Opinion

Getting one's measure

Finance | Paul Bennett | 25 Mar 2008

Paul Bennett discusses methods of measuring preferences.

Last month we started our look into personality preferences and the impact they can have in the workplace. This month I want to look further into the research on preferences and then look at what the tools available to measure our preferences actually measure. Perhaps more important than the measure-ment itself is the valuable insight that can be gained by understanding our preferences and ultimately being able to adapt our behav-iours to better our relationships and per-formance in the workplace as a result of the information.

Perception is reality for most of us and this can be at the root of many challenges in our view of the world and the people in it. Have you ever been to a dinner party and thought someone was afn idiot and then subsequently when chatting on the way home found that everyone else thought the idiot was delightful? I am sure like me you can identify someone that simply does not connect with you and in some cases they annoy the hell out of you even though you cannot readily put your finger on what the problem is. Have you ever considered that the problem could be you?

We see the world not as it is, but how we are, and that set of paradigms will organise our beliefs and ultimately our behaviours in any given situation.

There is an often used picture below which demonstrates this very point. For those of you that have not seen it, the key question is what do you see?

There are two ladies one old, one young, and people can be very adamant which they see. This can often lead to heated futile discussion and strong views. Can you imagine how strong those views can be when a lifetime of conditioning has formed them?

There are many tools on the market which enable you to measure your preferences. Most are based on Jungs’ psychological types and offer incredibly valuable insights as to how your attitudes and beliefs can affect your behaviours.

If we look at four of the preferences he identified  introversion and extraversion, thinking and feeling, we will begin to see the possible challenges depending on the scale and focus of your preferences. Extraverts will often be described as talkative, flamboyant, outspoken and gregarious. In the past they would have been the obvious candidates for a sales force. The serious flaw in that plan of course is the customer may be an introvert and places value on quiet, caution, reservation and be inwardly focused. You can immediately see the potential for a total disconnect in communication.

Similarly if we look at people with a strong preference for thinking, their focus lies on the task and getting it done. They will often be described as impersonal, objective, competitive and formal, which presents a challenge when dealing with someone who has a strong preference for feelings and values harmony, relationships and really cares about people.

It is interesting to note that all of us have all of the preferences available to us. Most of us however have one or two which are much stronger than others.

Managers who know their staff preferences have a very valuable asset enabling them to create the best environment in which people can perform. Knowing the possible challenges of your preferences would also be valuable to enable you to think about adapting your behaviour for the good of the situation.

You can identify your preferences by completing an inventory such as MyersBriggs or the Insights Discovery Personal Profile which are both excellent instruments. You can also start to identify where other people’s preferences are by observing their behaviours. The evidence is all around you. Finally you could ask for feedback as to why you thought the guy at the dinner party was an idiot and no one else did. Be prepared for a shock.

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