Getting to Know Me!

Today we had an office retreat and in this retreat we took a personality test called "Getting to Know Me!". Basically they give you 2 sentences, you assign a total of 5 points by dividing the points between the two adjectives according to how much they describe you. So if the first phrase described me very well and the second one didn't describe me at all I would put 5 and 0, if they both described me i would put the one that I felt like described me the best a 3 and the other 2. Make sense? There are little boxes where you put them in and late you go through and add up your points in the column all the way down to see what your personality is.

Examples of pairs of phrases, I want to take action and I am considered lively, I want to know the details and I feel concern for others, I usually persuade others to my point of view and I understand how important it is to show appreciation, etc.

So basically after go through and do it for 18 pairs you add up all your numbers and there are 4 categories the one with the most points would your personality.

The 4 personalities are dominant, influencer, complier, and steady.

Dominant is forceful, less expressive, job-oriented. They are decisive in actions and decisions, likes control, dislikes inaction. Prefers maximum freedom to manage self and others. Cool, independent, and competitive. Low tolerance for feelings, attitudes, and advice for others. Works quickly and impressively alone and wants to finish a task as long as he is reasonably sure it is correct. Primary inner motivator is to get it done! The behavioral style is "what needs to be done?" Some unique characteristics are results oriented, fast paced, ability to make decisions quickly, desire to win, willingness to state an unpopular view, risk taker, argumentative, quick to challenge, and likes to have control. Potential blind spots would be act or speak before thinking, impatient, create fear in others, too high risk, juggles too much at once, interrupt and not listen well, and quick to anger.

Influencer is forceful, expressive, people-oriented. They are spontaneous in actions and decisions, likes involvement, dislikes being alone, exaggerates and generalizes. Tends to dream and get others caught up in dream, likes to jump from one activity to another and works quickly and excitedly with others. They tend to be persuasive. Their primary inner motivator is to get feedback. The behavioral style is "who needs to be involved?" Some unique characteristics are creative problem solver, enthusiastic, natural optimistic, humorous, fun loving, likes involvement, trusting of others, and has the ability to make others feel welcome. Potential blind spots are talking before thinking, lose track of time, often late and hurried, abandon positions in conflict, disorganized, overly trusting, and overly optimistic and can appear superficial.

Complier is less forceful, less expressive, and job-oriented. They are cautious action and decisions, likes organization and structure. Dislikes involvement and asks many questions, requesting specific details. Prefers objective, task-oriented, intellectual work environment, works slowly and precisely alone. Good problem solver, can be overly reliant on data collection, and tends to perfectionism. Primary inner motivator is get it right. Behavioral style "how does it need to be done?" Unique characteristics follows rules, likes organizations, high expectations, able to solve complex problems, analyzes, willing to dig for information. A natural system developer and perfectionist. Potential blind spots are requires too much data, hard on self, too low risk, makes excessive rules, too critical of others, and analytical paralysis.

Steady is less forceful, expressive, and people-oriented. Slow at taking action and making decisions, likes close personal relationships, supports and actively listens to others, weak t goal setting and self-direction. Excellent ability to gain support from others, seeks security and a sense of belonging, good counseling skills, and best team player. Primary inner motivator is get along. Behavioral style "why" Unique characteristic tenacity for order, stability, and closure, need for secure situations, great listener, calms, stabilizes others, good planner, natural ability to organize tasks. Able to mask emotions and slow to take action. Potential blind spots are possessive of things, too low risk, holds a grudge, too agreeable, resistant to change, too indirect when communicating.

Can you guess which one I am? Can you guess which one you are? Do any of them describe you? Do you think you have multiple personalities? Perhaps one for work, one for family, and one for your friends?

Our office was 11 dominant, 9 steady, and 1 complier. It was kind of weird that none of us were influencers, specially thinking we are kind of in a business to influence people. I feel that most that were dominant probably are dominant in their work life but not so much in everything else. I think that most were go getters and want to get the job and do what it takes to get it done.

The ones that were steady I think probably mostly were steady, but I think some were hiding that they were actually dominate. A few I can see are totally steady, but a few I can't specially the people-oriented area. I am not sure though since I don't know them really in ways outside of work.

The complier probably really is but again I am not sure because I don't work much with them again.

So any more thoughts on which one I am?

I am actually a dominant personality...its kind of hard for me to believe. I don't believe that I am forceful, but I do believe that I am less expressive and job-oriented. I think that I am decisive in action and decisions at work, but definitely not in my personal life. I think that I work quickly and impressive alone and really like to finish tasks, but I don't believe that I have a low tolerance for feelings, attitudes and advice of others. I think that I have high tolerance for feelings, attitudes, and specially the advice of others. So I am saying that I can see myself with a dominant personality in my job, in my relationships i hold more of a steady role, to strangers I think influencer, and with my family complier. You probably think well I am just picking the best of the personalities, but if you look at my scores I had 24 points in dominant, 22 in steady, complier, and influencer. So I am really am a little bit of it all.

I think it would be really cool to have someone do the test for you...in a sense they distribute the points and add them up and see what others think your personality is based on the test.