You don’t need a survey to understand your personality, or anyone else’s either. All the profiling tools – DISC, MBTI, 16 Personalities, the Big 5, etc. – share the same pedigree. They’re all based on similar conceptual frameworks and key ideas in over a hundred years of psychological theories.
But a personality profiling tool can only ever give you a snapshot in time of how you see yourself in that moment. And because it’s subjective and self-reported, it can give you different results depending on how you feel in the moment and what you’re experiencing. Your car’s dashboard will give you different information about your speed, engine temperature and fuel level when you’re driving on the highway than if you’re parked in your garage. In the same way, you’ll get one set of survey results if you’re tired or stressed or under pressure at work, and different results if your feeling relaxed and in control, or on holidays, or just got a promotion.
Plus, our personality changes over time and at different stages of life – especially if we experience significant life-altering events such as getting married or divorced, moving interstate or overseas, having children, losing a loved one, being promoted or changing careers.
What all the profiling tools share is a focus on some very common patterns of human behaviour. So rather than getting locked in to a specific profile or survey result, it’s easier and more effective to simply understand some of these patterns and how to recognise them.
There are four easily indentifiable patterns in human behaviour. Each pattern is a pair of contrasting approaches that exist on a spectrum. We all use both aspects of each pair, however, we have an unconscious bias, a preference that feels easier and more comfortable to use one more ofetn thatn the other. Like right or left handedness, we have dominant and supporting modes of behaviour. Our preferred behaviour patterns need little thought or effort. While others require more conscious attention and energy.
To identify which pattern of behaviour is demonstrated, there are four simple questions we can ask:
What INFORMATION do we tune in to? Is it details? Or big picture?
How do we make DECISIONS? Is it with a focus on tasks? Or a focus on people?
Where is our ENERGY? Is it extroverted? Or introverted?
How do we take ACTION? Is it structured? Or go with the flow?
Remember, we all do both aspects of each pair. However, we have an unconscious bias towards one as our default preference. And while we may develop the skills to use both approaches to suit the context we are in, when we are stressed or tired or not paying attention, our default setting will come to the fore.
Knowing our own style is helpful – we can moderate our behaviour as needed.
Knowing other people’s preferred style is even better – we can put ourselves in their shoes and communicate in ways they are more likely to relate to.
Watch the video HERE
For more details and to think about your own preferences, download the Workbook HERE
Like to know more? Let’s talk. Click here to contact me