The 4 Types of People

(and why they sometimes don't understand each other)

There are many different tools to classify and categorize different types of people by their way of thinking, behavior, action and reaction. While all these categorizations bear some valid truth in them, none of them is complete and fool proof. The same applies to the typology framework I'll describe in this article. Maybe you'll be able to locate yourself and hopefully it will help you to understand why sometimes you don't understand others - or why sometimes others don't understand you. And before I forget, a categorization is not a classification. There is nothing right or wrong with any of the 4 types in this framework. Same as we need day and night, water and fire to live, our society needs all of the four types to function.

I spare you the academic terminology of the framework, you can look it up in the literature source reference at the end, and go directly to the matter; the framework.

The framework contains 4 types of people.

The Controller is the one who likes to keep things organized. He is good in

analyzing and likes to look at the fine print. The Controller sticks to rules

and procedures. People who ignore regulations and decimal points can

bring the controller to incandescence.

The Explorer is the one who likes to do things a different way. He easily

gets bored when having to do routine jobs and rather tries out a new

method. The Explorer wants to create and search for what has not yet

been found. Explorers have visions and sometimes need a call from

reality to get them back to the ground. But what would innovation

stand for without them?

The Pursuer is driven by doing. His ambition is incited by targets - the company's

or his personal ones. Competition is an elixir of his life. He is the super achiever and

will get things done, almost no matter what.

The Preserver cares about relations and harmony. He is the believer and likes to belong to a group in which he and others feel comfortable. The preserver is the guardian of established values and cares about the feelings and well beings of others.

All in One

The important thing in this typology framework is that nobody is just "one"

of the above. We all have, or are supposed to have, some of all the four

types in us. It is just a matter of how much of which characteristic we

own. A specific questionnaire would, once you had answered all the

questions, tell you how much of which type you can claim to be your

own DNA. The result would look something like in this graphic where

your answers to the questions would result in a vector laid over the 4

quadrants. In this sample we see the typology vector of a relatively

centered or balanced person, although he or she has a stronger tendency

to controlling and pursuing than to exploring and preserving.

Just for comparison and illustrating reasons, here a pattern of a "total pursuer".

This person would not want to engage in brain storming work-shops (explore),

doesn't want to be bothered with manuals, rules and regulations and might

not even realize when he or she just stepped on somebody's feelings.

While the first graph is my own from 2010 (people change over time),

the second one is just a make-up to show how different things could look like.

How to recognize the four types?

After the theory above, let's first take the fun approach. Imagine the four types sitting in a room with a light bulb when the light bulb brakes and needs to be replaced. The Controller (blue) would start searching for the instruction manual about how to change a light bulb. Of course he also would check the specifications of the light bulb needed for this room etc, etc. The Explorer (green) would start to think about how else this room could eventually be brightened up. Maybe we could tear down a wall and replace it with a large window? No, don't expect solutions that can be implemented immediately from the Explorer. The Pursuer (yellow) will simply say "Give me a new light bulb and I'll replace it". Five minutes later the job is done, while the Preserver (red) had not even had a chance to ask the question of his only concern which was "are you sure this light bulb wants to be changed?"

In the business context

For a business owner or manager it is important to put the right people to the right job. A pre-selection is of course made by the employees themselves. An Explorer type is not likely to go for a master's degree in accounting in first place and a Control type has probably not chosen the educational path of a Designer. So the risk of a total mismatch is not that big. However, sometimes job descriptions change along the company's life time. Imagine a business that has grown steadily and so far used to operate its processes and process controls manually on paper or in simple applications like word, excel and power point. The day this company decides to implement a large integrated ERP system covering all processes of its business, some people's jobs will change. Computers are controllers that have no mercy. Asking a designer to key in specifications of his design is likely to be a nightmare task for him because he just does not have the mindset for such redundant and 'boring' jobs. Asking the sales man to spend a lot of time in front of a computer entering data will most likely be perceived as a waste of time for the result driven Pursuer. In both cases it might be better to hire a Control type assistant who feels comfortable with all these details and sees the need and benefit of having all that data in the system without mistakes.

Conflicts

Although we need all the four types and their individual mixes in business and private life, they sometimes can end up in conflict. Why is the accountant so neat picking; because for him the numbers must match to the cent. Why are the artists never on time; because they would be Controllers if they were. Why are the sales people always so punchy; because they want to reach their target. Why is the HR Manager hardly ever clear cut in his comments/opinions; because he wants everybody to feel comfortable. These are questions people in enterprises ask their peers more likely to get a sympathetic eye roll in return than to receive an answer or explanation to the question.

For a smooth business operation which is achieved when everybody feels happy and comfortable (for the preserver), everybody plays by the rules (for the controller), targets are achieved or exceeded (for the pursuer) and there is plenty of time and freedom for innovation (for the explorer), it is important that the four types know of each other and understand each other's needs as it will help everybody to set the right expectations towards the others, hence reduce an important source of conflict and frustration due to others not acting, reacting or playing by the same ideology template as one-self.

Bangkok, July 2016

Literature reference:

Dudley Lynch, The BrainMap®, http://www.braintechnologies.com/brainmap4.htm

Whole Brain Literacy, by Dr. Perla Rizalina M. Tayko Ph.D in Organization Development with Dr. Marina L. Reyes-Talmo, Ph.D in Applied Linguistics, © 2010, ISBN: 978-971-0509-31-7