It seems in this past year I have been learning a lot about different people and their personalities.  I am talking about dealing with my rackets, getting out of my box, learning the color of my brain, and what does it mean that I am a high A.  Before you think I’ve lost my mind, these are all different ways in dealing with what’s going on your head and the people around you.

Dealing with rackets is from Landmark Education. Basically it is differentiating between what is said and what our past experience tells us what was said.  Let me clarify – instead of just hearing the words a person is saying we interpret the meaning behind the words based on our past experience.  Of course we do, that’s what makes us who we are HOWEVER, this can get us in trouble since it may not be what the person means. Why? Because their experience is different.

Getting out of the box is a term from the Arbinger Institute. Again, our preconceived ideas about what is happening around us and always referring back to the “me” and not looking at things from the other person’s perspective. We have a choice on how to view things and to avoid self-deception. It is also about choosing to treat people as people and not object that we can manipulate, maneuver, etc. to get what we want.

Are you seeing a pattern yet?

What color is my brain? Is based on the Meyers Briggs inventory.  It’s a simplified and easy way to understand yourself and others by colors – there are only 4.  I like this since it follows my principal of “keep it simple”.  In my personal life I am an “orange” in my work life I’m “blue”.

High A and B, Low C and D is from Predictive Index. Each letter has a meaning, we are all four but we have a dominate trait or work style. I am a high A, I have a need for success and it drives what I do.  No wonder I started my own business.

Did you see the pattern? These are all different ways (among the many that are out there) of helping us understand who we are, what motivates us, and we relate to others.  These are also ways for us to understand others. This all may sound like a class in Psych 101 or may seems like that “touchy feely stuff” true and not true.

True in that there is no hard science behind people, people don’t carry name badges that say “I am a yellow brain with a high C”, however what all these do is give us pause to look at how we interact with others.  Sometimes we get so into what we are doing, our own goals, our needs that we forget that we need the assistance of others to get there.

Not true in that we need to understand those around us in order to work better together.  Take this opportunity to look at those you work with – how do they view the world, do you adjust the delivery of your message to their understanding?  After all, we as managers, leaders, business owners, and co-workers need to get our work done by the willingness, understanding and expertise of others.  Why not make sure you are understood the first time and in the best way.