Canada🍁 is known for many things, its breathtaking landscapes, its people, and its ability to turn even the most mundane apology into an art form. One of Canada’s greatest strengths is something that you don’t hear talked about often, because it’s something we just do; our approach to understanding people. It’s this approach that helped shape Personality Dimensions® into what it is. It’s more than just a personality assessment, it reflects the very essence of what makes Canada, Canada.
At its core, Personality Dimensions® was developed with a distinctly Canadian perspective. The researchers, writers, and experts behind it all called Canada home, and that influence can be found in every aspect of it. But what does that really mean? How does a Canadian personality assessment stand out in a world full of different frameworks and models? It comes down to the values that Canadians hold close; values that make Personality Dimensions® not just relevant within Canada’s borders but also for people around the world.
One of Canada’s defining features is its multiculturalism. It’s not just a policy; it’s a lived reality. Walk down any street most Canadian cities, and you’ll hear different languages, see diverse cultural influences, and meet people with backgrounds across the globe. Personality Dimensions® was developed with this reality in mind, making it accessible and meaningful to people from different cultural perspectives. It doesn’t put people into little personality boxes, instead offers up a flexible framework that respects and embraces individual differences.
Many personality assessments come from a more singular cultural viewpoint, where some traits may be unintentionally emphasized over others. But Personality Dimensions® recognizes that different cultures bring different strengths to the table. The fact that it was developed in an environment where diversity is the norm, naturally accounts for a wide range of ways people express themselves, interact, and approach life’s challenges. It makes sense why Personality Dimensions® is so well liked and embraced by people around the world.
If there’s one thing Canadians pride themselves on, it’s a commitment to inclusion. The idea that everyone should have a place at the table is built into everything from our social policies to our day-to-day interactions. Of course, this is a big part of Personality Dimensions®; it always emphasizes that no one personality is seen as better or worse than another. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Inquiring Green, Organized Gold, Resourceful Orange, or Authentic Blue, there’s no ideal way to be, just different ways of seeing the world and navigating it.
Think of how this plays out in in career development, team building, education, and other areas, where understanding different personality styles can build stronger connections and more effective communication. By embracing an inclusive approach, Personality Dimensions® helps people appreciate their own strengths while also understanding and valuing the strengths of others in a way that respects and celebrates differences.
Canadians are known for being practical and level-headed, and that practicality was bult into Personality Dimensions® from day one. Rather than being an abstract theory, it was designed to be used in real-life settings, with real-life people. Whether you’re making career decisions, improving workplace communication, or developing leadership skills, the insights from Personality Dimensions® are meant to be applied in a meaningful and useful way.
A personality assessment needs to be more than just an interesting exercise, it should provide people with tools they can actually use. That’s why Personality Dimensions is built to be accessible, easy to understand, easy to remember, and immediately relevant. You don’t need a psychology degree to make sense of it, and you won’t be left wondering how it applies to your life.
While Personality Dimensions is undeniably Canadian, its strength is in its ability to relate to people everywhere, across different industries, cultures, and countries. But more importantly, it reflects the best of what Canada has to offer: a perspective that values diversity, respects individuality, and provides practical tools to help people thrive wherever they call home.
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. Brad is also on the board of directors for the Career Professionals of Canada, and an advisory committee member with the Career Development Practitioners’s Certification Board of Ontario.
One Response
Thank you for the reminder about Personality Dimensions being Canadian. I remember when Denise was working on it!
We were on the Board of OAAPT at that time, sure do miss that organization! We held our meeting at Denise’s office.
What Synchronicity today …I live at Yonge & Bloor and am just having dinner at ESM on Steeles where we used to gather after our meeting. So I was thinking of Denise!