It's that time of year again and the festivities have started! Some people were made for the holiday season, while others find elements of it unbelievably frustrating. Do you see yourself in a description below?
The 8-Type is the ideal way to introduce Insights Discovery® without a personal profile. Given the depth of the personal profile, the 8-Type Booklet is a relatively blunt assessment and offers a snapshot of an individual’s personal style. However, in the absence of the personal profile, the 8-Type Booklet introduces the Discovery model brilliantly and helps raise awareness around the different behavioural styles that exist. (You can find out a bit more about the behaviours here).
Directors with the Christmas spirit want it to be big and bold and love the hustle and bustle of the season but can become impatient when things slow down and might steal moments of work given the opportunity. They tend to fill their festive season with activities and events and believe there's time to achieve it all, typically fast and furious in their present buying with what little time they've squeezed out of their busy days.
When giving a gift to the Director ensure that it is practical and useful but be warned, if it doesn’t hit the mark they will be sure to let you know.
As positive thinkers, Motivators are typically enthusiastic about the Christmas cheer. They see the season as an opportunity to get people up on their feet and involved and cherish the time away from work, making the most of being in the company of loved ones.
Christmas dinners and parties will be full of inclusive activities and games, stories and humour. Although last minute, the Motivator knows exactly what they want to buy, keeping the recipient front of mind, and gets the job done. If buying for a Motivator, remember that they love gifts they can use and experience with others.
There's no doubt, the Inspirer is the life and soul of the party and gets involved in everything that they can, often over-committing socially. They take joy in others' joy and love to entertain and host and watch the smiles around the table, and though enthusiastic, decorating the house is a health and safety nightmare!
The Inspirer will be last out of the shops on Christmas Eve but will have achieved buying everything without much thought and planning. A gift for an Inspirer must engage them - something tactile or creative perhaps.
Before leaving the office the Helper ensures that all the plants and foliage have been watered and will live through the Christmas break. The Helper is compassionate and spends a lot of time giving of themselves to others, making Christmas the perfect opportunity to be present, reliable and instinctively know what others might need.
When giving gifts the Helper has been listening hard; if it isn't hand-made then they’ve chosen very carefully. You can ensure that when you receive a gift from a Helper it comes with love and from the heart. When giving a gift to a Helper, consider the environment or something that they can enjoy in down-time.
Supporters typically enjoy the more authentic reasons we celebrate Christmas, enjoying a carol or two with their nearest and dearest, but tend to find the more commercial aspects disengaging. When decorating the house they tend to favour rustic and natural themes over shine and glitz.
When planning the festivities the Supporter considers all interwoven relationships before bringing everyone together; they are non-judgemental and make every effort to be inclusive. Generally gifts are practical and familiar rather than unexpected to limit the amount of additional decision-making. When receiving gifts, Supporters tend to prefer privacy and time to unwrap and appreciate and may find being put on the spotlight very uncomfortable.
Though they keep their itinerary full and seeing everyone is imperative, Coordinators will always put aside time to relax and reflect. When buying gifts, the Coordinator does their research to find the ideal item. If you're buying for a Coordinator, stationary is usually an easy win, or something mentally stimulating.
The festive period can be exhausting for the Observer, with social after social and crowd after crowd their batteries can be worn down without the necessary time to recharge. Don't be confused if they disappear off on Christmas Day, they're simply taking some time for themselves to replenish.
The Observer is a master of Christmas planning. They’ve bought all their gifts by Halloween and booked their food shopping by Bonfire Night, and when decorating the house, precision is a key theme.
The Reformer likes everything to be just right. Their abstract yet logical minds give them the vision for decorating and their hands-on approach makes it come to life. Whilst they enjoy the downtime that Christmas provides, you'll typically find them tinkering away by themselves rather than laughing the night away.
If there are kids in the house the Reformer will have pen and paper to hand to make sure lists are made, and when buying gifts themselves they waste no time - it's got to be useful, needed, logical and prices are compared to find the best deal.
Being more self-aware and having an increased understanding of others' values and needs around this time of year can make the season more fulfilling for all involved.
The table gives a broader outline of the behavioural types - recognise anyone?