Understanding Yourself and Then Others

Understanding Yourself and then Others

Understanding Yourself and then Others is a book designed to help your approach to "people understanding". The book is based of tests that categorize a persons values and leadership style.

There are eight values; theoretical, materialistic, power-seeking, spiritual, aesthetic, ritualistic, humanitarian, and individualistic. Values can be either personal (give personal satisfaction), superimposed, or repressed or presently inactive. These values all provide motivation, but at varying levels. Personal values are not a constant throughout their lives and may be changed by large life events. It is beneficial to know a persons values because it will give you a hint to what motivates them.

The four core behavioral traits are dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance. These are then broken down further into twelve categories. These profiles can tell you a lot about a person, such as weaknesses, strengths, and what support they need. In addition, if you know your profile and your coworkers you can see how to best support each other and maintain a pleasant and productive work environment.

These values and profiles do not tell you exactly who a person is, they are just a guide that helps you get a better idea of what kind of people you are working with. In the end you must first understand yourself before you can understand how to react to other people and why they have certain reactions towards you.