Profiling....

He sits there. His table is neat and tidy, not a piece of paper out of place. He is in deep thought, weighing up matters.

He is thinking hard about a colleague. Totally opposite in personality, this person was gregarious as he was reserved, spontaneous as he was cautious. Approaches to any project on the same team often resulted in differing views and plans of actions. Which is what was happening at this moment in time as we take a sneak look at him. That meant sleepness nights for him as he went through each team meeting in his mind - before and after the meeting.

So he sat there. Pondering what he should do. This could not continue. He would have to take action. But what?

This ponderer, like almost 30% of the world, is what we would term as a type "C" person. However, this person is what we would call a "High C". He does not exhibit higher traits of "D", "I" or "S", making him very focused on the task at hand, and not a people-person.

A "High C" person like everything in place and does not like to be impulsive. He/she likes to think through matters before making a decision and planning a course of action. This makes the "High C" a specialist in whatever field he/she undertakes. But it also makes the "High C" seem to be slow to make decisions and intolerant of those who dont plan ahead.

The colleague however, sounds like a "High I". Impulsive, outgoing and often in a rush to see things happen. In other words, a total opposite of the "High C".

Unlike the "High C" however, the "High I" will most probably not have sleepless nights. While the "High I" would love to everyone, including the "High C", to like him, the "High I" would also get over temporary setbacks quickly. "High I"s are Mr/Ms Irrepressible the Eternal Optimist.

In this scenario, much to the dismay and horror of the "High C", the "High I" is moving forward into the execution of the project without foreplanning. Worse, because the "High I" draws an enthusiastic and willing team along with him, so the "High C" can tell that disaster is looming ahead... and so the "High C" is trying to decide now what to do.

Depending on your personality trait, you would respond differently. Would you wash your hands off it since it was doomed to failure because they would not listen? Would you go and plead the case for good strategy with the influential "High I"? Would you wait and hope for a good outcome and a win-win situation? Would you take charge and smack some sense into either one of them so that the project would get going with a good group of people working towards the same goal in the shortest time?

Each response displays a different aspect of the D,I,S and C personality traits.

Ideally, the "High C" should examine all the facts and discover that the best is to utilize his "High C" strengths to compensate the "High I"'s weaknesses.

Conversely, the "High I" ought to use his ability to marshall and lead a motivated group who will finish the task well.

The "High C" should speak in a language that the "High I" can hear.

The "High I" needs to listen well to what the "High C" is saying.

That, in other words, is TEAMWORK.