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Part One

TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF

This work revolves around helping you achieve more self-awareness, happiness and fulfillment through the lens of behavioral science and the four behavioral traits: Dominance, Extroversion, Patience and Structure. Learning about these four behavioral traits will give you important insights into your behavior and the behavior of other people.

Behaviors are the thoughts and actions that we engage in throughout our day: every idea, word, gesture, reaction, and emotion we experience. Behaviors represent the choices that we make each and every waking moment of our lives.

Briefly, these traits are characterized as follows:

•Dominance - the amount of control you like to exert over your environment.

•Extroversion - the amount of social contact you require to feel comfortable.

•Patience - the pace at which you prefer to live life.

•Structure - the amount of order you seek in your life.

EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF TRAITS THAT INFLUENCE HIS OR HER ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS.

As you learn more about the characteristics of these four behavioral traits, you may view both yourself and others differently. You begin by learning about your own behavioral traits. Then you combine an understanding of yourself with an ability to recognize various characteristics in other people’s behavior.

As you will see, everyone possesses a certain amount of each of the four behavioral traits. The strength of each trait (its presence or absence) determines a great deal about your behavior: how you relate to others, what type of job best suits you, whether you are outgoing or shy, how well you tolerate rules, and whether you are comfortable with careful planning or spontaneity.

Understand your primary behavioral traits. This provides the resources you will use when considering your personal growth aspects. This information helps you assess whether certain roles, careers, or relationships are a match for you and whether they will promote or inhibit your personal development.

The Self-Analysis Survey (SAS)

Many models have been created to explain behavioral differences.

We use a four-cornerstone approach, where intensity is measured in each of four predominant traits that describe a person’s basic behavioral style. This assessment instrument is called the Self- Analysis Survey, or SAS.

This survey is a useful tool for gaining a deeper sense of self-understanding.

When you take the SAS to determine your behavioral style, you create a graph of your traits. This image illustrates your preferred or predominant style and how much you favor that style over the other three.

Notice that your traits probably span more than one style. That is true for most people; a very small percentage have a pure style. Most are blends and combinations of traits that change from time to time depending on the situation we are in or the individuals we are with. However, most of us exhibit a predominant trait most of the time. Your profile is unique; it is much like a fingerprint.

Your SAS results identify your predominant behavioral style to help you get a clear picture of who you really are. Pay close attention to your dominant style—this style is the most natural way for you to behave.

Your predominant style has a real influence over your behavior. You are an expert in using this style. It has helped you excel and get where you are in life. But you want to avoid getting trapped in a behavioral rut that limits your potential. If this happens, your strengths become potential limitations. Behavior can be changed. You can learn to act in ways that make you more effective in certain situations.

Believe in your ability to learn. Use your survey information to better understand who you are. First; accept and be happy with yourself, then look for opportunities to grow. Realize that true growth needs a balance of styles. If you wish you were more like someone else, you’ll miss the growth opportunities that are unique to you. Growth or change only comes from understanding your true self.

Some goals you may want to set for yourself:

•Be true to your inner self

•Find how to be comfortable and at ease with who you are

•Create less stress and tension in your life

•Be more fulfilled

•Minimize conflicts with others

•Improve relationships at work and at home

•Accomplish more—be more productive in everything you do

•Maintain or improve energy levels

Take SAS and Graph Your Results

The Self-Analysis Survey (SAS) presented on the following pages is designed to help you map your behavioral traits. You will use the SAS information to construct a graph that provides you with a “picture” of your behavior. First, you select words or phrases from specific word groups. Then you use these selections to construct a graphical representation of your behavioral profile.

SAS worksheets contain seven groups of words or phrases for each of the four behavioral traits (Dominance, Extroversion, Patience, and Structure). In each category, select the word group that best describes you. Make your selection quickly and spontaneously without giving your choice a second thought. Trust that your inner self knows which group fits best right away. Select characteristics that are true of what you are thinking or feeling inside. These may not be obvious to other people. Identify these primary behavioral traits. They will help you understand your thoughts and actions.

When completing the SAS, try not to focus too heavily on any individual word or on whether every adjective in the set fits you totally. The objective is to determine where you fall along a continuum. Select only one box for each of the categories (e.g., one for D, another for E, and so on.)

1. Select the word group that best describes your real self:

2. Select the word group that best describes your real self:

3. Select the word group that best describes your real self:

4. Select the word group that best describes your real self:

Your Graph

Use the results of your word-group selections to complete your personal profile on the blank graph on the following page. Note that the first bar is labeled D. Use your selections from the Group 1 (D) boxes. Shade in the appropriate number of spaces (e.g., D1, shade in one space, D2, shade in two spaces). Shade in the appropriate spaces for each of your other selections (i.e., Group 2 [E], Group 3 [P], and Group 4 [S].

This graphing system is arbitrary. Low bars do not denote deficiencies in any way. The graph could be turned upside down with the white spaces represented at the bottom. In fact, during our discussions, we use these white boxes to assess the “flip” side of each of the behavioral attributes.

Unfortunately, humans are characteristically too eager to see their faults rather than acknowledge their strengths. Therefore, it is important at this point in your self-awareness that you do not to jump to conclusions. That might alter your self-awareness possibilities that are inherent in this analysis tool.

Your Self-Analysis Graph:

Name: _________________________________

Date: __________________________________

	D	E	P	S
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	D = Dominance	E = Extroversion	P = Patience	S = Structure

Sample Graph:

	D	E	P	S
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	D=6	E=4	P=3	S=5

Your SAS Results

As you look at your personal behavioral graph, notice that your traits are configured in a certain way. Determine which is your highest trait—the trait with the most boxes filled in. This trait is your predominant behavioral descriptor; the trait that affects fifty to eighty five percent of your behavior. Some people have two traits of equal strength. In this case, both traits are of equal importance in predicting how they react in different circumstances.

How many of your behavioral traits score higher than the 4 box? These are your high traits. Many people have two high traits and two low traits. Some individuals score high in one behavioral trait. In this case, the trait is a “pure” trait. Pure traits influence much of an individual’s behavior.

An individual may score high in three traits. It is very rare, nearly impossible, for an individual to score high in all four traits. For the purpose of the following discussion, consider your scores high- to-low.

Which of your traits are relatively low; scoring in the one to three range? These traits are very important to understanding who you are. For now, it is important that you avoid thinking of them negatively. Remember, low doesn’t mean deficient.

A score of four in an area means you are highly adaptable in that area and can adapt your behavior as circumstances require. If you have only one score of four, and most of your other scores are very high or very low, the four is extremely significant. It shows adaptability in that area. You can fluctuate high or low—your behavior is not very predictable.