Is your personality written in the stars?
“What’s your sign?” This is a question people ask to determine personality type and make a whole judgment on who a person is based on a 1 in 12 positioning of stars established circa 1000 BC. And I am pretty sure many people still take the opportunity to read their star signs in a free newspaper they find randomly lying around on public transport. I know I do.
That said, I also know that star signs are designed in such away that the reader can interpret the information in a way that means something to them. To paraphrase Viktor Frankl, we look for meaning to have a purpose. And I think the purpose of reading star signs is because we want to better understand ourselves, and how we approach obstacles with the ultimate aim to know we are going to be ok.
Over the last 20 plus years, I have used numerous personality tools to help me facilitate coaching conversations. Some people are so taken with the tool, that they use the information to define their purpose and personality. I remember being at a restaurant with colleague who decided that the reason she would make a last-minute decision on what she would eat was solely based on her MBTI personality type (she has a P preference). That was a pivotal point in my coaching style because I learnt that at that point some people took the literal sense of personality tool to determine who they are ‘According to MBTI I am this, therefore I am’. This is a philosophy I disagree with. I read some content recently about MBTI and how critics placed it in the same category as star signs. That said, I find the tool useful as I can use the output to facilitate a coaching conversation. Whatever tool I am using, I always emphasise the point that a personality questionnaire provides data and information but should never been seen through a one-dimensional lens.
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Other tools I have used to help assist coaching dialogue include Harthill’s Leadership Development Profile, MBTI Step 1 & 2, Firo-B and Human Synergystics LSI. In my experience, each tool holds its own value and brings out something different from the client, but one doesn’t supersede the other. I have yet to come across a tool that I would claim as being the most accurate. I don’t think I will come across it any time soon, as I don’t think it exists. Should it exist, it is not my responsibility to sell it as a truth. As a cross-cultural psychologist, I am mindful of the fact that many personality tools are based on data typically gathered from Western participant groups. These groups do not represent the complexities of humankind nor do they represent global/cultural nuances.
In coaching, it is ultimately up to the client to determine what the information means to them. I present the tool, the supporting research and the client’s output. I also ensure each tool comes with ‘health notice’ – that is to not take the content the absolute truth. It is information. It is therefore the responsibility of the individual to determine how they want to find meaning and purpose.
If you have any feedback on this article, please feel free to add in your thoughts. All comments are welcomed!
PS I’m a Gemini and according to the todays free newspaper, I will be ready to take on a new challenge.
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1 年Great article Rachna! There’s a fascinating paradox here - we hang on to the labels given to our identity and at the same time we have a sense that we are evolving - we’re not the same person we were. Some things remain the same of course, but so much of who we are can change. I’m still a pretty structured person who plans the detail, but I’m a lot more able to let all that go and trust my gut feel in the moment. There are developmental assessments that track levels of evolution (of value systems, ego maturity, etc) rather than describe types or traits.
Shaping a thriving, inclusive and equitable future by unlocking extraordinary leadership - ICF Accredited Executive Coach, Leadership Development and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant
1 年It’s so funny how we hold onto these ‘identities’. I still feel like I’m Sagittarius through and through ?? Many years ago I worked with a manager who took their personality profile and stuck it on their office door stating ‘if you want anything from me, this is how you need to deal with me’ a leader asking everyone around them to flex their style to fit their own. You can imagine the success of that exercise ??