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The 4 P Framework

Writer's picture: ShekarShekar

Updated: Apr 3, 2022

Manage your personality and image in an increasingly digital world; learn how to avoid the "foot-in-mouth" syndrome using the 4P framework.

Life is a journey that takes us through a series of experiences. At several points in our journey, we come across intersections which require us to navigate ourselves carefully.

Think of a typical four way crossing - we have four sides along which traffic could potentially flow. At the intersection, traffic merges and separates out again to go its own way. There may or may not be traffic lights to warn and navigate us, but what is clear is the need to slow down and drive carefully through the junction, mainly to avoid a collision / accident.


Similarly, in our life journey, we often drive through such crossings, where our reputation and image is akin to the moving vehicle, the safety and direction of travel of which is critical to our very existence. Just as there are four areas, localities or zones along the four sides of the crossing, we have four distinct domains in our life through which we are required to navigate. And yet, unlike a road trip where these junctions come up once in a while, our life journey is constantly navigating between these four domains at all times. I call this the 4P crossing or the the 4P domain framework.


What are these 4 Ps ?


Our personality is shaped by our thoughts, opinions and actions. These can be broadly classified into four zones or domains : Personal, Private, Professional and Public. As social media and the era of “post truth” gain dominance, our ability to understand these four domains, their overlap and their contribution to perceptions become extremely important. Be it a relationship with an individual, or our credibility with our family members, our success at our workplace or even the public image we carry can be vastly impacted by our ability to navigate this “4P domain intersection”.


The beauty of this problem is that it is unique to every individual at that specific time of their life – there is no standard “Golden Quadrant” type solution that can be pulled out and applied universally. We are, as individuals, rapidly changing against a backdrop of massive transformation all around us. The best that can be done is to understand and become aware of the basic framework of the domains and an acceptable conduct under common circumstances that would occur in our everyday life – which would then boost our ability to steer between controversy and calm.


Let us now try to understand the 4Ps in a bit more detail.


Personal


This is the domain that is absolutely and completely our own. Our mind is an active mine of random and infinite thoughts that come and go. Many of these thoughts may not or cannot be shared with anyone else – even close friends or family. For example, those ideas we nurture in our head, the dreams we see, our deepest fears, our darkest thoughts, our prejudices, our feelings, our faith and belief systems, our personal desires and secrets, preferences etc. It is like the contents of a diary / journal that we do not want anyone else to read. This is also a reason why many people want to calm their mind through meditation and other means – so that there is better order and control over what is generated and stored in the personal domain.


This is not to say that everything in this domain will remain there forever (remember that there is a time, place and context that determines the validity of the domains). For example, your first crush in school might be in this domain for a long time, but many years later, you might actually share it with a few close friends in a lighter vein. Or the opinion you carry about your boss or colleague, what you think of your neighbour or in-laws ( if you are smart, this is best kept buried as a deep secret).


Private


I call the second domain “private” as it refers to controlled information that is specific and limited for use only for its stated purpose and audience. In other words, this is about those facts and details known only to a limited circle of close friends and family that we choose carefully – based on our confidence and trust in them. Typical examples of what comprises this domain would include confidential topics that we share with close friends and family, financial / investment details, values and preferences, our relationships, aspirations, feelings, emotions and so on. The topics and contents vary depending on our circle of closeness – the intensity and number of people involved. Sometimes, it may not be a close relationship but will still warrant information staying limited in this domain – for example, our health details as discussed with the doctor or a person writing a will with the help of a lawyer. In both these cases, the professional Code of behaviour and Guidelines of Conduct of the doctor and lawyer warrants the shared information to remain "Private and Confidential", limited to the purpose of its use.


Professional


As the name suggests, our personality as seen at our workplace / profession / office is driven by what constitutes this domain. Professional engagements are driven by a limited business use, and are governed by strict codes of conduct and behaviour. While at work, we have to be very careful that we follow the appropriate business ethics and code of conduct – it could be as simple as a dress code or cracking a joke at lunch or a bit more controversial like expressing our political views. Sometimes, a harmless act or speech could be seen as a violation of the professional code and lead to severe consequences. These days, technology plus mobility has made us carry our official work with us 24x7. Hence we represent our work at all times – sometimes, getting into a brawl in a pub or exhibiting road rage while driving could actually land us into trouble at work because we can be digitally tagged and dragged across domains. Therefore, this is the domain that requires us to be very alert, thoughtful and careful of at all times.


Public


Needless to elaborate, what we say and how we behave in public constitutes this domain – whether it is on the road, or at a stadium while watching a match or how we interact in our neighbourhood, at common places like train stations and airports….the list is endless. Civilised behaviour demands some common courtesies including a calm and pleasant demeanour, showing respect for others, being considerate and polite etc.


So what is the big deal about all this ?


While the explanation seems simple and logical, where we hit a roadblock is when we “drive through” or “navigate” the crossing. In an increasingly digitally connected world, nothing can be confined only to one domain - the domains are always overlapping.

The image above on the left shows us how the ideal world should be, but in reality, what you see on the right is what it is more like. This puts pressure and stress on the individual to determine what should be said, done or shared where and when and with whom.


For example, depending on the nature of the message you liked (on social media like Insta / FB) or re-tweeted, people (including your current and future employers) are going to draw conclusions about you. Depending on what you share, the borders and sanctity of your domains could get compromised, and therefore lead to unnecessary complications. The converse is also true – politicians and celebrities deliberately put out private topics or gossip to “draw eyeballs” or “trend” on social media. The height of this abuse is seen in the form of fake news making rampant inroads, creating impressions and opinions in a short span of time, that are not necessarily true. The impact can range from election results getting influenced to sometimes even causing riots.


As I said before, all of us navigate through the 4P crossing all the time – knowingly or unknowingly. The 4P profile changes with situation, time, profession and above all, the personality of the person. Some examples are shown in the image below:



Knowing one’s 4P profile and its variations and patterns over time / different situations will improve self awareness and overall, help individuals manage themselves better. In simple terms, it is a great self help tool. It also helps in exploring and understanding the complex connections involving personal behaviour, societal changes and the journey of our evolution and civilization.



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© 2022  Shekar Ramamurthi

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