Personality Dimensions in Organizational Culture

People are an organization’s most valuable asset. After all, how would anything get done without people? While it’s true that AI has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, the workforce hasn’t yet been overthrown by an army of sentient machines. For now, at least, it’s people that make things happen. The job market has changed drastically, and priorities have shifted. A recent survey showed that the number one reason why people want to leave their current jobs has to do with company culture.

Organizational culture is the set of shared values, beliefs, and practices that define a workplace, while personality is the unique set of traits and characteristics that define an individual’s needs, wants, and behaviours. Whether you are in a position of leadership that can make decisions on how an organization’s culture unfolds, or you’re an employee looking for your best fit, it’s important to understand how each of the four personality dimensions thrive or struggle in certain organizational cultures.

CLSR founder, and director, Denise Hughes has long said that someone’s preference towards Introversion or Extraversion is the first thing you can tell about their personality. When thinking about workplace culture, this is the place to start. Extraverted personalities thrive in environments that are social and collaborative. They thrive in open-plan office spaces, or worksites that require consistent teamwork. They are energized by interaction, and do their best work when they can bounce their ideas off each other. On the other hand, Introverted personalities thrive in environments that are independent and reflective. They need space to work so they can stay focused and pay attention to the details. Introverts do their best work when they conceptualize, and create, on their own, then share their work with the workgroup. The four personality dimensions all have their own preferences for Introversion and Extraversion; how that looks will be different for each of them.

Authentic Blues tend to excel in supportive organizational cultures that emphasize collaboration, empathy, and harmony. They are often sensitive, empathetic, and caring, which can help them build strong relationships with coworkers and clients. In a supportive organizational culture, Authentic Blues can use their emotional intelligence to navigate conflicts and build a positive work environment.

Inquiring Greens tend to excel in competitive organizational cultures that emphasize innovation, risk-taking, and strategic thinking. They are often logical, rational, and analytical, which can help them excel in a culture that is future focused. In a competitive organizational culture, Inquiring Greens can use their strategic thinking skills to find new solutions and help the organization stay ahead of the competition.

Resourceful Oranges tend to thrive in dynamic organizational cultures that emphasize innovation, creativity, and adaptability. They are often, flexible, spontaneous, and go-with-the-flow, which can help them in dynamic environments. In a fast-paced organizational culture, Resourceful Oranges can use their comfort with uncertainty to respond quickly to changing circumstances.

Organized Golds tend to thrive in structured organizational cultures that emphasize efficiency, organization, and predictability. They are often decisive, organized, and goal-oriented, which can help them succeed in a culture with strong traditions. In a structured organizational culture, Organized Golds can use their planning and organizational skills to help the organization achieve its goals.

We humans are pretty complex, and understanding the relationship between personality type and organizational culture can help us find a workplace where we can thrive. By understanding our own personality, and the characteristics of different organizational cultures, we can make informed decisions about where to work and how to navigate the workplace. But just as important, individuals in leadership positions can use this knowledge to create a diverse and inclusive workplace where employees can use their unique strengths and skills to contribute to the success of the organization.

Professional Development for Personality Dimensions Trainers

A few months ago I was catching up with Sandra Summerhayes and she mentioned that she had just finished a great Personality Dimensions… online! At that point we had been kept very busy answering some often frantic “how do ” calls from Personality Dimensions facilitators. Sandra mentioned that she was thinking about putting something together to help facilitators take their training online, and asked when we thought she should start offering it. My immediate thought was “yesterday!” Because this workshop is designed to address the very issue we had been getting calls about, I thought I’d share this information.

Since then, Sandra has offered this workshop many times to sold-out audiences. I just checked with her to see how registration for the September Delivering PD in the Virtual World workshop is going and was surprised to learn that there are still a small handful of spaces available.

