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“Very Nice! Good, Quick, and knowledgeable - I used to describe my personality. And plugged wife's, friends, and work colleagues. Right on target for all four. Can't wait to use it more. Would be nice to print/email results.”
- User review from BlackBerry App World
And in response to this suggestion, results can now be emailed, texted & copied.
 

You succeed more often when you have a strategy. Take a minute to determine your Personality Profile and that of other people you communicate with. The suggestions supplied by this app will help you get better results in any communication. If you prepare for an important interaction with your boss, spouse, friend or enemy, you’ll more likely achieve your desired outcome. The more effective you make a presentation, the better you will like the results.

Learn more about the personality types here. Use this app to find your own Personality Profile and then determine the Personality Profile of the person with whom you are negotiating or presenting. Take the time to prepare both the style and the substance of your presentation, so it better meshes with how the other person operates. It may seem like too much work, but remember the Secret of Success: Successful People Do the Things Unsuccessful People Don’t Want to Do and Won’t Do.

Example:
You have a boss who seems to get annoyed every time you deal with him. You quickly go through this app and find you are a Calculating Controller, someone who loves to understand the details and be precise and clear. You find your boss is a Demanding Driver, an impatient and decisive person. When you give lots of detail to your boss, he gets annoyed and thinks less of you. You need to learn to communicate with him in short, focused bits; to quickly summarize and make recommendations.

Here's how it works:

1. The initial screen allows you to set up your own personality profile and that of up to 25 other people.

  2. The next four screens ask you to consider the person and check which attributes he or she exhibits. This may seem like lots of work, but can be done in a minute or two, don't think too long about each attribute, just go with your first instinct.

3. After inputting the attributes of various people, you then select a person with whom you will be interacting. As you consider how that negotiation or presentation will likely proceed, you check the suggestions this program offers.

4. The conclusions below will help guide you toward the most successful negotiation or presentation. By planning the event and considering the personalities of yourself and the other person, you will end with a better result. Your selected strategy will help you achieve your goals.

Remember the Secret of Success: Successful People Do the Things Unsuccessful People Don’t Want to Do and Won’t Do.

Explanation of the Personality Types:

Over the years I examined many different personality systems, such as “The DISC Personality Profile,” “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,” Get a Life Without the Strife by Fred and Florence Littauer, The Six Thinking Hats by Edward deBono, etc. I developed my own simple Basic Personality guidelines for your use based on the DISC model.

Type D - Demanding Driver
A Type D personality (Demanding Driver) pushes to get things done. Type D’s dominate relationships; they usually have a strong sense of what needs to be done and move boldly to accomplish the goal. Stubborn and impatient, Type D’s don’t have time to fool around. They want things done and they want things done NOW! The hard-nosed boss is a classic Type D personality.

Type I - Invigorating Influencer
The Type I personality (Invigorating Influencer) concerns himself less with what gets done and more with having a good time doing it. The Type I is the people person, the social director of any group. With spirit and enthusiasm, Type I personalities want to have fun and usually expect the best of others. The downside of a Type I personality is the tendency to be naïve, haphazard and unpredictable. The successful salesperson is a classic Type I personality.

Type S - Sensitive Sustainer
The Type S personality (Sensitive Sustainer) wants everyone to be happy and stress-free. They are often the nice people in our lives, the people who care about the feelings of others. Gentle and cautious, the Type S personality generally is also a good listener. Type S people have a tendency to worry and to be timid. The caring counselor is a classic Type S personality.

Type C - Calculating Controller
The Type C personality (Calculating Controller) wants things to be clear and precise. They want everything to be done properly. An analytical group, Type C’s love details and accuracy. They have a tendency to be fussy, suspicious of those not like them, and overly-critical. The engineer or accountant is a classic Type C personality.

Think about how people make decisions. A Type D (Demanding Driver) person makes quick decisions, based on gut-feelings. The Type I (Invigorating Influencer)  person considers which option will be the most fun; the decisions also tend to be intuitive. The Type S (Sensitive Sustainer) person must be sure how the decision will affect everyone else; no one must be hurt by the decision. The Type C (Calculating Controller) person wants more information and more data; decisions are careful, deductive and slow.

As an engineer and building contractor, I routinely work with many different building owners. I’ve learned to pay attention to the building owner’s personality type as I struggle to obtain the many decisions to design and construct a building. When working with a Type D (Demanding Driver) owner, I have all the information summarized and quickly explain the options. Usually, I do not even write it down because they don’t want to take the time to read. I can count on a quick decision from a Type D and know he will stand behind it.

With a Type I (Invigorating Influencer) owner, the presentation counts for much more. The Type I owner wants to see enthusiasm for the recommended option. It is easy to get a quick decision from a Type I; the problem is that it is just as easy for them to change their minds in the future.

The Type S (Sensitive Sustainer) owner tends to agonize over every decision in order to keep everybody happy. I have learned to expect Type S owners to get the opinions of others on most decisions, so I am prepared with information that is simple to pass on.

The Type C (Calculating Controller) owner wants all the available data to analyze for every single decision. When I need a decision from a Type C owner, I come prepared with a written analysis and every performance chart and graph I can find. I then expect to wait for all this information to be digested and more information to be requested.

So how can you use this concept in your life? First, determine your own personality type. Determine if you strongly fit one of the four personality types or if you tend to be a combination of two or three of them. Next consider the personality types of a few people you know well. You will remember the personality types better if you can think of someone who is a good example of each.

Let’s consider a situation where knowing personality styles could help you. Perhaps your boss drives you crazy. Nothing you do meets his standards, and you find him to be picky, inefficient and irritating. You strive to do your job well, and you see your boss as a hindrance. An understanding of personality styles could go far in actually resolving your problem. Remember, your options are: 1. continue to be miserable. 2. find another job. or 3. solve the problem.

In reading the personality profiles above, you determine that you are a Type D (Demanding Driver). You look to do things efficiently, quickly and move on to the next task. You are good at what you do, and you know it; you just want to do your job. Your boss, on the other hand, clearly acts like a Type C (Calculating Controller). Everything has to be perfect, and he always wants more details.

Can you see the steps that would diffuse the situation? As a Type D employee, you are struggling to get along with your Type C boss. The solution involves redefining what a completed task means to you. If you want to get along with your boss, just understand that he needs more detail than you do. With little effort or aggravation, you can provide your boss with the extra information. As so often happens, the problem can be solved easily after it is understood clearly.

Since I have been paying attention to personality types for years, I can attest to their usefulness in day-to-day living. When you identify an individual’s personality profile, you can better predict how that person will react in different situations. You gain a higher level of understanding in that relationship.

On the other hand, some people simply do not fit the personality profiles. For example, artistic people tend not to fit any of the categories. Please don’t try to label every person with a personality type, for you will have gone beyond the usefulness of the concept. Use the personality types where they seem to fit. Used wisely this tool will be valuable in your own life and as you relate to others.