Did you find your Joe?
We all have four personality types within us, but some will be more dominant than others. In the graph, you will see that they are divided into introvert-extrovert, fact- and data-driven, and emotion-driven. You can also see here who you most often misunderstand because you are different.
It's your opposite. For example, if you are primarily introverted and fact- and data-driven like Perfectionist Joe, your opposite would be the extroverted and more emotion-driven Doesn't matter Joe, who hijacks your brain (you get “"crocodile brain"") and turns into "Joe".
The future is calling
for Joe-awareness
Maybe you have some resistance to the types after reading about them. Perhaps you still feel like you’re a bit of everything and just don’t fit into a box like that. Don’t be afraid of being categorized into these four types – when it comes to good collaboration and avoiding emotional pollution in everyday life, it’s about getting to know yourself and, most importantly, your colleagues better. According to Professor Michael Shinagel, an iconic instructor at Harvard University, being aware of how we are influenced by others and how we influence others will be one of the most important qualities in the future workplace. When you know your own personality type and understand yourself well enough to know what throws you off course, you will be better equipped to avoid being emotionally polluted. So, when you stand by the coffee machine and hear a Doesn't matter Joe complaining about his long workdays, and you know that he’s consistently 15 minutes late every day, you’ll be prepared for your reaction and can avoid being emotionally hijacked by him.
You see the situation clearly and respond in a calm and more appropriate way – to the benefit of both yourself and your colleagues. By knowing why you act the way you do, you can even free yourself from self-blame. You may hit yourself over the head thinking that you could have accomplished more in life if you had been more structured. But if you know you're a Doesn't matter Joe and pink, you can better rest in the fact that you're someone who generates many ideas, and some of them probably shouldn’t be followed through with at all. More structure wouldn't have changed that. By understanding your personality type, you can also avoid being an emotional pollutant when you collide with the other Joe types. Consider which type you think most closely matches you and which one you recognize the least, and make a list from one to four of the one that matches you best, the second-best, and so on. It can be a fun and useful tool to discuss with your colleagues about your collaboration. Based on your different personality types, you'll be able to see where you're alike and where you're different – and together you can assess your shared challenges and strengths.
This is how we move forward together
Now you’ve had a brief introduction to the four personality types. Does some of this sound a bit too rigid to you? Or are you nodding and recognizing more and more of it in yourself or one or more of your colleagues? The characteristics I’ve discussed so far are all things I’ve observed in various workplaces, and they’re often referred to when I give lectures, and the audience shares about a type they have difficulty understanding.
In my book BEFRI PREBEN, I expand further on the four Joes. How you can control your emotional economy – and make it interact with others. You’ll also get plenty of ideas on how to free yourself and your colleagues from all the emotional pollution we expose ourselves and each other to.