As John Maxwell once said ‘Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.’ As Personality Dimensions facilitators adapting to the new normal, (whatever that’s going to become) this growth opportunity lies in taking the original Personality Dimensions content and adapting it to an ever-evolving virtual landscape. The content remains the same, the delivery method is changing.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this growth opportunity visit https://sandrasummerhayes.com/virtual-training/

Yours, from the back office…

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of 

CLSR Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 44th anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both CLSR and Personality Dimensions® take.

Personality Dimensions® – Making a Difference

Every once in a while we get little reminders that what we do makes a difference in the lives of others. A while ago I had just such a reminder. It arrived at a time when I was wondering if the work that we do researching, developing and, ultimately, adding to the Personality Dimensions^® system really did make an impact. Let me tell you a little story…

I was standing in line at the grocery store, reading the headlines of the tabloids and looking at the pictures of the cookies displayed on the cover of a couple magazines and noticed that the cashier was looking up at me every so often. My turn came and after I’d finished loading my purchases onto the belt the cashier said, “I know who you are … you’re the colours lady.” I hadn’t a clue who she was.

She told me that she was, after several years working at various jobs, going back to school to get her ECE diploma so she could work with young children. She concluded with, “… and don’t you think that’s perfect for someone who is Authentic Blue?” I agreed with her that it sounded like a great choice and she was really pleased. I still didn’t know who she was.

Finally, I told her that I was delighted she remembered her temperament/colour but I hadn’t done any training in a while so I couldn’t place her. It turned out that she had been a member of a group of high school students who prototyped the earliest Personality Dimensions^® at School materials twelve years prior!

I don’t know if this young woman is now working with young children, or perhaps she’s moved on to something different. What I do know is that learning her Personality Dimensions^® was a memorable experience for her and has played a role in shaping her choices. I also know that yes, what we do does make a difference. I hope that every Personality Dimensions^® Facilitator knows and appreciates this responsibility, I know that I do.

Yours, from the back office…

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of CLSR Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 44th anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both CLSR and Personality Dimensions® take.

Personality Dimensions® – Core, Developed, and Contextual Self

Image © Linda Berens

Every once in a while someone will ask if it’s possible to identify the colour preference of  children, or if their preference carries through to adulthood. We haven’t done specific research on this but it is accepted temperament theory that children are clear in their colour preference and that it develops as they mature – the Core Self becomes the Developed Self and Contextual Self (thanks to Linda Berens for these terrific identifiers). Well, I can’t speak for other people but I’d like to tell you a couple of stories from my own childhood that illustrate my first colour preference has certainly remained consistent.

 

I am the oldest child in my family. My Dad had a sliver grey ‘58 Pontiac sedan that he kept in top running condition. And I spent hours leaning over the side of the hood watching what he was doing and driving him crazy with questions about how everything worked. My kindergarten teacher even remarked to my parents at one time that she thought I could build the car myself. To this day I am still fascinated by how things work.

When I was 7 years old my Dad took my cousin and I to see the circus. That was a huge treat at the time (remember, that was over 55 years ago; circuses were a very big deal). I was fascinated by the whole thing –- the performances, the music, the animals – and all the special lighting effects and how the trapezes and draperies, etc., were raised and lowered. The next evening during dinner my Mother and Father were talking about the show and I was so surprised to hear my Dad say, “I don’t think Denise saw any of the show, she was so busy looking up, watching whatever was going on in the rafters.” I was stunned. Of course I had seen the show! But I’d also enjoyed figuring out how all the other things were working – eventually estimating, by the timing of the lights or the change in backdrop or draperies when something else was going to happen (it’s actually still quite clear in my mind). Fascinating stuff to a 7 year old, or, at least, a 7 year old Inquiring Green. My parents must have wondered what made me tick from time to time.

Now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear your stories about you as a child. Do you see yourself as representing your first colour preference/temperament as a child? I hope you will share some of  your “colourful” stories.

 

Onward and upward from the back office … Denise

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 42nd anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both Career/LifeSkills Resources and Personality Dimensions® take.

