Imagine you’re at a karaoke bar with a bunch of friends or coworkers. The place is buzzing, and you notice not everyone’s itching to hop on the stage to grab the mic. Some people are fighting to be first, while others are happy just sitting back and watching. With your great understanding and appreciation for Personality Dimensions, you can’t help but see how different personality styles show up on karaoke night. Knowing what each dimension gets out of karaoke night can turn an okay one into an awesome one!
Starting with Inquiring Greens, because there are often a lot of misconceptions about them. You will probably see them pouring over the song list, looking for the perfect challenge. Introverted Inquiring Greens will gravitate towards tricky songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen or “Creep” by Radiohead They get ready carefully and focus hard on getting every word right. They might not dance around much, but you can tell they’re trying to nail the lyrics. Extraverted Inquiring Greens lean towards songs that make you think, like “Imagine” by John Lennon or “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye. Between songs, you’ll probably hear them talking about what the songs mean or when they were written. Even karaoke is a chance for a new challenge and to learn something new.
On to Authentic Blues; karaoke is tailor-made for them, it’s a chance to get together and celebrate either other’s achievements, and have some fun. Introverted Authentic Blues often pick songs that are full of feeling. You might hear them putting their whole heart into “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls or their own take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” When they sing, the whole room is listening. Extroverted Authentic Blues like to pick happy songs that get everyone feeling good. They’re the ones belting out “Someone Like You” by Adele, or getting everyone to join them on stage for a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey.
Organized Golds bring their own style to karaoke night. Introverted Organized Golds usually stick to well-known and well-loved songs they’ve practiced a lot. When they hit the stage, they want to do it with confidence. Crowd pleasing classics like “My Way” by Frank Sinatra or “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran are always popular. Their confidence is infectious, and helps build up others. Extraverted Organized Golds often become the karaoke organizers. They like to choose old favourites like “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond or “All Star” by Smashmouth; songs everyone knows, like them or not. They’re great at getting people together and making sure everyone who wants to sing, gets a turn.
Last but not least, we have Resourceful Oranges, who bring lots of energy to karaoke. Introverted Resourceful Oranges might surprise you with their song picks, going for upbeat tunes like “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake or “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. They don’t plan much – they just go with what feels right at the moment. Extraverted Resourceful Oranges like to be the life of the party. They’re not afraid to tackle big, exciting songs like “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi or “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. Their main goal is living in the moment and getting everyone up and having fun.
Whether you’re tasked with planning an office karaoke night, or just want to go out with a group of friends, how can we use what we know about Personality Dimensions to make the best karaoke night ever? The key is to create a night that has something for everyone, whether they’re outgoing or more reserved. Start by picking a mix of songs that will appeal to all the different styles. This way, everyone can find something they like. Think about how you set up the room, too. Have areas where outgoing people can be in the spotlight, but also cozy spots where quieter folks can sit back and enjoy the music without feeling pressured.
When it comes to getting people to join in, try different approaches for different styles. For Inquiring Greens, you could add a music trivia game to the night. For Authentic Blues, have a time for “songs that mean a lot to you.” Organized Golds like system where everyone knows when it’s their turn to sing. For Resourceful Oranges, you could have a “surprise song” challenge where they have to sing a song they don’t know. Remember, the point isn’t to put people in boxes. It’s about making everyone feel comfortable being themselves.
Next time you’re at karaoke, take a look around. Notice all the different personalities in the room, each adding their own spin on the night. Who knows? You might just help everyone understand each other a little better, and have a blast doing it. Now that’s something to sing about!
Brad Whitehorn – BA, CCDP is a lifelong Introvert, and the Associate Director at CLSR Inc. He was thrown into the career development field headfirst after completing a Communications degree in 2005, and hasn’t looked back! Since then, Brad has worked on the development, implementation and certification for various career and personality assessments (including Personality Dimensions®), making sure that Career Development Practitioners and HR Professionals get the right tools to do their best work.