What’s Going On
Celebration! I won first place in the District 66 Division C Area 31 Table Topics Contest Saturday morning. Next Step is the District 66 Division C Contest on April 9th. For those of you who don’t know, Table Topics is extemporaneous speaking. The contestants are given a topic and the speak for one to two and a half minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
“Whatever the reasons, we do not pursue emotional development with the same intensity with which we pursue physical or intellectual development. This is all the more unfortunate because full emotional development offers the greatest degree of leverage in attaining our full potential.” – Bill O’Brien
Featured Storyteller – Jennifer Einolf
An accomplished speaker and Executive Coach Jennifer uses story to help high achievers aspire and attain even greater success. Click on her picture to watch her story, The Dreamer.
A Tool of the Trade
This is not a story. This is a short explanation of a tool I used as a salesman, a leader, a copywriter and that I know scriptwriters use, particularly for TV.
It’s sometimes referred to as Personality Profiles or Communication Styles.
Human beings have ben classifying each other sense antiquity. The Ancient Egyptians believed our hearts were the center of our being and that our personalities were controlled by the elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.
The Ancient Greeks came along and said “No, the brain is the center of our personalities and the influence of bodily fluids upon it determined our personalities. This theory held sway through Shakespeare’s time all the way into the 20th century when Freud said, “Nonsense, your personality is determined by how your mother treated you.”
This argument over the influence of Nature versus Nurture continues to this day.
Although, genetic research has shown our proclivities are recessive genes passed on from our grandparents. Probably nature’s way of keeping us from killing our young. If they were just like us we’d have to live day-in, day-out dealing with our flaws.
Starting just after WWII the mother Daughter team of Myers Briggs began analyzing the records of GIs and found patterns similar to the ancient understanding of distinct communication tendencies. People tend to fall into four categories when it comes to absorbing information and making decisions.
We’ve learned two simple questions to help discern these differences.
1. Is the person task oriented or people oriented?
2. Is the person high assertive or low assertive?
From the answers we create a simple 2×2 matrix.
In the accompanying graphic I’ve color coded and named the profiles.
The High Assertive/Task Oriented person is Red/Fire/Director. They’re interested in Results and have a keyword when they want those results, NOW. They make decisions by parsing their options. Give their options with the accompanying pros and cons and they’re in their element.
The Low Assertive/Task Oriented person is Green/Earth/Compliant. They’re interested in Experience and Proven Processes. Their keyword is HOW. They believe there’s a RIGHT Answer. And they have tried and true processes for discerning that RIGHT answer. Ask them about their decision-making process and then support it.
The Low Assertive/People Oriented person is Blue/Water/Supporter. They’re interested in relationships. Their keyword is WE. They are consensus builders.
The High Assertive/People Oriented person is Yellow/Air/Initiator. They’re interested in FLASH!: first, most, newest, best, cool stuff. And they have two keywords: ME/WOW. They respond to testimonials from people they admire or incentives.
The majority of first marriages are across the axis. The Directors attract the Supporters and the Initiators attract the Compliants. And over the time the differences that were charming can become annoying. The differences across the axis create drama and that good storytelling.
Let’s take a look at Seinfeld. We have Elaine as a Director, Jerry as an Compliant, George as a Supporter and Kramer as an Initiator. The easy plot conflicts are between George vs. Elaine and Jerry vs. Kramer.
I seldom consider the profile of characters when I’m initially creating them, but when I look to heighten the conflict I sharpen their profiles.
Take a look at your favorite TV shows, movies, and novels. See if you recognize the characters’ profiles.
Better yet, think about Friday night across America. The Director asked their Supporter spouse, “Where would you like to go for dinner?” And the Supporter wishing to be considerate asks, “Where would you like to go?” The Director is now irritated because they have delegated this responsibility and the Supporter is not executing their task.
The best way to handle this would have been for the Supporter to give the Director options. We could go to Joe’s. I know you like their food, but we will be their in the morning for breakfast. We could go to that new sushi restaurant you mentioned, but it late and we may not be able to get in and I know you hate having to wait. Or we could just order a pizza. It’ll be here in half an hour and you’d have time to shower and we could have a relaxing evening at home.
The key is for the Supporter to pick choices they’re happy with, and whatever the decision everyone is happy. Directors may not know their options, but once presented with their options they are champs and making decisions.
Across town the Compliant and the Initiator made their plans earlier in the week. The Compliant made sure not to have that cuisine for lunch and everything is going smoothly until the Initiator pos up with, “You know where we could go…” And now the evening is ruined. The Compliant frets because the Initiator is unhappy. There’s an easy fix. The Initiator only has to say, You know where we could go next week?” And now the Compliant has an entire week to plan and look forward to another delightful evening with their honey.
I’ve used this tool in sales, leadership and in my creative endeavors. Let me know your experience.
Listen, Sister! Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life is a hilarious collection of short personal stories that turn awkward memories into much needed encouragement. Each tale of real-life shenanigans points out glimpses of God in the everyday and directs women to the source of true joy in their stress-filled lives.
Listen, Sister! Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life is launching June 14, 2022.
You can pre-order it here: Listen, Sister!: Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life by Tess Scott, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
I Want to Hear from You
Let me know your thoughts on Jennifer’s story.
If you don’t want to put your thoughts in writing, drop me an email and I’ll send you a zoom link or phone number and you can tell it to me.
Drop me a line at [email protected]
Til next time,
Gayle Turner
Executive Producer.