Personality Dimensions® – Musings from the Back Office

A friend, and also, incidentally, a Personality Dimensions^® Master Facilitator, recently told me about a book of short stories called “Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon.” I found the title intriguing. It evoked great memories of being a student working summers and weekends at a local history museum as an historic interpreter. Autumn meant that hot apple cider, complete with cinnamon sticks, would be mulling over an open fire in one of buildings.

I like a good, weighty book, one that requires my attention for many hours – and I usually have two or three on the go at the same time. A collection of short stories, subtitled “Stories of Finding Love in Unexpected Places” would normally send me running in another direction. However, I am glad that I listened and ordered this particular book.

One story asks how many of us have struggled with our own unique design because of the lack of freedom to discover and express who we are?

This is the story of a teacher who had taken the time to observe and understand one uniquely gifted student and discovered a unique way to help him reach out and join the rest of the world.  The student in this story has autism. But the question applies to all of us from time to time.

As I thought about it I realized that as Personality Dimensions^® facilitators we have the tools that enable us to understand those things that make each of us the unique person that we are and then be able to respectfully build communication bridges. That’s quite a gift.

Thanks, Cecile, for getting me to read this book.

 

Onward and upward from the back office … Denise

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 41st anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both Career/LifeSkills Resources and Personality Dimensions® take.

Personality Dimensions® – Winning Workshop Strategies

I have been going through a number of the support materials for Personality Dimensions® lately. Many are, or will soon be, under revision and as they come up for revision you will also see that instead of being in traditional print editions that the latest editions will be produced on USB drives.

It’s been an interesting exercise and I’ve been reacquainting myself with many of the products. One that I am currently revisiting is Winning Workshop Strategies. This collection of exercises, strategies and techniques, and the accompanying actual group feedback information is powerful. The content makes a strong contribution to the Personality Dimensions® model and is tremendously valuable, especially if you are working with smaller groups. When we published Winning Workshop Strategies we intended it to be a natural extension of the basic materials covered in Building Blocks.

I’m just flipping through the appendices and seeing the notes in sections such as Team Building/Conflict Management (Strengths We Bring to a Team; Potential Team Work Weaknesses; Sources of Conflict; Preventions or Solutions); Conflict Resolution (Sources of Conflict; Behaviours/Responses; Needs/Solutions); Capitalizing On Differences (Getting Cooperation; Rewarding Performance); Lesser Known Qualities or Traits; and the Identifying the Person at Risk (Feeling Good; Feeling Bad) charts all  provide a wealth of great information for strengthening the development of your clients’ Personality Radar – and work toward greater understanding of and respect for everyone else. And I haven’t touched on all the other materials in this handy little resource.

If you’re looking for some great ideas for techniques and exercises for your Personality Dimensions® workshops I highly recommend that you take a look at Winning Workshop Strategies. In fact, I’m so enthusiastic about this book that I’ve authorized a special sale of it at $26.00 per copy* (plus taxes and shipping). The regular price is $40.00 so that’s a 35% discount – from now until September 15^th, 2017, while quantities of the print edition last! Enjoy your summer!

Onward and upward from the back office … Denise

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 41st anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both Career/LifeSkills Resources and Personality Dimensions® take.

*Please note, this offer is available for orders placed with Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. in Canada only.  Pricing and offers may vary with local distributors.

Personality Dimensions® – Meet the Master Trainers

Continuing in our series of introducing our Master Trainers, it’s truly a great pleasure for me to introduce Dr. Roberta Neault. I’ve known Roberta for so long now that it’s hard for me to remember a time when we weren’t working on, or refining, some project or other. She’s a soft-spoken but powerful and extremely effective force in shaping career development in Canada and been recognized and awarded for her commitment nationally and internationally. It’s actually very difficult to keep track of Roberta. When I send her an e-mail I never know from what part of the globe she will respond! For me it’s been a tremendous pleasure and privilege to know and work with Roberta. Most recently we had a few brief moments of catch-up time while registering at the hotel for the Cannexus conference – and in truly wonderful Authentic Blue fashion she greeted me with a great warm, open smile and a hug.

Roberta’s been involved with Personality Dimensions® from long before we actually published any of the materials and I am very grateful to her for sharing her expertise with all of us and her commitment to Personality Dimensions®. If you ever get the chance to hear Roberta at a conference or have a cup of coffee with her count it as a real privilege, I know that I do.

In her own words …

“It’s interesting to reflect on my history with Personality Dimensions® – I can recall providing feedback on some of the earliest materials before the tool was even officially launched. Then there was a transitional period when I had training booked for True Colors Level 1 and 2 and had to sort out what to do when I knew that Personality Dimensions® was almost ready to go public. We gave those participants “two for the price of one” and certified them in both models at the same time – that took a lot of binders! I then provided Bridging training for hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, True Colors trainers to equip them to transition to the new tools. Our Level 2 trainees have come from the UK, the US, and all parts of Canada and I’ve facilitated Personality Dimensions® workshops with clients from throughout Asia, South and Central America, North America, Europe, and Africa – it resonates with groups of diverse ages, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds.

I’ve had the privilege of expanding the Personality Dimensions® suite of resources by writing and/or co-authoring most of the Personality Dimensions® Toolkits for Trainers, working on the Retirement Dimensions tool and toolkit, and co-developing the Level 1 Online Training with Dr. Deirdre Pickerell and the support of our team at Life Strategies Ltd. One of the most challenging projects was developing PD Basics as it was intended to be useful for two very distinct audiences – English language learners and individuals with low literacy. We had to ensure that the language was clear and simple but not insulting, suitable for adults who might speak English fluently but struggle with reading but also for adults who might be very well educated but struggle to understand English. We also wanted the tool to be useful in a mixed group, not singling out individuals who would have struggled with the regular package but seamlessly equipping them to keep up with the assessment activities. The PD Basics materials have achieved all of those goals!

I’ve been especially impressed with the publishers, Career/LifeSkills Resources – they have been so open to feedback, supportive of extending the suite of resources, and responsive to trainers’ needs. I also appreciate the enthusiasm of the family of Personality Dimensions® trainers. I recall attending a conference in the Maritime region where one exhibitor was eagerly introducing me to the Personality Dimensions® products at her table and all of the benefits of using Personality Dimensions® until she suddenly noticed that my name tag matched the author’s name for most of the books on her table!

I’ve used Personality Dimensions® in a variety of settings but one of my most memorable moments was with a group of hospice volunteers. As you’d expect, many of them had strong preferences for Authentic Blue and, of course, kept trying to engage their dying residents and family members in the types of creative activities that Authentic Blues tend to love. They were frustrated by the lack of interest and appreciation that they were getting from some people – what an “aha moment” when they recognized that not everyone wants to spend their final days scrapbooking or telling stories! Personality Dimensions® is SUCH a wonderful tool for helping us to recognize and celebrate both similarities AND differences!”

 

Credentials: Canadian Certified Counsellor, Certified Career Development Practitioner, Global Career Development Facilitator – Instructor, Personality Dimensions Master Trainer

Degrees: PhD (Educational Psychology), MA (Counselling Psychology), BEd (Special Education / Psychology)

You can reach Roberta through the Life Strategies website: www.lifestrategies.ca, at roberta@lifestrategies.ca or the Life Strategies office:  604-856-2386  Follow her on Twitter: @RobertaNeault

Personality Dimensions® – Making the PD-Online™ Assessment System More Accessible

Earlier today I came across the phrase “Character is what you are when no one is looking.” It reminded me of how we ask people to respond to the Personality Dimensions^® assessment: as they are when they are relaxed, maybe sitting at home with a good cup of tea or coffee.

The process of developing, and evolving, an online version of the Personality Dimensions^® assessment has been interesting to say the least. I have certainly learned a lot of lessons along the way. I stand in awe of those programmers and visionaries who have made, and continue to make, big strides in this technology.

One of those strides has resulted in a new way for facilitators to make Personality Dimensions^® available to their clients. Entitled Self-Registration Link for Clients, facilitators can share their specifically designated links any way they wish – via e-mail, text message, social media groups / events, however they find it easiest – to communicate with their clients.  As a facilitator, you have a series of unique URL links that you can share with your clients that allow them to self-register directly to your account. These URLs can be found at the bottom of you Profile screen, which is accessible from the Dashboard Menu.

 

If you have any questions about using your Self-Registration Links for Clients, most of the answers can be found on page 10 of the user guide, found on your facilitator dashboard.  If you are still stumped, you can reach out to our tech support genius at techsupport@clsr.ca.

We would love to hear from you with suggestions about how to make Personality Dimensions^® more easily accessible to your clients. Keep in touch – Personality Dimensions^® continues to grow – did you see that we passed the million assessments taken mark – because of you!

Onward and upward from the Inquiring Green in the back office!

 

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 41st anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both Career/LifeSkills Resources and Personality Dimensions® take.

Personality Dimensions® Master Trainers

Did you know that Personality Dimensions® has an elite group of master trainers?

The list of Personality Dimensions® Master Trainers is very small. This group is comprised of people who have made substantial contributions to the growth of Personality Dimensions® through research and development. Several of the longest-standing members have retired and periodically we award Master Trainer status to Level II facilitators who have made this type of contribution.

In the coming weeks, we will post more about the newest members to the group – something I am remiss in not doing a while ago; as well as more about the long standing members. We want to show you how Personality Dimensions® is truly a plaid in and of itself – created my an amazing team. You may want to connect with one or more if you have shared interests or with questions that they might be able to assist you with, or just to say hello and renew acquaintances.

Personality Dimensions® continues to evolve, in large part, because of the work and research that these people have put into it – and often in response to requests that other facilitators have made for more information. You asked for it, you shaped it and you continue to evolve it through your suggestions, comments and feedback.

 

Yours, from the back office … Denise

 

Denise Hughes is the Director and owner of Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. and general editor of Personality Dimensions® materials and products. She just noticed the calendar and realized it is just past the 41st anniversary of her introduction to career and type and temperament materials. Those experiences and the expertise she gained through her years with the Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, and now with CLSR, continue to shape the direction that both Career/LifeSkills Resources and Personality Dimensions® take.

Personality Dimensions® – New Web-Based Assessment Application

Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. Celebrates Launch of New Web-Based Assessment Application.

Leading Personality Assessment Publisher Creates New User Experience Application for Personality Dimensions Online.

Aurora, ON: Today, Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc., a leading publisher of career development and organizational development materials, specializing in personality assessments, announced the launch of their new web-based assessment application, CLSRassessments.co.  Since launching Personality Dimensions® Online 7 years ago, Career/LifeSkills has seen exponential growth with Certified Trainers around the world.  Existing clients who would like to switch to the new application today can contact info@clsr.ca or 1-877-680-0200 with their request.

Upon seeing the newly developed CLSRassessments web application, Career/LifeSkills Resources Director, Denise Hughes remarked, “After many months of hard work and refinement I am absolutely delighted to see the new, fully revised and mobile friendly, CLSRassessments web application. It has been a labour of love that came about as a direct result of the feedback that we’ve received from our clients around the world. The new look and feel, along with the new features are sure to benefit everyone.”

Redevelopment of the application has taken several months, mindfully incorporating the feedback and suggestions from Certified Trainers who have utilized the previous application as part of their toolkit.  New features include:

• Full mobile accessibility. Facilitators and clients can access the application using a smart phone, tablet, iPad, netbook, laptop, or desktop anywhere in the world with internet access.
• New assessment reports: Updated and refreshed, each assessment has a newly designed/researched report.

 

About the company: Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. is a publisher and distributor of career development and organizational development materials, specializing in assessments, curriculums, videos, and books.  Founded in 1998 Career/LifeSkills Resources Inc. has prided itself in listening to its clients, and offering the best resources based to meet their needs.  Career/LifeSkills Resouces Inc. launched its premier resource, Personality Dimensions® in 2003 which has been experienced by over 1 million individuals to date.