Personality Styles & the 4 Questions

by Amy Parrish

Each of the four personality styles aligns with the classic questions WHO, WHAT, HOW, and WHY. How can we use this information to inform our interactions with one another or influence how we teach?

Transcript:

Hi, I am Amy with Iluma Learning and one of our most popular courses at Iluma Learning is all about personality styles. And so a lot of different companies do personality styles because it's really helpful to break down the tendencies of people. But you know, we can't put anybody in a box because we're all, you know, a variety of things. And quite honestly, we have all the elements within us.

What is interesting about the way we cover personality styles is that we make it all about heavy equipment. And so when we are talking about how we really put it into context, it makes it so much easier to remember it and focus on it. So people really love it. So one of the things that we always talk about as part of our personality styles course, and we have online courses, we do this in person, and then it leads into terrific conversations around how are we communicating with each other? How are we missing each other when we talk? How are we trying to say the same thing, but using very different languages? So one of the interesting things in personality styles is really starting to pay attention to what is the question that I'm scanning the environment to have the answer for so that things make sense for me.

So if I am an action style I'm looking for the answer to what bottom line, what's gotta be done? Because I have got to get on it. So I am always scanning for what bottom line result, what's the target? What have I got to go and do?

If I'm structure, I am looking for an answer to how. Okay, so now we know what we're supposed to do, how are we supposed to get it done? How are we going to get it done on time? How are we gonna approach it? And then that moves us into what kind of steps are there? What is the budget? All the how detailed questions.

If I'm a relationship style, I am going to be scanning the environment for who. Who's asking, who's going to benefit, who's going to be angry? Who's the customer? Who have I got to work with? Who's really going to be impacted if we don't get it done right? I wanna know who, and I want the storyline behind it. Because I care about people first. So I'm scanning the environment for, how's this going to make people feel? How is this going to impact what's going on? And then I'm looking to try to create some harmony around that. So who's the big one.

And then the last one is possibilities. And they're all about why. Well, why are we doing it like this? Why are you asking me for this? Because I wanna be able to get it right for you. I want to give it to you correctly. So I need context. Also, want to know why are we doing this? And, and why does it matter, right? So it's a lot about, I want to connect to some bigger purpose. I want something that gives me meaning.

So just these four simple questions. If I am at a meeting and I've got to talk about something, boy, I need to be answering what, how, who and why in the first couple of minutes of my presentation. Don't mess around. Get in there and tell them what they're scanning the environment for. And then they can be patient while they went on you to go through the other detail that they're less interested in. So this is a really good, easy way to start paying attention to how can I reach different people who are different from me? Just simply answer what, how, who, why? And start watching for people that you get confused by a lot, what kinds of questions are they asking, or what kinds of questions are they answering? And they'll let you know their style.