Insights Profile
Insights Profile
SEPTEMBER 18, 2021
I'm fascinated with team chemistry and how a mix of different backgrounds and personality types can somehow congeal into a winning product or development team. I've been lucky to build and be a part of some amazing groups of innovative workers. How do you quickly understand what each person needs to do their best, feel rewarded and be respectful of work/life balance?
Frankly I'm not exactly sure what the secret sauce is. Maybe an empathic leader ties the group together (sacrifice a person to be a free safety/attentive hummingbird to be the glue)? Maybe just giving the team space and personal stake (I've found that many teams I've inherited just suffer from too much management oversight)?
Several years ago I had a vice president who also wanted to understand his team better. He had us all take these Insights evaluations. I'm posting here my personal results.
Director (fiery red) - Extraverted Thinking
A director is a person who is focused primarily on results. Their biggest priority is to get the most important task they have done to a high standard and on time, and they are not afraid to make big decisions and to implement those decisions assertively. These qualities make them excellent leaders, but they need to be careful so they don’t come across as pushy or impatient.
Inspirer (sunshine yellow) - Extraverted Feeling
The inspirer’s greatest strength is their people skills, as they enjoy being around others and have a good understanding of how to motivate and inspire them. But they are not just cheerleaders – they are creative types who can find people-oriented solutions to problems that other people might not think of. Their skill at persuasion can make them good sales people as well as creative team members.
Supporter (earth green) - Introverted Feeling
The supporter is someone who prefers to stay out of the spotlight and to facilitate the work of the group. They are excellent listeners and can empathize with others, so they make good counselors. They are highly loyal to their team, and they like to work supporting others and group rather than just driving results on their own.
Observer (cool blue) - Introverted Thinking
The observer is detail oriented and cares about everything being correct and defined to a high standard. They are strong at analysis and at meeting rules or guidelines, making them well suited to testing or compliance roles, and really any role that required analytical, practical thought. Often a great fit for legal, financial and technological pursuits.
The Insights Discovery model is based on the extensive research of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and one of his leading students Dr Jolande Jacobi. The model uses four colours to represent observable behavioural patterns which are measured by the Insights Discovery evaluator; a 25-frame questionnaire of statements from 100 word pairs, which when completed produces your Insights Discovery Personal Profile.