Have you ever been to a leadership training that used an assessment of personality and left you feeling really energized, but later felt confined to how the assessment labeled you? This happened to me when I became certified in both the DISC profile and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
Close-up of hand feeling checklist
I remember feeling really good about understanding myself in more depth. There was keen insight into why I preferred my life ordered in certain ways. Here's what I mean:
One of these assessments told me that...
I tend to focus my attention on the outer world of people and things.
I look for patterns and the big picture and focus on future possibilities.
I make decisions primarily on logic and on objective analysis.
I have an organized approach to life and like to have things completed.
While the above is true, I also know that...
I enjoy my inner world of ideas and impressions.
I pay attention to my senses and what is going on around me.
I am value oriented and feel I make decisions based on my values.
I love spontaneity and like to keep my options open.
The Problem: Feeling Boxed In
When I took the Myers Briggs (MBTI) assessment, I remember feeling boxed in by my type. Of course, the 4 letters of ENTJ (Extraversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging) felt like me, but they didn’t fully capture my personality. I felt limited and stereotyped by the provided description. And I wasn't alone. I've met many others who have told me that they feel the same way about their personality type.
“Sometimes I am an extrovert, but I still like my 'me' time.”
“I feel like I am one way at home and a different way at work.”
“My organization values one type over another. They say they don’t, but look at who gets promoted.”
The Solution: Stepping Outside of the Box
Just when I thought all was lost and I'd be boxed in as an ENTJ for the rest of my life, I met Roger Pearman.
Roger is regarded as one of the world's preeminent experts in the field of personality type. Along with Multi-Health Systems, Roger has just published a new personality tool called Pearman Personality Integrator.
The Pearman Personality Integrator is a groundbreaking tool that brings a new model of understanding and development to the field of personality type. This tool is developed using the work of Dr. Carl G Jung (think MBTI), and going a step further by examining an individual’s personality at multiple levels.
Rather than getting 1 of 16 boxes (MBTI), or one of 4 boxes (DISC) or 4 colors (Insights), the Pearman Personality Integrator has the capacity to generate over 1,000,000 unique profiles!
In addition to giving the individual a better assessment of their personality, the Pearman Personality Integrator goes one step further, including a Flexibility Index. For a person to use their full range of psychological resources, flexibility is needed. The demands of everyday life at work, at home, socially, and professionally require using our natural psychological strengths as well as being able to flex to those parts of our personality that are not always a strength for us. As a part of the Pearman Personality Integrator, you receive an overall Flexindex Score. This scale is comprised of 5 dimensions that describe flexibility:
Proactivity
Composure
Connectivity
Variety-Seeking
Rejuvenation
When I left the certification for this tool, I felt like someone had finally developed a tool that captures the full range of human personality. I had a much keener insight into my preferences as a leader and possible situations where I might need to be more flexible for better outcomes.
Reflection
How about you? What assessments have you taken and what were the results? Have you ever felt both frustrated and excited about a personality profile? Would you be interested in learning more about this cutting edge technology in leader development and personality theory?
Homework:
Leave a comment below with the results of a personality assessment you have taken in the past. Do you feel these results accurately describe you? In what ways do you feel boxed in by the results?
Click here to contact us if you would be interested in learning more or taking the Pearman Personality Indicator in the future!