SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND

Euripides once said that "The wisest men follow their own direction".  The best way one can begin a journey of a thousand miles is to take the first step, correct?  Well, not entirely.  Taking the first step is the BETTER way to begin. The BEST way, however, is to make sure that  the first step you take is towards the right direction.  Otherwise, all will be lost.

In my first blog, I wrote about finding your reason for being, your ikigai, and embarking on this self-discovery journey.  In this blog, I will share another fun and practical exercise, one that I have learned in a leadership workshop about 5 years ago and one that I find most revealing when it comes to knowing how you perceive yourself.  This exercise is called Personality Compass.

What is Personality Compass?  

It is a self-awareness inventory to help one understand their personality styles in a very light and humorous way.  It is a non-clinical tool, hence, it does not determine if you are psychotic, neurotic or deranged.  So cast that thought away. 

This exercise is for EVERYONE - CEO, Director, Manager, Supervisor, Team Leader, Rank and File, Freelancer, Housewife, Retiree, Professionals, Non Professionals, NAME IT.  This is for YOU.

What does the Personality Compass have to do with ME stepping towards the right direction?

That's exactly what a compass does - point directions.  Based on the Personality Compass matrix, a person is either a NORTH, SOUTH, EAST or WEST.  Now, let's discuss them individually in a nutshell.

Non-Stop NORTH:

The Northerners are go-getters, typically assertive and independent, decisive and in control, fast-paced and self-starting.  They are laser-focused, confident and authoritative, goal-centered and ambitious, strong willed and direct.  They are passionately intense, highly competitive and determined.  They take action and do so courageously.  Needless to say, these people are hardworking and responsible.  

Sunny SOUTH:

The Southerns are socially inclined, friendly and likable, slow and laid-back. They are good communicators, good and emphatic listeners as well.  They strive for world peace and their kindness make them very caring, understanding and giving.  It is not unusual to see them working as volunteers for humane societies, rescue centers, and charitable institutions.  They see the goodness in the world and in themselves and long to share that with others. 

Exact EAST:

Precision is the name of the game.  Easterners are quality-centered, detailed, structured, deliberately slow in the way they process thoughts and tasks.  They are very logical and organized.  They follow the pattern "Think-Do-Think".  They are prim and proper, very simple in their outlook in life.  They value time and are very punctual.  They follow conventional, traditional, proven and accepted ways. In other words, they don't experiment.

Wild Wild WEST

The Westerners are big time dreamers. They are visionaries.  They do not run out of energy and thrive in a fast-paced often unpredictable environment.   They are infectiously enthusiastic and free spirited, innovative and creative, spontaneous and definitely unstructured.  They always think outside the box and take high risks.  Their maverick traits make them adventurous and most certainly unconventional and somewhat careless.  Bring it on! 

So which one are YOU and how would YOU know?

There is a fun way to tell which direction your personality compass is pointing at.  Below is a 4 column table you can use.  This is actually the same worksheet we used at work.

You will either choose 1 or 2 on the left side of the worksheet and either 3 or 4 on the right side.  For example, are you more confident or are you more helpful?  Are you more organized or are more creative?  Do not check both "confident" and "helpful" - you need to choose just one of the two.  The same with "organized" and "creative".  Place a check on the box of your choice that represents the word which you think is more descriptive of you.  

Then, after you're done checking the boxes of your choice, count the check marks for each column and put the value in the corresponding box at the end of each column.  

So how did you fare out?

If you scored more under column 1, then you are a prominent NORTH.

If you scored more under column 2, then you are a prominent SOUTH.

If you scored more under column 3, then you are a prominent EAST

Last but not the least, if you score more under column 4, then you are a prominent WEST.

THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS.  It does not mean that if you choose one word, you are not the other.  This is a self-perception tool to assess personal attributes, right now, at this exact moment.  

We are living in an ever changing world, under ever changing conditions, hence, the results are never the same.  You may be a SOUTH today, but you could very well be a NORTH next month.  You could be a WEST in January and an EAST come June.  

Just to share with you, I am currently SOUTHEAST, as I scored 28 South and 27 East.  Which makes sense as I consider myself currently semi-retired.  Since I migrated to the US and got married a little over a year ago, my life has been very laid back.  I am taking it all in deliberately, every sight and sound, and smelling the flowers along the way.  And yes, I love nature, I love cats, and I recycle!

Believe it or not, when I first took this assessment I scored even in all columns (15-15-15-15), which happens very rarely to anyone.  Our facilitator said it could be an indication of a well balanced self-perception that I had at that particular period of my life.

So now that you have taken the Personality Compass exercise, how do you benefit from it?

Never believe that ignorance is bliss.  It is always a good thing to know what your SELF is telling you.  Seek that AHHA moment.  You'll be surprised when your self-perception is sometimes a bit different from what you think you are all along.  It makes a whole lot of difference when you see yourself with your own eyes, and not with the eyes around you, right?  In this modern age, our brains, our thought processes are always feasting on second hand information.  Sometimes we just need to take a step back, break those chains, assess the situation and internalize. Maybe you will find there's more than what you think you already knew.

Perception is a powerful thing indeed! It breaks down walls and build bridges.

In a Nutshell:

The NORTH drives you to ACT NOW and MOVE FORWARD.

The EAST tells you to THINK BEFORE YOU DO.

The SOUTH touches your HEART and preserve your WELL BEING.

The WEST makes you DREAM and LIVE AGAIN!

#SeekAndYouShallFind
#HRHouR