The Adult | DKA Toolkit

The meeting escalated and you are not sure how. The conversation that should have lasted five minutes turned into an argument. Your direct report shuts down every time you give feedback and you cannot figure out why.

Every one of those situations has the same root cause: someone slipped out of Adult. The Adult teaches you Transactional Analysis -- Duane K. Andrews's framework for understanding which ego state is driving any conversation, staying composed when others are not, and communicating with the kind of calm authority that makes people actually listen.

◆ Understand the three ego states (Parent, Adult, Child) and how they drive communication
◆ Identify transactions and triggers -- what activates each ego state in workplace conversations
◆ Learn to stay Adult when others are operating from Parent or Child
◆ Master assertive communication as the behavioral expression of the Adult ego state
◆ Understand the difference between assertive, aggressive, passive, and passive-aggressive communication
◆ Apply TA to conflict: why conflict escalates and how to de-escalate by returning to Adult

Unlock Full Access -- $147

Already purchased? Enter your access code

Invalid access code. Please try again.

Have a membership? Sign in with your email

The Adult is a professional leadership tool built on the frameworks of Duane K. Andrews, MBA. Please acknowledge the following before proceeding.

I understand this is a leadership strategy tool, not therapy, counseling, or legal advice. Duane K. Andrews is an Organization Effectiveness Consultant and Executive Coach -- not a therapist or attorney.

I understand that my conversations are used to generate AI responses within this session only. No conversation data is stored or retained after the session ends.

I understand this tool provides strategy and frameworks, not guarantees. Every workplace situation is unique and results depend on many factors beyond any single conversation.

I am using this tool voluntarily to develop my professional capabilities and I take responsibility for how I apply what I learn here in my actual workplace.

The Adult

Are you taken seriously at work?

That question seems simple. But the answer is not about your credentials or your performance. It is about what ego state you are operating from -- and whether it is being received as Adult by the people who matter.

When you lead from Parent (directive, critical, moralizing), you get compliance or rebellion. When you lead from Child (reactive, defensive, emotional), you get dismissed. When you lead from Adult -- clear, direct, accountable, assertive -- you get influence.

I am The Adult. Tell me what conversation or dynamic you are navigating, and we will figure out exactly what ego state is driving it and how to bring it back to Adult.

The Adult

Where do you want to start?