4 Blood Types GraphicLifeblood is “the indispensable factor or influence that gives something its strength and vitality.”1 That perfectly describes employees in an organization.  They bring energy (a pulse) and nourish the company and its customers while removing obstacles that impede progress.

 

Using blood as an analogy for a company’s employees we can see how the blood types are distributed throughout the organization. Blood is categorized into 4 main types: O, A, B and AB. Let’s begin with a breakdown of each blood type.2

 

Blood Type Percentages

 

Type O is the most common blood type. It is always in demand and is often in short supply. This blood type is representative of the employees in the organization. These employees can be further segmented as O+ (plus meaning more instead of positive) and O- (minus meaning less instead of negative). The “more” and “less” distinctions are important because O- is the rarer of the two and thus represents the very small number engaged employees while O+ represents the majority of employees in a given company: those that are not engaged.

 

To take our analogy further, we can consider the remaining blood types as representations of company management.  We have the Type A, Type B, and Type AB managers.

 

In a previous post, The Type B Manager: Insights for Improved Employee Engagement, we looked at the differences between Type A and Type B Managers and noted that both could learn from each other in an effort to be better at managing others, i.e. Type AB.

 

Type A managers are the most typical management type and are represented as the second largest group within a company.  They are known for being hard-driving, competitive, high achievers. As with the employees, there are a larger number of A+ (more) managers that are not engaged and fewer A- (less) managers that are engaged.

 

Type B Managers are known for being more relaxed, less competitive, more reflective, and slower to anger. They follow the same pattern as the employees and Type A Managers, most are not engaged (B+) and those remaining are considered to be engaged (B-).

 

The final group included managers that fall into the Type AB group.  These managers represent the most rare blood type of the four which is appropriate since this type of manager is comprised of both Type A and Type B manager characteristics.  Again, these managers can be divided into the not engaged (AB+) and engaged (AB-).

 

Given the high percentage of + (more) blood types, disengagement is the norm in most companies.  Disengagement causes lower productivity and thus less attention is paid to improving the company and in removing obstacles that impede progress. As these obstacles go unaddressed, they begin to build up and, like plaque that builds up in arteries, this further slows the organization and eventually chokes off the blood supply completely causing the organization to falter.

 

 

What are your thoughts on this analogy? What additional observations can you add to this analogy?

 

 

 

1 “Google.” Google. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. <https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&safe=off&q=lifeblood+definition>
2 Cicetti, Fred. “What’s the Most Common Blood Type?” LiveScience. Purch, 13 July 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. <http://www.livescience.com/36559-common-blood-type-donation.html>.

 

Let’s Engage!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

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