What do I do with my profile? 5 Top Ideas

There are so many profiling tools around now.  Here is a short list:

•    DISC
•    Myers Briggs
•    Enneagram
•    Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument
•    Human Synergistics
•    EQ – Emotionial Intelligence
•    IQ – Intelligence Quotient
•    SQ – Spiritual Intelligence

Without trying too hard, you can find a heap more of them.

I have been involved with many different profiling sessions and the overall feeling that participants have at the end is “What now?”  Participants were searching for a meaning in their assessment. Is it a good thing or a bad thing or should I just look for another job?

Here are the top 5 things to do once you have your Profile (regardless of its source):

Breathe    Knowledge is Power. So now you know your profile. It is not good, it is not bad, it just is. Having the awareness of your style now means you can take control of how you are perceived in the world. Don’t try and be something you are not. You are simply following the word of Socrates when he said “Know thyself”.

Discover    You are not alone in this world.  Find out what other’s personality profile is, both at work and in your social life. When you are looking at their profiles, make note of how they like to communicate. Find out what they do and don’t like (particularly important in relation to your partner’s profile).

Share    Let others know your personality profile. Not just what it’s called but what it means to work, live and socialise with you. You can’t expect them to understand you better if they don’t know how you operate.

Flex    This is the second most important piece. The value in profiling is not about knowing how you operate, but being able to depart from it. Too often people learn their profile and then expect other people to change their style to meet their own. It won’t happen. If you want something done or need to communicate, use your new knowledge to FLEX your style to match theirs. It doesn’t have to be massive; some simple flexing of your style will pay huge dividends. In particular, flex your communication style. In the end you get what you want so why wouldn’t you flex your style.

USE IT    Too often people have profiling done, read it and think “Hmmm … that’s interesting” and then do nothing different. If this is you, save yourself some money and don’t get the profiling done.  This is the most important element. Take action with your profile. The payoff can be huge. Relationships can blossom, teams can work more productively and workplaces can be more enjoyable. Knowledge may be Power but Power is only Potential Energy until you use it.