All of us have different temperaments because we were all born with our own set of strengths and weaknesses. When we know who we are and why we act the way we do, we begin to understand ourselves better and what makes us tick. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise many undergraduates are encouraged to take a personality assessment before they choose careers that are more suitable to them.

However, if you are already enjoying a well-established career, understanding your temperament and others will enhance meaningful working relationships between bosses and subordinates and among peers.

There are many personality profiling exercise and study today. The following four temperaments originated with Hippocrates 2400 BC is just one of them. It’s now made into a compilation of Personality Plus temperaments by Florence Littauer though initially was catered for marriages is now being used by many HR and Management Consultants.

Most of us have a combination or blend of traits but look out for one category of traits that best describes you. There you go…

(A) The Extrovert. The Talker. The Optimist. At work, you display the following:

Volunteer for jobs

Thinks up new activities

Looks great on the surface

Creative and colorful

Has energy and enthusiasm

Starts in a flashy way

Inspires others to join

Charms others to work

(B) The Introvert. The Thinker. The Pessimist. At work, you display the following:

Schedule oriented

Perfectionist, high standards

Detail conscious

Persistent and thorough

Orderly and organized

Neat and tidy

Economical

Sees the problems

Finds creative solutions

Needs to finish what is started

Likes charts, graphs, figures, lists

(C) The Extrovert. The Doer. The Optimist. At work, you display the following:

Goal oriented

Sees the whole picture

Organizes well

Seeks practical solutions

Moves quickly to action

Delegates work

Insists on production

Makes the goal

Stimulates activity

Thrives on opposition

(D) The Introvert. The Watcher. The Pessimist. At work, you display the following:

Competent and steady

Peaceful and agreeable

Has administrative ability

Mediates problems

Avoids conflicts

Good under pressure

Finds the easy way

Once we have an understanding of ourselves through the study of the four personalities, we can open up a whole new world of positive human relationships. We can take the principles and apply them in a practical direction. We can know:

(A) are popular sanguine and they are best:

• in dealing with people enthusiastically

• in expressing thoughts with excitement

• in up-front positions of attention

(B) are perfect melancholies and they are best:

• in attending to details and in deep thinking

• in keeping records, charts and graphs

• in analyzing problems too difficult for others

(C) are powerful cholerics and they are best:

• in jobs that require quick decisions

• in spots that need instant action and accomplishments

• in areas that demand strong control and authority

(D) are peaceful phlegmatics and they are best:

• in positions of mediation and unity

• in storms that need a calming hand

• in routines that might seem dull to others

After understanding ourselves, it’s easier to understand others. By recognizing their individual temperaments, we can now look at their differences in a positive way and not try to make everyone to be like us. Different temperaments get ticked differently. How do we deal with them effectively?

To deal with popular sanguine personality,

• recognize their difficulty in accomplishing tasks

• realize they talk without thinking first

• realize they like variety and flexibility

• help them to keep from accepting more than they can do

• don’t expect them to remember appointments or be on time

• praise them for everything they accomplish

• remember they are people that get controlled by circumstances easily

• accept that they make fun out of what would be embarrassing to others

• realize they mean well

As for the perfect melancholy personality,

• know that they are very sensitive and get hurt easily

• realize they are programmed with a pessimistic attitude

• compliment them sincerely

• accept that they like it quiet sometimes

• try to keep a reasonable schedule

• realize that neatness is a necessity

As for the powerful choleric personality,

• recognize they are born leaders

• insist on two-way communication

• know they don’t mean to hurt

• try to divide areas of responsibility

• realize they are not compassionate

As for the peaceful phlegmatic personality,

• realize they need direct motivation

• help them to set goals and make rewards

• don’t expect enthusiasm

• realize that putting things off is their form of quiet control

• force them to make decisions

• don’t heap all the blame on them

• encourage them to accept responsibilities

The knowledge of the personalities can help each one of us to function better in the work place, to converse in a manner that will be appropriate and pleasing to others present, and to understand the positives and the negatives of other people. From here on, you will have more fun as you learn to spot the talker, the doer, the thinker, and the watcher. Isn’t it wonderful that we were not all made alike?

Source Littauer, Florence Personality Plus, Fleming H. Revell, 2004

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