Ever wondered why a member of your organization prefers to work independently while others prefer to work in groups? Have you ever wondered why someone’s office is a mess while others are extremely neat?
As far back as 450 B.C. many theorists have been studying personality types. Among the more well know are Hippocrates, Aristotle, Carl Jung, Myers and Briggs (MBTI®) and David Keirsey. Each of these personality tools is based on the fact that human temperament, the way we behave, can be described or classifi ed in four broad based groupings. They suggest that each person has a preferred personality type which s/he uses to have their needs met and to make sense of their world.
Enter Personality Dimensions®, the most recent Canadian tool which builds on previous theories and presents the latest in identifying some key strategies for communicating and relating with colleagues and students. Through this unique tool, you can carefully analyze the different “dimensions” of your life by looking at your behaviour in the following contexts: life values, communications, at work and in relationships. After thoughtful, light hearted interaction with Dimension cards a composite score is obtained. The fundamental premise of Personality Dimensions® states that humans are plaid, i.e. we are not one type but a mixture of types. In this carefully crafted workshop, participants discover the basic personality types and the strengths peculiar to each. It uses the metaphor of colour to describe the various wants and needs of your colleagues and gives many strategies for enhancing the work environment.
In the education environment, it helps you to identify your preferred teaching or instructional style and to capitalize on the best ways of disseminating the content of your course to your students. In the world of business, it helps with understanding the complexities of customer service, team building, conflict resolution, effective communications and leadership styles.
The four basic personality types are described as follows:
1) The Authentic Blues are ethical honest and sincere and have a great ability to persuade and facilitate organizational growth and development. However, they are extremely sensitive to criticism and conflict.
2) The Inquiring Greens are logical, rational, global and strategic thinkers. To others they can come across as impatient and arrogant.
3) The Organized Golds are dependable and reliable, possess a strong sense of right and wrong but can be rigid and resistant to change.
4) The Resourceful Oranges are independent and competitive and can think well on the spot. Although they are easy going and entertaining, they can act too quickly and may not follow through.
Personality Dimensions® has also added the preference for Introversion and Extraversion, an element of personality theory which is critically important to understanding ourselves and others. The creators of this tool have taken great care to ensure that the results of many validation surveys and reliability studies refl ect a sound and defendable piece of work.
Michael Tudor an instructor at OISE, University of Toronto, was one of the keynote speakers at the 2004 APOG annual general meeting and the 2005 District V annual meeting for ACOG. He can be reached at 416-598-3459 or by email at mtudor@oise.utoronto.ca.
Reprinted with permission from The APOG Educator (www.apog.ca) – Winter 2007
