My Behaviour Style
Thinker

By knowing your own dominant behaviour style, you can understand your needs. And by knowing the dominant behaviour styles of others, you gain insight into the needs of others and can adapt your behaviour appropriately, following what author Alessandra calls The Platinum Rule: "Do unto others as they would like done unto them." This will make you a more effective person at work, at home, and in social situations.

To find out your dominant behaviour style, take a free, online, computer-scored test at PlatinumRule.com.

The Other Styles

Director Firm and forceful, confident and competitive, decisive and determined risk-takers. More concerned with outcomes than egos. Str: Administration, initiative Wkns: Impatience, insensitivity Irrit: Indecision Goals: Productivity, control Fear: Being hustled Motiv: Winning Thinker & Director LEAST COMPATIBLE See each other as competitors Clash between need for speed and control (Dir) and due diligence and systems (Thk)

Relator Easygoing, people-oriented, and slow-paced. Genial team players. Like stability more than risk. Care greatly about relationships with others. Str: Servicing, listening Wkns: Oversensitivity, indecision Irrit: Insensitivity Goals: Acceptance, stability Fear: Sudden change Motiv: Involvement Thinker & Relator MODERATELY COMPATIBLE Depends on situation: socially, compatibility not natural, but, with effort, progress is possible a both are inwardly oriented; for tasks, Rel gets along with everybody.

Socializer Outgoing, optimistic, enthusiastic. Thrives on admiration, acknowledgment, and applause. Has lots of ideas and loves to talk. Str: Persuasion, interaction Wkns: Disorganization, carelessness Irrit: Routine Goals: Popularity, applause Fear: Loss of prestige Motiv: Recognition Thinker & Socializer MODERATELY COMPATIBLE Depends on situation: low socially, high for tasks Soc can sense Thk's passion for excellence and quality, thorough work, but doesn't view Thk as being a lot of laughs.

I am a Thinker

• Strengths: Planning, analyzing
• Weaknesses: Perfectionistic, overly critical
• Irritation: Unpredictability
• Goals: Accuracy, thoroughness
• Fear: Criticism
• Motivator: Progress

Adapting to Thinkers

• Be sensitive to their time. (Thinkers are time-disciplined.)
• Give them data. (They need details.)
• Don't expect to become their friend before doing business or working with them. (They are task-oriented.)
• Be systematic, logical, well-prepared, and exact. (They have an organized, thoughtful approach to problems and tasks.)
• Give them time to make decisions and work on their own.
• In work groups, do not expect them to be leaders or outspoken contributors. (You can rely on them to conduct research, crunch numbers, and develop methods for the group.)
• Compliment them on their brain-power.
• Set guidelines and exact due dates.
• Allow them to talk in detail. (They are prone to.)

Thinkers as Leaders

• High standards and expectations (Ease up on expectations)
• Always have criticism (spoken and unspoken) of others' work (Modify how you do this)
• Closely monitor process flow (Focus on critical things, not everything)
• Controlled emotion, task oriented (Loosen up, more "small talk")
• Avoid or ignore others with whom they disagree (Confront them)

Thinkers as Family Members

• "I'm right," and "Why can't you be right?" (Noone is right all the time)
• "   " (Vocalize more)
• Planner (Be more spontaneous)
• Serious (Lighten up)

Thinkers in Relationships

• "Why can't you be more like me?" (Accept others as they are)
• "     " (Give more compliments)
• Solitary (Participate more)

Thinkers and Socializing

• Keep to self (Initiate a conversation)
• Formal (Be more casual)
• Terse (Elaborate)

Content for this page was abstracted from the MentorU.com website (www.mentoru.com)