Opinion: "Social Styles" course (Wilson Leaning)

[Chico Man]

I'm required to take a two day seminar called "Social Styles" by Wilson learning by my employer.

A co-worker who took the class some time ago let me borrow their class materials for review.

The class attempts to classify all people into four main categories: Amiable, Analytical, Driver, and Expressive.

A pre-requisite for the class is to personally survey 5 people with a scan tron answer sheet. These people should fill out the sheets so that they can be plugged into a computer software program and your own profile will be calculated.

I am quite skeptical about the course and its overall intentions. Sure, improving interpersonal relationships within a corporate setting is a noble goal. However, I cannot understand basing a course on the definition of four classifications for something as complicated as a human being.

Truthfully, it looks to me like one step in the overall goal of "losing self" in the workplace. You are one of 4 classifications, take it or leave it. You should act this way when interacting with people that have been classified as this other type. Interpersonal relationships become systemized, pre-calculated, and predictable.

They certainly don't spell it out that way, but I cannot help but think of it in that way.

Am I just being cynical.. or realistic? For those of you familiar with what I would call brainwashing.. is this class worth the time? Or is it just another tool for the corporate heads to sand down their employees even more into a dull pulp?

[mhr]

1. Homogenized Corporate Drones - You Now Understand Perfectly

eom

[MaineDem]

2. I went through this many years ago

At least it was something very similar. It was Wilson Learning.

I always felt like my company was trying to put us all into little niches. "Brainwashing" came to mind. But it was a couple days away from my desk and I went 'cause I needed the training credits.

Take from it what you can but don't buy into it 100% blindly. SOunds like you're thinking that way already.

[Chico Man]

3. Thanks for the response.......

I'll follow that approach.

:)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. All of these Social Styles classes are derived from Myers-Briggs

or Eneagram-type indicators. I remember I took one of those classes at a job and it was a waste of time.