2] Ibid., pp. 30, 32.
[3] Ibid., p. 23.
[4] Ibid., pp. 32--34.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed and thought provoking.

[Terry Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like most of all other systems for explaining human personalities establish boxes to place individuals. Like a pinball, one bounces about via the diagnostic questions and lands in a box, which supposedly explains all the important aspects of the individual. Human Dynamics has individuals self identify which dynamic best explains them, as they relate to other people with a different dynamic. This isn’t a box but a starting point of how each individual processes the world. The perspectives gained provide insights for future growth and improved communication. I found this system much more useful than other systems.

[Elaine Shandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on understanding personalities. I need to get the book back from a friend who borrowed it so that I can review it again!

[Rodrigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!! Provides a different way to look at people and interactions you may have with them, and in fact help you improve them with time, read it!!!.