How useful would it be to understand our own preferences, those of our colleagues and even our boss, prospects and clients? Imagine being able to predict how well you will perform in a task that you have never completed before? Imagine predicting how your colleagues or prospects will perform in such a situation, what their needs are and how they will like to be helped and supported. This is the real power of understanding personality at work.

Our challenge is to make an understanding of personality:

• Useful to the individual or team
• Without it becoming simplistic in the process

Although we work extensively with in-house and licensed software programmes we recognise that the seemingly magic process of generating a report only serves to distance users from any belief that they could acquire the power to interpret behaviour for themselves.

We therefore prefer to help people take personal responsibility to understand personality so that they can make their own dynamic interpretations of the behaviour that they witness each and every day. When a group of people access these tools together, they acquire a common language between them which has a marked impact on communication and performance.


The four key areas in which we work are:

1. Coaching - Self Development
One cornerstone of our coaching programmes, is the Building of a three dimensional picture of an individual's own personality which helps them:

• Describe themselves in a team situation
• Recognise their key strengths in any situation
• Predict their key contribution in an as yet un-encountered situation
• Share workloads to ensure maximum effectiveness in a team environment

2. Team Building

• Helping team members understand their own contribution to the team
• Forming sub-teams where one person's strength can support another person's weakness & vice versa (e.g. high attention to detail being traded for good presentation skills)

3. Enhanced selling skills and relationship building

• Interpreting personality from body language and office layouts as well as witnessed behaviour
• Identifying how to present information to suit the personality of the audience
• Avoiding personality clashes by picking your lead consultant based on the client personality

4. Recruitment

• Job analysis - who is the right personality for the tasks we need performed?
• Candidate review - how well does a person meet the job criteria?

After initial training (much of which is self help) individuals are equipped for a lifetime of application, both at work and outside.



Body language or non verbal communication (NVC)
Most people are aware of body language and can usually remember one or two amusing examples but few of us have tapped into the power that understanding body language can offer.

The key 'health warnings' when discussing body language are:

1. Don't jump to conclusions
2. A little knowledge is dangerous

That having been said, understanding body language is a skill we can hone at home or at work, almost every minute of the day. All that is required is a little instruction and a lot of application.

This application should enable you to:

1. Identify someone's personality by the body language they use
2. Recognise the changing moods/receptiveness of someone you know well
3. Evaluate the impact you have on someone and what they feel about you

Put into a business context this affords us the ability to:

1. Work with colleagues more dynamically
2. Understand our boss
3. Negotiate with a clearer view of the other persons objectives
4. Develop effective long term client relationships

Office Layouts
Wherever we go, we leave a trail of clues about our personality. The more time we spend in one place the more we tailor that space to reflect our own character. Our workspace, our cars and obviously our homes are great places to uncover the real person inside. Being invited in to a person's office or workspace is therefore a wonderful invitation to study the person in depth.

Early questions need to establish how long someone has occupied the space, so that their level of influence can be determined. Analysis then follows a structured process to include:

Room/space structure. How is the space laid out (if it can be moved)?

1. Use of semi permanent memorabilia?
2. Balance of work and play in personal effects?
3. Use of comfort toys?
4. How is work performed in the space?
5. How is the space used by the individual?
6. Reactions to 'decoy' body language?