"You. Who ARE You?" ~ the catepillar in Alice in Wonderland

I have been a personality test junkie ever since my Father introduced my brother and I to Personalysis when I was a preteen. Little did I know that those "What Type of Flirt Are You" magazine tests really got more scientific. It was like discovering that Snickers in banana ice cream is a delicious combination or the perfect universal lipstick color, but yes, even better than that. It was because of this one test, our family dialogue changed forever. Our fights would begin something like, "You need to tone down that red, young lady!" Or, "You are way too blue right now. Go find the dog to hug."

When I found the Meyers-Briggs tests I began to make all of my friends in the 7th grade take those as well, not to mention countless crushes and boyfriends through my life. I even knew that it wouldn't be that reliable as according to medical theory, our personalities aren't completely formed until that magical age of 18. Don't ask why. I don't have a clue.

My Dad at that point in time also put us through a battery of tests that gaged our aptitudes, skill sets, etc.. The one thing I do remember about those tests is that my brother, Mom and I were all in the same room and when the psychologist instructed us to do something with spacial relations my mother just kept bursting into laughter which was contagious to everyone except the Ph.D. who found it very annoying. No matter what shape they gave us, she couldn't get it to the intended outcome. This would explain why Mom never played paper airplanes with us.

When Dad was working on his real estate license, he discovered the DISC system. It was just another version of Personalysis to me by another name. I let it go for a number of years until discovering that it is the new "It" test for team development with my consulting gig. To help understand: D=dominance, I=influence, S=steadiness, C=compliance.

Two days ago I took the test willing to have my CEO go over the results with me so that I understood the report formats and coaching development sections. It was a bit uncomfortable for me to have exposed myself so much. We spent two hours going over the reports. Truly, it wasn't anything I didn't know, but it was uncomfortable to be that vulnerable with such icky (yes, icky) statements out there about yourself.

"You are forceful and direct when dealing with others." Forceful. That is an icky word. That implies I have some sort of secret weapon of coercion. I asked if we could cross that word out and pretend that it didn't exist.

"You prefer authority equal to her responsibility." My CEO commented, "See, this is exactly what you said to me the very first time I met you about why you left your last position and you hadn't even taken the test!"

"You are at your best when many projects are underway at once. You are forward-looking, assertive, and have a strong vision for results." Wow. Ok, I feel exposed. J and I finally figured out that because I need to multitask, we now go for walks when we need to do some deep discussion. Which also pointed to another statement: "Stress relief is found through physical activity."

Turns out I am a strong "D" (although not as strong as my Dad), and a secondary "I." If I were back in SLC, I would be a "DI" which would not imply a princess but more of a disenfranchised charity. Dad turns out to be a "DC" and not for the comics company (although we do call him "chuckles" because he is anything but) nor for our National capitol. Nope, he is a rules and regulations person. I pointed out to him that neither of us have the S for steadiness. His reply was, "Don't worry, your mother has enough S for both of us."

Turns out that is what J is too. He's a "SC." That would explain his overly high personal standards and fear of losing stability. It also explains how he really balances me out. While my stress style is to get quick to anger and worry about if I'm being manipulated then get really expressive, J is very slow to get angry (and in fact, God bless him, finds my Temple tantrums amusing) and is pretty non-emotional with the exception of an undefined fear when highly stressed.

Turns out that 40% of the population are "S" types. That was my lowest score. It also turns out that my boss is almost a 100% "I" type, with a secondary "D."

More really unnerving statements that your boss can read about you:

"Be understanding of her sporadic listening skills" Ok, not good for a social worker. My CEO simply explained it was typically only because I was 12 steps ahead of where that person was in my brain, which is true.

"She is comfortable in an environment that is constantly changing. Even when the environment is frantic, she can still maintain a state of equilibrium. She is capable of taking inconsistency to a new height and to initiate change at the drop of a hat." OUCH. Ok, so this explains why I loved the emergency department, but also explains why my team back at the hospital operated in fear mode when I was so excited. Again though it also helps explain how J balances me out as I am really quick to make change and he is the last one to initiate it. This also drives us crazy at times, but for the most part it is a really good thing.

The test also analyzed my motivators and my values. That was something I hadn't seen before and was least familiar with how to use that when coaching someone. Turns out that I have a HUGE accountability quotient, I believe in giving my time and attention 100% to someone in need, I put a huge value on personal relationships, I'm highly sensitive to other's needs, I set realistic goals for myself and others, and I use common sense extremely well. Things that I need to work on: stress management and a sense of timing.

The one piece that I was worried about was if I was a good fit for the job with my natural and adapted style. This is an instrument that predicts this and is a bit scary when your boss is looking at this. Turns out, I am a perfect fit. No wonder I love what I do and have never been happier.