When was the last time you were with someone who seemed to have the ability figure everyone out? They could articulate the reasons someone was acting a certain way or said a certain thing because they ‘know the type’. Is that annoying to you or is it a skill you wish you had? I’m not one for putting people into boxes but I must say, knowing these tricks can make it a lot easier to know where to start. There are advantages to understanding Personality Profiles.
In Networking especially, I find it essential to have this tool because it helps me quickly assess a person so I can better relate to them. If I can make a good first impression, then the road is paved to create the relationship I want and need for my business. In my personal life it works well too so that when there is a conflict or problem I can immediately know how they are thinking and help to work it out in a way that makes sense to the person. Building any type of relationship takes time and trust. By using this level of understanding it can accelerate the process.
But how do you decide which type of Personality Profiles to focus on and use for your own advantage? Let’s look at just one type to see what we can learn. It is the Myers-Briggs assessment. It breaks down into sixteen categories and assigns four letters that correspond to you. This is a personal assessment tool that helps you understand yourself better and helps you see how others are different from you. I use this assessment in my own work helping others to better understand how to connect to God in the way they are wired.
You may have taken this assessment before. It defines you first as an Extrovert or Introvert. This does not mean being outgoing or a ‘people person’. This relates to if you are energized by people or not. Extroverts get more energy by being around people while Introverts gain energy from time alone.
The next level in this assessment is Intuition or Sensing. A Sensing person uses the world around them to make sense of things. They like to see, feel and experience the world through their senses. An intuitive person is more about the internal connections they can make and uses their imagination to add meaning to their world.
The next aspect of this personality profile is Thinking or Feeling. This really looks at how the person makes decisions. Both take in information but the filter they run it through is either the mind or the heart. The thinking person uses rationale and intellect while the feeling person who uses their emotions and circumstances to assess a situation.
The Judging or Perceptive distinction does not mean a person is judgmental or not. Again, it is a process of how they attack and understand the world. A Judging person evaluates based on systems that are rooted in creating conclusions whereas the Perceptive uses more impressions and wants to keep things open.
These are very basic descriptions for the types. And, I like to use a version of the assessment that gives me the percentages for each category. A person who is 78% Extroverted is very different from a person who is on 1% Extroverted. You can see why having a scale within can be very helpful. Again, this is just a start to understanding why someone says something to you that seems random or does something that you don’t quite fully understand. But, by being aware, it is the first step to building a bridge of understanding and gives you the ability to relate to them on a new level.
Have I intrigued you about this tool to help you get to know yourself and others better? Do you see the advantage of deeper understanding of individuals as you relate to business associates, personal friends, and even family members? This is just the first step. Know yourself better and understand who you are so you can relate better to others. That is what I want for you.
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