( A walk in the personality ‘park’ under temperament ‘trees’ & social style ‘leaves’ )
Personalities.
We all have one.
And we know others do, too.
Far from an earth shattering observation, mind you. Yet, why do so many entrepreneurially minded pros, whether in a sales role, running a micro or small business, or self-employed ( CPA, consultant ), not lean into their personality type, or gloss over them entirely?
One root reason? Conventional classroom based schooling, whether primary/secondary (‘K-12’), collegiate/undergrad, even graduate program studies, oft times don’t include it in curricula, required or elective.
I’ve discussed becoming a self educated, lifelong learner, with no expectation of credentials before; now this becomes ever more valuable, since there are so many ‘trees’, with multi colored ‘leaves’ in this ‘park’. Said another way, there’s much to share about how much potential power there is in knowing about your own personality & temperament, let alone those of your client/customer, your staff, & your prospects.
“You’re too much of an introvert, Emma. Join us at happy hour to network! ”
“I think I’m an extrovert, Lianne; do you agree?”
Introvert. Extrovert.
Two commonly mouthed words in many professional workplaces in all industries, in your home office, & at the coffee shop.
We should be more specific; we mustn’t over complicate matters, however, the more we can unpack ( depth ) & expand our horizons ( width ), it’ll benefit our businesses in a number of different ways.
The DISC model has a long & storied history
( to trace it: Timeline )
DISC ** is unencumbered by complexity; most anyone can clearly interpret the results from the assessment.
I stress that it’s an assessment & spotlights preferences & tendencies, and is not a test, nor an exam.
If you’re having challenges with closing sales, or tend to be someone who wants to please everyone, you just might be an ‘S’.
Are you often inadvertently forgetting appointments, or talking your way out of a deal? Say ‘hi, ‘I’ !’
Maybe you’ve had issues with turnover, or staff satisfaction in your workplace? Look into swapping your ‘leader’ , who is a ‘D’ style , for someone else.
Or, perhaps you need someone to do your financials for you that won’t miss a single number? Put a ‘C’ in this position.
This model was the first that I learned about, not long after my professional development journey began nine years ago this month.
While the roots of it are birthed in faith, please don’t assume or close your mind off to how it can apply to any type of workplace, for a sales manager/team, or in your home based business.
The four types which Mrs. Littauer discusses have history stretching back millennia, to ancient times. One small drawback is a need to learn, or brush up ( if you’ve been classically, or liberal arts centric educated ) on what ‘choleric’, ‘sanguine’, ‘phlegmatic’, & ‘melancholy’ mean, before you read the books *** & take the assessment.
I’ve found much value in combining DISC & Personality + together when I talk with others; it’s a double dose of learning how to better walk in the ‘personality park’.
*** please see below for all 3 #mustreads
MBTI
Myers-Briggs [Type Indicator/s] usually is the 1st to be recognized: some would say it exemplifies what marketers refer to as the ‘First-Mover Advantage’
This isn’t to downplay its value due to age, or perhaps apparent complexity. There’s much value in being aware of it, & perhaps deploying in your assessment ‘toolbox’ for talent, or people development; sales training; & as a high value input into hiring, firing, & promotability decision making.
MBTI Online is a great place to start to build understanding of this model’s philosophical underpinnings and practical applicability to your business/workplace, and you’ll also find certain consultants, trainers, & coaches who leverage it, such as Jeff ( someone I know fairly well. )
Tying it Together
Silo’ed results, in any business let alone an academic setting, isn’t ideal. So, let’s do our best to intermingle all 3 measures of personality, temperament, & social style together.
MBTI’s ‘E’ & ‘J’ = ‘D’ (ISC) = ‘Choleric’ while ‘N’ & ‘P’ = ( D ‘I’ (SC)) = ‘Sanguine’ , as ‘I’ & ‘F’ = (DI ‘S’ ( C)) = ‘Phlegmatic’ , & … lastly, MBTI’s ‘S’ & ‘T’ = ((DIS) ‘C’ ) = ‘Melancholy’
Lots of letters …
Some lingo/language that might be unfamiliar, let alone the acronym.
Please embrace your walk, and study the leaves under the trees. 🙂
Suggested Social Profiles
Personality + ‘s Marita (daughter of Florence)
Interested in More?
There are gold & silver veins below the surface of this ‘park’.
Please invest time to buy your entrepreneurial pickaxe, plan a trip, and begin your dig!
*** All suggested books in the series ( PP 4 Parents ; PP – Original Bk ; & PP 4 Couples )
In short …
- The ‘gap’ : why personalities, temperaments, & social styles oft aren’t utilized.
- Generic labels
- Model 1 > DISC
- Pers + >> Model 2
- Model 3 >>> MBTI
- Intermingling all three models
- To continue your journey
Thank YOU for reading!
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Disclaimer: I’m an authorized partner & recommend DISC ahead of others, however, I’m very open minded & often will intermingle other models/assessments in my 1:1 mentoring, consulting projects, & family advising.
SJ Barakony is a serial entrepreneur, futurist, & connector.
He lives in Ohio & is the Founder of Service Before Self Leadership: An Educational Solutions Provider.
He offers four highly customizable solutions to encourage families, individuals, faith institutions, & business owners to create & cultivate lifelong learning cultures in our homes & workplaces.
He’s been a guest on an educational podcast; been interviewed for an online small business community; is a guest blogger for Innovate NA; and has been an invited speaker five separate times for HECOA.
He believes strongly in youth & social entrepreneurship: He continues to serve two chapters of the YEA program (student mentor, mock judge, ad hoc consultant ) & has co-facilitated a session of the SeaChange Accelerator program.
He serves as the TDD for Cleveland & Columbus (Ohio) for the H7 Network.
He also recently became an educational advisor for Tessr.io, a startup in the exciting world of blockchain/cryptocurrencies that will be establishing a cutting edge educational foundation.