In something as complex and far-reaching as space travel, including moon landings, spacecraft, and astronauts dependent on people on the ground, you can imagine that clear communication is incredibly important. It is therefore not surprising that the origins of PCM trace back to precisely this environment.
Let's take you back in time. To the 1970s, to be precise. Dr. McGuire, the psychiatrist for the American space agency NASA, invited clinical psychologist Dr. Taibi Kahler to apply the groundbreaking insights from his personality research at NASA. As a researcher, Kahler discovered stress patterns that we all exhibit – and what it takes to be at our best.
Astronaut Selection
Taibi Kahler was asked to assist in selecting the best astronaut teams for space missions. Selecting an astronaut is no easy task. An astronaut must be the best of the best, both physically and mentally. You can imagine that astronauts find themselves in situations of intense stress. Therefore, many factors must be considered during selection; think of teamwork, precision, and efficiency.
Kahler's role was to participate in interviews during the selection process. However, he only needed to sit in the corner of the room and observe. Using his blueprint of the current Process Communication Model, Kahler categorized candidates into one of six personality types by observing their verbal and non-verbal cues. During the evaluation, NASA's psychiatrist found that after just ten minutes of observation, Kahler's method provided as much or more insight into a candidate than a standard psychological interview lasting several hours. Impressed, McGuire invited Kahler to join NASA and apply his PCM methodology.
Perseverer energy leading the way
After years of applying PCM, it was time to compile the findings. One personality type, in particular, stood out within the astronaut community: individuals with a lot of Persister energy. For example, in 1984, '85, and '87, as many as 71 percent of NASA astronauts belonged to this type. This was due to their underlying drive for perfection and commitment. The second most common personality type was individuals with Organized Thinker energy. These two personality types together made up 93 percent of the entire astronaut population; they get along well because they are both logical and rational. The type that did not fit was someone with a lot of Rebel or Promoter energy: their spontaneous, impulsive nature and irresponsible reaction to stress made this a very dangerous personality type for an astronaut.
Naturally, for good long-term cooperation, a good team needs harmony, in the form of connectors. This raised the need for people with a lot of Harmonizer energy: they are more people-oriented. This personality type is now the third most common type among astronauts. What you won't find in space are people with a lot of Dreamer energy: there is simply no 'room' for this free, creative type at NASA.
In 1982, Dr. Kahler further developed his questionnaire into what is now the Process Communication Model®. Kahler has always remained true to his mission: not to pigeonhole people, but to recognize, celebrate, and leverage their differences. This approach also proved to be a brilliant success at NASA.
