In my previous post, The Hero’s Journey and the Employee Engagement Journey, I compared the 12 steps of The Hero’s Journey to the Employee Engagement Journey. To refresh your memory, “I came upon the story of Christopher Vogler, a Hollywood film producer and writer. He wrote the “seven page studio memo, “A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces””1 “for Disney Studios on the use of The Hero with a Thousand Faces as a guide for scriptwriters; this memo influenced the creation of such films as Aladdin, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. Vogler later expanded the memo and published it as the book The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers, which became the inspiration for a number of successful Hollywood films and is believed to have been used in the development of the Matrix series.”2
In addition to the 12 steps of The Hero’s Journey, Christopher Vogler further describes seven archetypes who appear in stories.3 Before we get to them, let’s first define what “archetype” means.
“Archetype [ahr-ki-tahyp]
noun
- the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.
- in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.”4
An archetype in this case is meant to symbolize a universal character. “Many literary critics are of the opinion that archetypes, which have a common and recurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literary work.”5
In the case of The Hero’s Journey, the seven archetypes are: Hero, Mentor, Threshold Guardian, Herald, Shapeshifter, Shadow, and Trickster.6 Let’s look at each of these as defined by Vogler and in relation to how they apply to archetypes in The Employee Engagement Journey.
Perhaps understanding the employee engagement archetypes will allow us to recognize the types of people we might encounter in the employee engagement journey and help us anticipate the types of challenges we may face in dealing with them.
What have you learned from your employee engagement journey? What stories, tips, etc., do you have for your fellow Agents?
1 “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers – History.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
2 “The Hero with a Thousand Faces – Artists Influenced by the Work.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
3 “Vogler’s Archetypes.” Changing Minds. Changing Minds. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
4 “Archetype.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
5 “Archetype – Definition and Examples of Archetype.” Literary Devices. Literary Devices. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
6 “Vogler’s Archetypes.” Changing Minds. Changing Minds. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
P.S. First time here? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement site. Thanks for taking the time to stop by! I hope you’ll explore the rest of the site. Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you.
Other recent Agent in Engagement articles by Gregory F Simpson:
- Employee Engagement Briefing for Week of October 6 – 10, 2014
- The Hero’s Journey and the Employee Engagement Journey
- What Crayons Can Teach Us About Employee Engagement
- Employee Engagement and Opportunity Cost
- Now / Later / Soon: The Semblance of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music to Employee Engagement
- Dear Managers, Here’s Some Feedback
- When is Your Personal Fiscal Year?
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