I was first exposed to influencing people back in 1992 when I attended a Dale Carnegie Convention in California, USA. Here I learnt from Florence Littauer, the author of Personality Plusthat to influence people we need to understand and connect with their personality. In her book, she describes the four personalities inherent in people.
The Four Personality Types are:
Choleric: This is the dominant, strong, decisive, stubborn and even arrogant type of person. They tend to be good leaders because they are driven to get things done; however they might offend some people along the way. Cholerics are also known as the “POWERFUL” type.
Melancholy: This is the mental-type. Their typical behaviour involves thinking, assessing, making lists, evaluating the positives and negatives, and general analysis of facts. They love maps, charts and graphs. They are usually the most intelligent of the four types, however they tend to dwell on details. A Melancholy is a planner, making sure things happen, although sometimes they can paralyze themselves with over-analysis.
Sanguine: This is the social-type. They enjoy fun, socializing, chatting, telling stories – and are fond of promising the world, because that’s the friendly thing to do. A Sanguine gets on well with people and can get others excited about issues, but cannot always be relied upon to get things done. They love interacting with others and play the role of the entertainer or center of attention in group interactions. They have a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver.
Phlegmatic: This is the flat-type. They are easy going, laid back, nonchalant, unexcitable and relaxed. Desiring a quiet and peaceful environment above all else. They tend not to actively upset people, but their indifference may frustrate people. They try not to make decisions, and generally go for the status quo. They are good as mediators because they don’t usually have many enemies. They also have a “dry” and quick sense of humor. Phlegmatics are also known as the “Peaceful” type.
Being a Sanguine-Phlegmatic, people orientation came to me easily. Every behavioural assessment I have taken since 1992 all indicated the same preference. I have always been able to make use of this strength when I am facilitating a workshop, coaching, mentoring and especially when guiding my children.
