Part 12 (1/2)

I summarize this as: R = people who like nature, or plants, or animals, or athletics, or tools and machinery, or being outdoors.

2. Investigative People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving ”the observation and symbolic, systematic, creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena.”

I summarize this as: I = people who are very curious, liking to investigate or a.n.a.lyze things, or people, or data.

3. Artistic People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving ”ambiguous, free, unsystematized activities and competencies to create art forms or products.”

I summarize this as: A = people who are very artistic, imaginative, and innovative, and don't like time clocks.

4. Social People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving ”the manipulation of others to inform, train, develop, cure, or enlighten.”

I summarize this as: S = people who are bent on trying to help, teach, or serve people.

5. Enterprising People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving ”the manipulation of others to attain organizational or self-interest goals.”

I summarize this as: E = people who like to start up projects or organizations, or sell things, or influence and persuade people.

6. Conventional People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving ”the explicit, ordered, systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, operating business and data-processing machines.” ”Conventional,” incidentally, refers to the ”values” that people in this environment usually hold-representing the central mainstream of our culture.

I summarize this as: C = people who like detailed work, and like to complete tasks or projects.

According to John's theory every one of us has three preferred people-environments, from among these six. The letters, above, for your three preferred people-environments gives you what is called your ”Holland Code.” The question is, Which three?

Back in 1975 I invented a quick and easy way for you to find out, based on John's system. It's turned out it corresponds to the results you would get from the SDS, 92% of the time.6 So if you want a much more certain answer, you should take the SDS. But when you're in a hurry, this is close. I call it ”The Party Exercise.” Here is how the exercise goes (do it, please): Below is an aerial view of a room in which a party is taking place. At this party, people with the same interests have (for some reason) all gathered in the same corner of the room. And that's true for all six corners.

To download a printable PDF of this image, please visit rhlink.com/para14014 1. Which corner of the room would you instinctively be drawn to, as the group of people you would most enjoy being with for the longest time? (Leave aside any question of shyness, or whether you would have to actually talk to them; you could just listen.)

Write down that letter on a separate piece of paper.

2. After fifteen minutes, everyone in the corner you chose leaves for another party crosstown, except you. Of the groups that still remain now, which corner or group would you be drawn to the most, as the people you would most enjoy being with for the longest time?

Write down that letter on a separate piece of paper.

3. After fifteen minutes, this group too leaves for another party, except you. Of the corners, and groups, which remain now, which one would you most enjoy being with for the longest time?

Write down that letter on a separate piece of paper.

The three letters you just chose are called your ”Holland Code.”7 Now, copy that code on to the petal, My Preferred Kinds of People to Work With. And we are done (with that petal).

Time now to move on to another side of Who You Are.

I Am a Person Who ...

Can Do These Particular Things

And loves having these transferable skills. Or gifts. Or talents. Or abilities. (Or whatever you want to call them.) There is a trend these days toward speaking of your gifts in terms of categories like ”action verbs,” or ”communication or people skills,” ”technical skills,” ”research and a.n.a.lytical skills,” ”management, supervision, and leaders.h.i.+p skills,” ”clerical and administrative skills,” ”problem-solving and development skills,” ”financial skills,” etc. I prefer breaking transferable skills down into simpler categories: are they skills with information, data, and the like, or are they skills with people, or are they skills with things?” And now, to the Petal: Third Petal WHAT I CAN DO AND LOVE TO DO (MY FAVORITE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS).