A few weeks ago our office participated in Insights Discovery. It begins with a word-association rating test that most of us sort of blew off and found irrelevant. Turns out it’s relevant and is based on Psychiatrist Carl Jung’s many years of Analytical Psychology. It is rather interesting and involved yet simple in presentation. This would have been handy information to have before participating. Basically, for the rest of us, it boils down to a personality test.
Mine was funny. Accurate, but true stuff is the funniest stuff! Rules are important to me as shown by their reappearance throughout my profile. True. I get antsy when someone breaks the rules; I hate being in trouble. Painstaking was another attribute that came up. True. When trying to solve a problem I don’t give up until it is solved. This is why I have begun to avoid problems in the first place – brilliant! Painstaking = exhausting. I am quizzical and probing, their description, not mine. Poor Patrick! I ask him question after question after question – and then follow that up immediately with “ANSWER ME!”….how lovely it must be on the receiving end of that!
The strengths are great – a real self-esteem booster. The weaknesses are much more noteworthy! ‘Can resist by being passive yet stubborn simultaneously’ What?! Personally, I think being passive yet stubborn simultaneously makes the conversation more interesting!
Strategies for communicating with me are hysterical and totally true! ‘Ensure she sees and agrees with the benefit of change before implementation’ ‘Do not touch her if you can avoid it’ ‘Do not hug her unexpectedly or at an inappropriate moment’ This is great stuff because I find myself often saying “why are you touching me!?!” ‘Do not give lengthy verbal instructions’ Correct. I will stop paying attention and then ask you to repeat yourself; that’s where I find the synopsis of what you meant to begin with.
I did learn something quite handy ‘Allison will benefit from assuming permission rather than seeking it’. Lightbulb! I just felt my Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table budget grow by leaps and bounds!! Something not handy: ‘Allison may benefit from wearing something outrageous to work when it is least expected!’ My interpretation: ‘put on some whore-clothes and join the rest of downtown’!
The profile, even the things that are not flattering, is presented in a way that lessens the blow and doesn’t make you out to be the world’s leading asshole….or, um, the foremost overly-conservative rule-follower for that matter. This is a multi-page spiral-bound booklet of personality traits and I didn’t disagree with any of it. Patrick didn’t either, which I found funny. And, really, not so funny at the same time. It is, by far, one thing to be a certain way at work. To apply those same personality traits at home and ask, “why are you touching me!?!” may not be a relationship builder. I know, SHOCKER, right!?
I loved the Insights and wish I had them earlier - would have made dating easier. I'd like the family version....my goofball sister, if-you-don’t-know-I’m-not-telling-you dad and I-don’t-proof-read-my-texts mother would be a lot easier to handle if it was spelled out on paper!
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