For this installment of Flashback Friday – on Halloween – I’m bringing back the focus to YOU. It’s a post called Understanding YOU…enjoy!
One of the best things you can do for those that you lead is to find out more about YOU. We all operate within a box that is defined by our habits, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations – and if we don’t fully understand how we’re wired, then we will either continue to make the same mistakes over and over OR we will have successes (in relationships, in meeting goals, etc.) and not fully know why thereby lowering the possibility of repeating those successes.
The best place to start is by taking a look at our personality. Now, there are a number of assessments out there that you can take and they are all valuable in their own way. The most important part of any personality assessment are the results that you get. It is vital that it doesn’t just tell you what your personality type is -but that it tells you what it means practically in how you interact with others and how you react to certain situations.
I like simple. And, I like to be able to conveniently label myself and others. So, my preferred personality assessment is the DiSC profile. It puts people into four primary categories – Dominant, Influencer, Steady, and Conscientious. Of course, there are varying degrees of each one, but it is a way to lump people (and yourself) into one of the four categories.
I will talk about this in future posts – but I am a ‘C’ personality, or conscientious. This means that I am analytical and a deep thinker. It also means that I like facts and when a situation doesn’t have adequate research or supporting information, I tend to be skeptical and uncomfortable making solid decisions. Being a ‘C’ personality also means that I can come across as cold and uncaring. I’m sure you can already see a number of benefits to knowing all of these things about myself…
The amazing thing about understanding you is that it will have a profound impact on how you interact, not only with a group of employees, but also with your boss, your spouse, and even your children. And once you understand you, then I would recommend assessing those that you lead (including spouses and children) and take a look at the compatibility of those relationships. Once you understand you, you can greatly increase your effectiveness as a leader!
So, what personality assessments have you taken in the past? Were they accurate? How were you able to use the information they provided?