1

DLSU-GSB-BUS8300/Module on “Family Life”

Session III: The Influence of My Family of Origin

MY CAREER GENOGRAM

Guides to Genogram Presentation:

In preparing your genogram, ask yourself these questions and share the answer in your
genogram presentation.

1. What were your grandparents’ and parents’ educational and career goals?

1.1 Were they able to achieve these? Who and what helped?
1.2 Are they similar / different from your own goals? In what way?

2. How were successes and failures handled in your family?

2.1 What were the effects of these experiences on you and on your other family
members?
2.2 What effect did these successes and failures have on shaping your values and
beliefs about the purpose of work, meaning of success and significance of
money?

3. What did your grandparents expect of your father/mother when they were growing up?
(Intelligence, achievement, hard work, obedience, etc.)

3.1 While growing up, what was your role or job assignment in and out of the family?
How were these expectations similar/different from those your father/mother had
when they growing up?
3.2 How did you feel about these expectations then?
3.3 How are these affecting your work ethics now?

4. How was the relationship of your parents to your grandparents?

4.1 How did this affect their life and work?

4.2 How did this affect your parents’ relationship with you?
4.3 How did this affect your choice of career? Did it encourage or discourage you in
working for your own goals?
4.4 Were there any direct or indirect requests for your career goals? (Threatened,
demanded, or were you given a choice, left on your own?)
4.5 How did you respond to the request?
4.6 How do you feel now about the way you responded then to your family’s
preference regarding your career?

File:dlsu 3 CAREER GENOGRAM.doc\Myrna

 2

5. If you look back to your grandparents and parents and the stories you heard about their
lifestyle, work and relationships, what values, strengths and weaknesses were passed
down to your generation? (Strengths such as: Industry, perseverance, education,
respect, God centeredness, etc. / Weaknesses such as: Abuse, alcoholism or addiction,
infidelity, tendency to withdraw, etc.)

5.1 How do these affect you now at home, at work and in relating to others?
5.2 How do these affect the way you handle problems and make decisions?
5.3 Do these experiences have any bearing on the choices you have made or are
making in your career?

6. How did you feel about your gender and sibling position with regards to roles and
expectations? (Be surrogate parent to younger sibling, run household, expected to
financially support family, etc.)

6.1 What skills and responsibilities did these assignments require you to develop?
6.2 How have these skills and responsibilities shown up in your career path?
6.3 Were there any assignments you would have preferred instead of the ones you
were given? Why?

7. Did your parents agree or disagree on your academic career goals?

7.1 Why and how did they disagree?

7.2 How were you affected by their disagreements?
7.3 Did you have to choose between them? What was the effect of this on you, then
and now?
7.4 In retrospect, did you make the right choice?

8. Was one parent closer to you or more involved with your choices?
8.1 How was this closeness explained?
8.2 How was the distance from the other parent explained?
8.3 How did your closeness or distance affect your relationship from your siblings, then
and now?
8.4 What would be different now if you were close to both of your parents, then?

Points for analyses:

1. Note occupational and life-career balance patterns represented in your three-

generation family tree.
2. Consider any family pressures, constraints, or expectations influencing your career
choice. Look into the possible influence of any “hand-me-down dreams” – the
unfulfilled life career aspirations of your parents and grandparents tat you are
unconsciously – or even consciously – trying to fulfill.
3. Look into family influences on your relationship at work – with authority figures, in
your teams, with subordinates.
4. Define your family of origin’s value about work, success, and money.
5. Consider the feelings you have about your current work and work-life balance.

File: dlsu 3 CAREER GENOGRAM..doc\Myrna