Why We Put People In A Box

Profile tools are great when you are learning about you. I've done many - Myers Briggs, Hermann Brain Dominance Indicator, Colour Wheel, and StrengthsFinder. Once done, what often happens (and I do this just as much as others) is we use the results to pigeon hole, to put ourselves in a box. "You're so introverted, no wonder you don't like people." "You're always talking, that must be your extroversion." We look to simplify and codify. And to be fair, there's good reason for it.

I'm reading a book called Your Brain at Work by David Rock. It talks about the fact that the pre frontal cortex of the brain, where we do all our cognitive processing, has limited capacity (it's part of the cerebral brain that only accounts for 5% of our brain processing power). Like a stage there's room for only so many actors. The more actors on the stage, the more chaotic it becomes. Hence why writing lists and prioritising, focusing on the hardest tasks when your brain is fresh, or having a midday rest, are all good tools to call on.

One other thing we do is association. This allows us to quickly process based on past experience and is often done through feeling - this comes from the limbic part of the brain which accounts for 95% of our processing power. It can work for good e.g. activating our intuition. Examples in Strengths language include: People with INDIVIDUALIZATION(each person is unique) have a felt sense of someone's unique talents; People with EMPATHY have an instinctive awareness of others' feelings. But what our brain can also do is over simplify/generalise/stereotype as mentioned above.

A couple of the things I like about StrengthsFinder is that (1) it has easy to use/understand language (2) it demonstrates the uniqueness of us as individuals. One coach I know calls this powerful combination "relational shorthand." Over 10 million people have completed the strengths profile tool and discovered what their top 5 strengths themes are. The database stats are compelling.

When you complete a StengthsFinder profile you are given what we call 5 strengths themes, listed in order of dominance. And the chances of someone having the same five strengths:

In any order = 1 in 278,256

In order as they are presented = 33,390,000

In addition, strengths are sophisticated. Like dials on a sound desk, you'll turn some up and some down depending on the circumstances - whether you're at work or play. I've often been asked "what strengths do you think I have?" and my answer is the same every time. I can't easily tell.

So although there are 34 strength themes, yours are unique to you. And that's what your strengths are about. Instead of a way for the world to look in, classify and put you in a box; this is about discovering the good in you that can be a gift to the people you interact with in the significant roles that you fulfil. These include as an employee, co-worker, spouse, sibling, parent and friend.