Personality Templates

Alfred's comments on the previous posts have reminded me of some other stuff I learned while working in the casinos. The training involved personality types, or templates, understanding them, identifying them, and using them as predictive models to increase cohesiveness and teamwork in the work environment.

I was able to use these predictive models very successfully. The models (or templates) started with a four-way split of personality types.

• A-type personalities.


• B-type personalities.


• C-type, and


• D-type.
  

A-types are what most people call "Alphas." They comprise about 10% of the work population. They are the leaders, the can-do's, the ever-positive, ever-energetic types. They are outgoing, gregarious, and usually non-stop talkers. They believe that anything can be done, especially by themselves. Picture in your mind the greatest used-car salesman you ever saw. They are A-types. They are stimulated by positiveness and the can-do spirit. They are discouraged by nay-sayers, bummers, and people that say, "It can't be done that way."

B-types, "Walking Encyclopaedeas," as I like to call them, are the information hounds. They comprise another 10% of the population. They want to know everything that is going on. They have vast knowledge of current events, trivia, and can usually recall events that happened long after most others have forgotten. In the casino, they're the ones that can tell you the house advantages of every bet in the joint. They can tell you what your advantage is in Blackjack if your first card is an Ace. (52%) They are stimulated by knowledge and information and, most of all, the truth. They are discouraged by falsehoods, closed-door meetings (they want to know what is going on), and all other missrepresentations.

C-types, the "Security Guards", comprise a massive 70% of the population. I call them Security Guards because their main concern is security, namely their own security. They like to feel safe and unthreatened in their work environment. They like the feeling that they've done a good job because it makes them feel good about themselves and they know that they'll have a job tomorrow. They don't respond well to threats or reprimands because it makes them worry about their mortgages and car payments. 7 of every 10 people fit into this category.

D-types are the "Accountants." They are the ducks-in-a-row types. They can quote procedures as if they wrote them themselves. They know where everything belongs and are the ones to put them there. They plan their day and follow handwritten schedules. They are stimulated by orderliness, scheduling, and rank-and-file organization. They are discouraged by chaotic behavior, any lack of planning, and people who do things without thinking first.

Now we know the types, this is how to use them. Please consider the diagram at the top. The models are placed so that A is diagonally opposite from D, and B is opposite from C. These diagonals (as indicated by the arrows) indicate a high probability of naturally-occuring personality conflicts between the two personality types.

A naturally conflicts with D because the can-do people conflict with the bean-counters.

• A says, "Hey, let's give away $10,000 in a slot tournament!"
• D says, "Whoa! Do you have any idea how much money that is?"

A + D = Conflict

B-types naturally conflict with C-types. One is only interested in the truth, the other is only interested in survival.

• B says, "Hey, cool! I read that by the year 200x, all table games will be electronic."
• C says, "What's so cool about that?"

B + C = Conflict

Contrarily, lateral personality models, such as A + B, B + D, D + C, and C + A, tend to augment each other in the work environment. An example of this is when A feeds off of B's information to do the things he wants to do, and B feeds off of A's enthusiam because he feels like his knowledge is being put to good use. Other examples occur often, and I found that the actions/reactions between the A's and C's were the most interesting. I always chuckled at their game of "Follow the Leader."

Of course, these aren't hard and fast rules. Most people don't fall into just one category. In fact, most of the time, people exhibit characteristics of two or three templates. The trick is to find the one that they display most of the time, as it is usually the best bet.

And another note before I wrap this up. During our training, we were asked where we would place ourselves on the grid. Often people would place themselves into one category and were very surprised when they found out that everybody else placed them into a different one. The hard lesson there was that we rarely see ourselves as others see us.