| "Know thyself" is a powerful principle that leaders, | | | | learn to get along and will help keep the peace in a |
| managers and effective people intuitively know. | | | | group or organisation. They often need others to |
| When you understand your own strengths and | | | | drive them but they are the glue that holds groups |
| preferences you are in a position to maximise those | | | | together. Relationships are important to this group so |
| strengths and compensate for any weaknesses | | | | make sure they included in all activities. Seconds, |
| either by working differently or surrounding yourself | | | | above all else, put people first. |
| with people with different strengths. | | | | Only's - the quiet achievers, the finishers, they |
| Most of us have a dominant birth order personality | | | | expect nothing less than the best. This group will |
| that matches our birth position. But that personality is | | | | raise the bar for everyone around them as nothing |
| influenced by variables such as temperament, gender | | | | but the best will do. Their great strength is their |
| and other family circumstances. So it is not so much | | | | ability to work for long periods of time on their own |
| where you are born in your family but how you | | | | so they make great project finishers and strategic |
| function that counts. How a person functions | | | | thinkers but they can be secretive and don't deal well |
| generally correlates with birth position. | | | | with conflict. Recognition is important to this group. |
| Your birth order personality relates both to your | | | | Only's, above all else, aim to please. |
| working style (i.e. how you work and what motivates | | | | Youngests - the initiators, ideas people and the |
| you) and also your relational style (i.e how you relate | | | | challengers. This group are the creative, live-for-the |
| to people). For many people that means working | | | | moment types who can put some fun and verve |
| along different birth order lines. For instance, I am in | | | | into activities. While the message for first borns is to |
| the youngest in my family by seven years, which | | | | lighten up it seems that this group need to take |
| means I am like a functional first born. So I work like | | | | things more seriously sometimes. Great initiators and |
| a first-born (achievement-oriented, ambitious and like | | | | very impatient doers, they perservere to get |
| to be in control) but I relate like a youngest (very | | | | something started but often are not the greatest of |
| good at outsourcing to others and a poor | | | | finishers. This group will often do anything to be |
| decision-maker). It sounds complicated but it is not. | | | | noticed so make sure you pay heed to their efforts. |
| Birth order theory outlines four types of personalities- | | | | Youngests, above all else, will blow your mind. |
| first borns, second borns, only's and youngests. If | | | | Which birth order personality do you most closely |
| you were 3rd of six children then circumstances | | | | resemble? Does it match your birth order position? In |
| would have meant that you either functioned | | | | reality, you probably nodded your head for some |
| predominantly like one of the big four above. | | | | characteristics in each position. But which did you nod |
| Here are the four birth order types and some of | | | | most vigourously while reading? That will give you an |
| their characteristics: | | | | indication of your dominant birth order personality. |
| First borns - the leaders, the drivers and the | | | | So what is the point? Know thyself and know the |
| responsible types. These people like to manage | | | | circumstances you are working in. There are times |
| others but first they need to manage themselves. | | | | when your birth order personality should take over |
| They love to feel in control and can feel | | | | but there are times when you may need to operate |
| uncomfortable with surprises or feeling out of their | | | | or work like someone in another position. This may |
| depth. They are conservative in their outlook, which | | | | make you feel uncomfortable but you can do it. |
| is both a strength and a weakness. Their ability to | | | | I have a set of badges - one for each position - |
| focus on a goal and their propensity to organise | | | | which I wear for different occasions and different |
| others means they can achieve whatever they put | | | | jobs. Sometimes I need to be more like a first born |
| their minds to. | | | | particularly when I need to take a lead. But there are |
| Their tendency toward perfectionism can mean they | | | | also times that I must act like a second born and |
| can be low risk-takers but they can be the rock | | | | learn to compromise and be more diplomatic than |
| around which organisations can be built. Approval of | | | | take a crash and burn approach. When it is time to |
| authority is important for this group so don't expect | | | | take action and throw caution to the wind I will wear |
| them to rock the boat too much. First borns, above | | | | my youngest born badge. |
| all else, want to forge ahead. | | | | Birth order knowledge is simple as it is intuitive but it |
| Second borns - the 'people' people, the | | | | is also powerful because as Kevin Leman author of |
| compromisers, and the flexible operators. They are | | | | The New Birth Order Book maintains, the affects .... |
| likely to motivated by a cause and will enjoy working | | | | "can touch you in profound and sometimes disturbing |
| alongside people. They will often choose tasks or | | | | ways years after you think you have grown beyond |
| even a job that will give them a feeling of belonging. | | | | all that. |
| Friendships are important to this group so they will | | | | |