Pamela Bond

Theoretical Foundation of the AC

The Authenticity Compass

Theoretical Foundation

The two supporting frameworks that define the Authenticity Compass are:

  • The Perception-Judgment (PJ) mental function framework is based on Carl Jung’s work
  • The PDCA Cycle of Success behavioral framework is based on the work of Edwards Deming

PJ Framework and the Work of Jung

When people’s minds are engaged, they are involved in two fundamental brain activities:

  • Taking in information, Perceiving
  • Organizing that information and coming to conclusions, Judging

Jung (1875-1961) identified two ways people perceive (i.e., take in information), which he called sensing (tangible facts) and intuition (intangible beliefs), and two ways people judge (i.e., organize information and draw conclusions), which he called thinking and feeling.

It is essential to understand perception and judgment are always employed by the brain in pairs. This means every time you take in information (perceive something), your brain also processes it (makes a judgment about it). While your brain employs only one PJ pair at a time, achieving success and happiness requires knowing how to make effective use of all four PJ pairs.

While these mental processes are available to and used by everyone, research has shown that people are innately different in how they perceive and judge, leading them to develop different personality traits and behavior patterns/habits.

The AC combines the two perception preferences with the two judgment preferences to form the four perception judgment (PJ) pairs. These four PJ pairs define the four Authenticity Compass Quadrants:

  • ST = Sensing-Thinking
  • SF = Sensing-Feeling
  • NT = Intuitive-Thinking
  • NF = Intuitive-Feeling
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PDCA Cycle of Success (Deming’s work)

Edwards Deming (1900-1993) was an American statistician who taught Japanese engineers after World War II how to produce high-quality goods without expensive machinery. By applying his techniques, Japanese businesses like Toyota, Fuji, and Sony experienced great success. In 1982, Deming wrote the book “Out of the Crisis” to help the US successfully compete with Japan.

Central to Deming’s teachings is what he called “The Cycle of Success.” This cycle is comprised of four interdependent activities that when aligned and supported result in the achievement of desired outcomes… no matter whether they are personal (such as losing weight) or business-oriented (such as strengthening sales). These four activities are planning, execution, monitoring, and inspiring change:

  • Planning drives execution.
  • Execution produces the “deliverables”.
  • Monitoring identifies when “deliverables" are not meeting specification.
  • Problems detected in monitoring inspire corrective action … which often requires revising the Plan.
  • The cycle repeats … until no longer needed.
PDCA cycle diagram with four steps.

Pulling it all together: the Authenticity Compass.

By connecting the perception-judgment and PDCA frameworks, you have the Authenticity Compass! The key takeaway is that each PDCA activity is primarily fueled by the energy of one PJ pair. Specifically:

  • Planning by intuitive thinking (NT)
  • Doing (i.e. Execution) by sensing-thinking (ST)
  • Checking (i.e. Monitoring) by sensing-feeling (SF)
  • Taking Action (i.e. Inspiring Change) by intuitive-feeling (NF)

Guiding Principles that support AC use:

  • Self-awareness and accountability are key to your success.
  • Being in a state of alignment means you are in harmony with the people and circumstances defining your life.
  • Being in a state of personal balance means you are in an optimal state of being. You are providing your mind, body, heart, and soul with the attention they require.
  • The choices you make determine your state of alignment and balance. Alignment, Balance and Choice are the ABC’s of Authenticity. Your choices define your life story.
  • Deming’s evidence-based Cycle-of-Success [the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle] is fueled by the mental function energy of the four PJ pairs (i.e. the four Authenticity Compass Quadrants).
  • Certain behaviors come naturally to you and are easier to learn and apply than others. This explains why one of the PDCA activities is most likely a “go to” activity of yours and most likely your dominant AC quadrant.
  • Typically, your easiest interactions are with people who think and act the same way as you. (i.e. They share the same dominant AC quadrant as you.)
  • In contrast, more difficult interactions tend to occur with individuals who behave differently than you. (i.e. Their dominant quadrant is either opposite or adjacent to yours.)
  • Life would be easier if you could only interact with others and spend time in situations that match the behaviors, skills, and strengths of your dominant quadrant. However, adult maturity does not work that way. Life requires learning how to face challenges. Your AC helps you recognize challenges as opportunities for skill development in one (or more) of the four AC quadrants.
Book cover: "The Authenticity Compass" by Pamela Bond.
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