Based on theories of Erich Fromm, Carl Rogers and Peter Drucker, The LIFO® Method was originally developed in 1960 and used thereafter in many business and governmental organizations. Modifications and additions have expanded applications to a wide variety of cultures and areas of knowledge. Designed for helping managers to improve interpersonal effectiveness it now offers major programs in: Strategic business planning, management and organization development, team building and performance, selection, styles of learning, overcoming sales resistance , managing stress and career planning.
It Stands For Life Orientation: Your Basic Preference For Acting In Situations:
The individual's combination of orientations can be ascertained via results from a standardized and validated questionnaire. The results show which orientations are preferred (most and least), when dealing with routine and stress situations.
Many years of research have shown that a close relationship exists between a person's strengths and weaknesses. Strong points in a character will become weaknesses under excessive use. Someone who is strong on cooperation will probably follow others too easily. Or a person who depends on analysis and research will become indecisive during difficult situations requiring immediate action. Self-confidence can become arrogance, changing leadership into tyrannical behavior.
The core of the method is to create increased recognition and insight into our strengths as a basis for using them productively, while avoiding their "excessive" use (Strength Management®).
Learning proceeds by identifying your personal strengths and orientations, confirming who you are and what you have going for you, understanding your vulnerabilities to excess, discovering your triggers for stress and capitalizing on your strengths to be more effective.
One of the most important characteristics of the LIFO method is that it does not suggest in any way that there is only one good style of working and behavior. Each preferred orientation is valuable. There is only a question of difference, not of inequality. There is no threat whatsoever of being criticized or ridiculed for "what one is". Unfortunately, other methods usually insist upon enforcing certain arbitrary norms. The LIFO Method emphasizes strategies for leveraging the productive use of different styles within the team and the organization.
A second essential characteristic is the direct link that one can make between one's function, task, work situation, work problems and cooperation with colleagues and supervisors. This means that the switch to organizational change and distribution of tasks in working and decision-making procedures can be made quickly and effectively.
Therefore LIFO applications do not mean a forced way of changing people. On the contrary, the application concentrates on improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of the organization and its functioning. The sole use of the method for training purposes as an individual learning process is therefore a restricted application. Entries are concrete problems concerning the business-like functioning of the organization.