We make so many decisions in a day, it can be hard to keep track of them all. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, until our heads hit the pillow at night, we’re constantly making decisions. A lot of them seem automatic, and we don’t think about them too much, but others can take a lot of effort; what am I going to wear today? Should I get another dog? (The answer should always be yes to that one!) There are so many things that factor into why we make the decisions we do; but how we arrive at those answers comes down to our dimensions.
Resourceful Oranges, known for their spontaneity and adaptability, tend to make decisions based on what’s going on in front of them right now. They live in the moment, and that makes them comfortable taking risks. To an outsider, it may seem like Resourceful Oranges are making decisions without thinking, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. They have the keen ability to quickly evaluate a situation, and feel comfortable acting on it.
Organized Golds, on the other hand, come across as pragmatic and practical decision-makers. They weigh the pros and cons carefully, drawing from experiences to ensure stability and security. They evaluate historical facts and figures, and value input from the people around them to draw conclusions. When making a decision, that want to be confident that it is the correct one, that is fair for everyone involved.
Authentic Blues are driven by their values and aspirations. Their decisions are driven by a desire for self-improvement, and contributing to the greater good. They are often known for their unconventional or creative ways of making decisions, and rely on input from others to come to conclusions. Authentic Blues are big picture thinkers and are future focussed. When making decisions, they want to make sure what they decided is right for the present, but will be right in the future as well.
Inquiring Greens are natural thinkers and researchers. They dive deep into their thoughts, do tons of research, and think things over countless times before deciding. It may sound like this can take forever, but it’s not always the case; when it comes to big decisions, Inquiring Greens will take their time. They’re all about quality and sticking with what they know; and if there’s something they don’t know, they’ll figure it out. In the end, they want the decision they make to be the right one.
While we all have our primary dimension, we’re still a blend of all four in one way or another, or as we say with Personality Dimensions, We’re all Plaid! What’s important to know is that we all have our own decision-making style, and having a better understanding of that helps us make better choices; and when we need to make decisions with others, it helps to understand how they are approaching things as well.
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 get the right tools to best serve their clients.
