Page 15 - Kindness - No Forward

Seminar attendee: “I resent that you keep putting people in boxes”.

Seminar leader: “I don’t put people in boxes. I just keep looking in boxes
and finding people there”.

How Do We Identify Our Own Behavioral Style?

You might be asking how you can determine you own personal style of
communication and behavior. It starts with paying attention to how you
respond and behave in different circumstance and environments.

There are also numerous assessment instruments both on-line and in print
which will help you determine your behavioral and communication style. I
personally prefer the DISC products, which refer to Dominant (LION),
Interpersonal (PORPOISE), Steady (KOALA), and Conscientious (FOX)
types of behavior. These products are available from a number of excellent
companies and distributors as I mentioned in the opening segment of this
book.

You might already know your behavior/communication style, or you might
be surprised at what you discover. Either way, once you know YOUR style,
you can use that knowledge to improve your communication with others.

How Do We Identify The Behavioral Style in Others?

I visited the Memphis zoo for the first time in years. I noticed the signs in
front of the cages of the different animals, which not only identified them,
but included information about their preferences and behavioral
tendencies.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if signs were in front of everyone’s door or home
with this same type of information? Imagine how helpful it would be to see
a sign that said:

This is a LION

It prefers to-the-point, bottom-line communication. It wants an environment
where it can make decisions, be in charge, and have control.

Warning: The LION likes conflict and can be aggressive!