When it comes to answering the question, what is success, a key component is how effectively you communicate with people who are different than you. In this eBook we will explore the Top 7 Personality Challenges along with the secrets for successful communication with those differing personality types. So let me ask you a question. When you think about communicating with success, what does that look like to you? Do you picture someone who can capture the attention of any audience, then clearly communicate their thoughts and ideas while motivating people to action? Perhaps you see someone confidently connecting with people regardless of personality, position or title, even despite their age or gender, irrespective of culture or generation. Perhaps you envision someone who comfortably talks with everyone; be it large groups or individually one-on-one. Whether you are a CEO or VP of a Fortune 500 company or the CEO or VP of your home, regardless of what industry you are in or what position you hold, the power to communicate with success is not only possible but is within your grasp. This eBook will give you the tips, techniques and tools of making communicating with success a reality starting right now.

We will explore how you can live your life with all people in a way that will allow you to recognize the type of personality the person you are speaking with has along with the discernment to recognize which personality challenge you are facing and the techniques to successfully communicate with that personality type. My desire is to help you gain confidence while making successful communication conceivable in all areas of your life. I care about you and your time. Now, even though I don’t know you, I know that you want something out of this eBook and I look forward to helping you become the best communicator possible. So let’s jump in.

I tie this concept into something I learned from Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, habit #2: begin with the end in mind. I start just about every seminar, training and coaching session with this concept because the clearer your target the better chance you will have of hitting it. The more you know about what motivates the people you are speaking with, the more you can weave what is important to them into your target. One of my favorite quotes is from Earl Woods, the father of golfpro, Tiger Woods, in which he says, “Each shot you hit your entire life must have a target or it’s a wasted effort. Never hit a shot without a target.” Think about what areas of communication you would like to target and improve upon as I list out the areas we will cover together today beginning with identifying your communication style and knowing how well you put your personality type to work for you. Do you recognize the strengths along with the cautions of your personality style? Or would you like to get better at recognizing those differences and putting them to work for you? Or how about knowing when and how to successfully shift gears when communicating with someone who is different than you without seeming overbearing, weak, or fake. There are four personalities to choose from, are you choosing the right one? Part of your communication style is your personality. During this next section we’ll explore how well you are putting your personality to work for you as well as when to shift gears.

You may have taken a personality test at some point in your life, such as the Myers-Briggs or the DISC, or even one based on numbers or colors. Some tests are based on science and research while others are purely entertaining. There are some inaccuracies when a person is testing themselves, which is referred to as self-reporting, rather than being tested by a neutral observer. Wikipedia Encyclopedia puts it this way, “one problem with self-report measures of personality is that respondents are often able to distort their responses. This is particularly problematic in employment contexts and other contexts where important decisions are being made and there is an incentive to present oneself in a favorable manner.” This is important because these tests can be skewed by our own bias, but reactions can’t be. A person can answer based on what they think the person giving the test might be looking for whereas a person will reveal their personality and character when they react to circumstances they encounter, especially if they are under pressure. I like to put it this way, you can tell a lot about a person’s personality by the way they react in pressure situations such as if their luggage gets lost, or if they get lost, or if things don’t go their way. This is what I call “character under fire”, and try as we might, we can’t fake or skew those scores. What we demonstrate in those pressure situations reveals who we are and gives a snapshot of our personality. Though there are several things to factor into people’s reactions including temperament, upbringing, social norms and practiced behaviors, personality is a big part of this equation.