The Ergonomic Entrepreneur
Know Yourself Exercises #1: Who Are You?
Overview
The reality is that we all have a natural flow state & genius that is unique to who we are. And when you
really connect that flow state and genius to your business, you naturally free up more energy and feel
more motivated & inspired. It’s the key to loving what you do.
As an entrepreneur, you are your business. That’s why it’s so important to align every aspect of your
business around who you are, what you want, and how you work best. Because you’re working in line
with your natural flow and unique genius, managing your business seems easy and “right” and you’ll
feel inspired, energized and motivated every day.
This is a key step that most marketing and business programs don’t touch on (likely because they’re
targeting small business owners and not solopreneurs). But I believe it’s the one essential step that will
help you get out of that hamster wheel cycle of trying this, that, and the other thing to “fix” your
business, but finding that nothing seems to really work.
One of the first steps in getting to know yourself, is looking at how your mind works. At a high level, your
mind works in three ways:
- Cognitive (relates to knowledge & intelligence) – tells you what you can or can’t do
- Affective (relates to attitudes/beliefs/values/preferences) – tells you want you WANT to do
- Conative (relates to instinct/action mode/natural energy) – tells you how you prefer to take
action
Most of us are used to taking cognitive style tests – such as IQ tests. But many of us don’t look deeply
into the affective and conative aspects of our minds. That’s what we’re going to do now.
Personality Style
There are many personality style tests that measure the affective part of the brain (our attitudes,
beliefs, values and preferences). I like to use the Myers-Briggs, a personality type indicator that is widely
used and recognized by psychologists, organizational development professionals and others. The test
measures your personality type preferences on four dimensions (you get a four letter score), making up
16 different personality types.
Here is a quick overview of the different preferences:
1. Extravert vs. Introvert – Measures where you get your energy from
a. If you prefer introversion, you get your energy from yourself and your own ideas. If you
prefer extraversion, you get your energy from the external world and other people
2. Sensing vs. Intuition: Measures how you take in information
Nicole Croizier | Corner Your Market – Love What You Do Again | www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com
a. If you prefer sensing, you tend to focus on the present and concrete information gained
from your senses. If you prefer intuition, you tend to focus on the future, patterns and
possibilities.
3. Thinking or Feeling: Measures how you make decisions
a. If you prefer thinking, you base your decisions on logic and facts. If you prefer feeling,
you base decisions primarily on values and the subjective evaluations of person-centred
concerns.
4. Judging and Perceiving: Measures the type of lifestyle you prefer
a. If you prefer judging, you tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and have
decisions made. If you prefer perceiving, you tend to like a flexible and spontaneous
approach to life and prefer to keep your options open.
Note that the official Myers Briggs Type Indicator Instrument can only be administered by professionals
who are MBTI Certified. For more information visit their website at: http://www.myersbriggs.org/
There are several free tests online that will help you narrow down your type preference. However, it’s
important to note that none of these are the “official” MBTI instrument, and they should only be used to
assist you in figuring out your type. The two free online tests that that I prefer are on the Typefinder
website:
1. http://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-research-edition
2. http://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-facets
If you aren’t able to take the MBTI Instrument through an MBTI Certified professional, I recommend the
following steps to help you narrow down your type preference:
1. Take the two free online tests above
2. Review the description for your highest ranking, and “close” type preferences
3. If you read one of the types and think, “wow – that sounds just like me” then you have likely
found your type preference.
4. If you’re having trouble determining your type preference, I recommend setting up a coaching
session – or finding a Certified MBTI professional to help you.
It’s important to keep in mind that your personality type indicates your PREFERENCE in different areas –
and is not meant to put you in a box, completely define you, or compare you to other people/tell you
you’re the same as other people. There are so many variations within each individual preference, and
other variables that make up who you are.
What I love about the Myers Briggs is that it may give you some insight into how you are unique, why
you don’t naturally work in the same way as every other person, and how you can adjust your business,
marketing and life to more closely match your unique flow and genius.
Nicole Croizier | Corner Your Market – Love What You Do Again | www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com
My Personality Type
1.
Top 3 Strengths
2.
3.
1.
Top 3 Challenges
2.
3.
Conative Style - Kolbe
The Kolbe Conative Style test measures how you prefer to take action – so it’s a great test for
solopreneurs. This test measures your main go to on how you get things done and gives you a four
number rating based on four dimensions:
 Fact Finder: Measures how you gather and share information
o Low end: Simplify - You generalize and skim over information
o High end: Strategize - You become an authority or expert
o Middle: Explain – You are the bridge – you make sense of information
 Follow-Through: Measures how you organize, store and sort through information
o Low end: Adapt - Ability to be highly adaptive, multi-task, jump on opportunities, think
outside the box
o High end: Systematize - Very systematic, put things into sequence, structured
o Middle: Maintain
 Quick Start: Measures how you deal with risk and unknowns
o Low end: Stabilize - You bring stability, deal with what is known, and manage unknowns
to mitigate risk.
o High end: Innovate - You innovate, improvise, and take a risk without knowing what the
outcome will be.
o Middle: Modify
 Implementer: Measures how you handle things literally – from the abstract to the concrete
o Low end: Envision - You can imagine results. You don’t have to touch and feel.
o High end: Protect - You need to be very concrete, touch and feel.
o Middle: Restore
Nicole Croizier | Corner Your Market – Love What You Do Again | www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com
Here’s the great part – if you work more in line with your conative style – vs. against your style – you will
have more energy and get more done. If you don’t – doing the same project can take much longer and
be very draining.
You can identify your conative style and receive a detailed report on how you prefer to work at
http://www.kolbe.com. This test is not free, but is well worth it at $39 (note – prices may change).
Note your working style in the Working Style box below, and then jot down the top three characteristics
of your style that resonate the most with you.
Fact Finder:
Follow-Through:
My Conative Style
Quick Start:
Implementor:
1.
Top 3 Strengths
2.
3.
1.
Top 3 Challenges
2.
3.
Scanner/Expert
Some people are wired to be “Experts” with one main field that they focus on and stay interested in.
However, others of us are wired to be “Scanners” and have many varied interests, or jump from one
interest to the next. Because school and society tends to promote and favor experts, Scanners can
believe that something is wrong with them, and that they need to change.
In Barbara Sher’s book, Refuse to Choose, she outlines the differences between experts and scanners,
and identifies different types of scanners.
There is no real test for this one, but check out this article at
http://getmotivation.com/articlelib/articles/barbara_sher_scanner.html. Review the list of traits for a
Scanner. If you think this sounds like you, then look further down the document to the different types of
scanners. If you get super interested – read the book: Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher.
Nicole Croizier | Corner Your Market – Love What You Do Again | www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com
If you believe you are scanner, fill in the type of scanner that resonates with you in the Scanner or Expert
box below, and then include your top three traits.
Scanner or Expert?
Type of Scanner?
1.
Top 3 Strengths
2.
3.
1.
Top 3 Challenges
2.
3.
*The Unique Genius exercises are used with permission from Bev Barnes of www.bevbarnes.com.
Nicole Croizier | Corner Your Market – Love What You Do Again | www.lovewhatyoudoagain.com