The In-Depth Interpretation provides insight into tendencies which are often typical of an individual’s style behaviors.

A word of caution is due when reading your own or others’ In-Depth Interpretations. Although they are perceived to be very accurate by most people (and by those who know them well) they are only intended to assist you to more clearly understand and talk about tendencies you really believe you have. Since the PSI is not a test but is a learning tool, it is not appropriate to assume that every statement in each interpretation will truly represent yourself.

Therefore, as you read through the In-Depth Interpretation highlight the phrases that accurately describe you. Delete or modify (or cross out if you are working on a paper copy) the phrases that do not apply to you. You could also add your own interpretive comments about yourself. It is also interesting to compare the views of someone who is close to you with your own interpretation. Following these steps will help you to further personalize this interpretation.

When reading others’ In-Depth Interpretation(s) you cannot assume that you have fully or even accurately grasped the nature of another person. The PSI personal style and this interpretation provide you with an organized way to think about people’s behavioral style patterns, but do not replace knowing people very well.

These people are often called the movers and shakers in an organization because they push to get innovative ideas started. They are very good at influencing others to join in to get things done. They are often successful sales people, good at making the hard or difficult sale, because they are intuitively receptive to the nonverbal cues of others and highly motivated to influence them. They usually possess strong verbal skills and can be very action-oriented toward both tasks and people. They sometimes appear to be very political because they are often concerned both about how well they do and how others see them. Strength and confidence are often exuded by these people, causing many people to be astonished at their courage and daring when attempting difficult tasks. They are quick to seize positions of authority and leadership, preferring to lead rather than to follow.

They are good at keeping on the move, and somehow manage to get others to look after all the details and the follow-up on a project, especially people with Cognitive and Interpersonal styles. Optimistic individuals tend to be stereo-types of the classic hard-driving, we-can-do-it-no-matter-what type of person.

In their personal relationships, optimistic people are often described as bull-headed and even sometimes selfish. They can appear self-oriented, busy with their own projects and usually listen to others with understanding only when it helps them to reach their own goals. The optimistic person can idealize people, put them on pedestals and idolize them as role models; yet when these idols fail to live up to expectations, they are soon discarded or replaced. People who work slowly and carefully frustrate the optimistic person who tends to respond by criticizing, patronizing or belittling their efforts in various ways. Their mottoes might be, "the ends justify the means" or, "I don't want excuses, I want results." Because they tend to be forthright, courageous and outspoken they expect others also to either speak out or quietly acquiesce.

Their forceful character and drive for independent accomplishments make them very difficult for some people to work with. They appear cocky to many people because they are willing to try difficult things and will attempt to convince others that they can do a job or task quite easily. The people with the optimistic personal style often underestimate how difficult and time-consuming things are, but because of their self-confidence will throw themselves totally into a project just to prove they can do it, sometimes at the expense of health, family or work relationships.

Under stressful conditions, expect a person with this style to double his or her effort. They may show an increase in impatience with perhaps some flare-ups of temper and a more aggressive attitude toward others who don't support their plans. Because they are such hard workers, these individuals seem to get even more demanding about getting their way when they are under pressure, and are more likely to express their irritation with others when the results aren't achieved or the standards aren't met. People with this pattern have the most difficult time knowing when to relax, call it a day and try again tomorrow. Even when on holiday or during the weekends, this style of person works hard at playing.

Generally, they tend not to make very cooperative team members because they are in a hurry to get results, and teamwork slows down their fast pace. They have a hard time sharing the stage with other team members and can be so stubborn and immovable at times that others feel intimidated or are reluctant to speak up and participate while the optimistic person is around. When it comes time to pull together in a crisis situation, however, they can emerge as heroic leaders who can help others rally together around a common cause, as in team sports, crises or even in wartime situations. When it seems least hopeful, these people are the ones on the team to give up last, and often convince others they should continue to press forward toward success.

At work, they tend to like to surround themselves with the more compliant Cognitive and Interpersonal styles whose introverted natures, being meeker and quieter, allow the optimistic person the freedom of movement and unopposed authority he or she craves. When they have to work with others who also are dominant and expressive, they experience more difficulty because they prefer the "limelight" to be on them. They don't like their positions or views to be challenged unless it helps them to achieve their goals. They do, however, enjoy being competitive and often participate in sporting events. In intimate relationships, they tend to be attracted more to the introverted styles (Cognitive and Interpersonal) because of these people's abilities to adapt appropriately to their strong-willed, assertive and even aggressive approach to human interaction. Their insensitivity and dominance sometimes leads to bitterness springing up in their Cognitive and Interpersonal family members, which can cause long-term difficulty in more intimate relationships.

People with the optimistic style pattern can be successful leaders when they also gather around them reliable and loyal "lieutenants" who handle the unwanted details and deal with the emotional needs of others on the team. Since they tend to be self-focused, they often frustrate followers who are trying to be heard or noticed. Unless people with the optimistic style can learn to listen to others' concerns more respectfully and more frequently, they may eventually find that their followers, co-workers, employees and family members become discouraged or even demoralized.

When they integrate an attentiveness to the strengths and contributions of others with a concerned sincerity toward helping others to overcome personal limitations, their status as leaders in the eyes of others is raised considerably. They tend to be perceived as the more visionary and charismatic styles of leaders because of their natural tendencies to see potential and possibility in situations. Rather than merely daydreaming about how things might be, they are prepared to "take the bit between their teeth" and do something to make it happen. To do so, they are good at delivering inspirational speeches that motivate others into action. They also tend to make very productive group leaders on work projects that involve clearly formulated tasks where the procedures are straightforward and known to all. They are good at leading followers who are cooperative, supportive and faithful.

These people would probably have more pronounced effectiveness if they could further develop and consistently practice a more versatile approach to human relations. For lowering internal pressures, they could also devote more effort to developing strategies for managing time efficiently and reducing stress in their lives.

They need to be more aware and accepting of their own failures and shortcomings in order to soften their somewhat cool but charming social image. This would help offset the air of arrogance that some people detect in them and for which some people are quick to judge them harshly.

In addition, they might wish to develop more flexibility at drawing upon the strengths in their Interpersonal dimension through communication skills training, which would enable them to pay more attention to the needs of others and thus increase the harmony in their relationships at home and at work. They might also seek to develop more style flexibility in their Cognitive dimension, which would lead to a more patient and measured approach to details, or else they should insure that support will be available from others for handling the unwanted details.

They could practice more creative right-brain activities: listening to music, taking up hobbies, participating in sports, being still, going for casual walks or hikes in nature, prayer, sharing conversation over dinner with spouse, family or close friend(s), etc. They may need to develop a clearer set of ethical principles that can guide their treatment of others. They may need to re-assess the value they put on other people. They may need to be more careful when handling people in order to prevent the damage that they can apparently unintentionally cause to others' morale or self-worth. Those around them will likely benefit from their developing the capacity for intimacy. They need to learn to open their hearts to others and to not try to remake people into what they want them to be.
People with the optimistic style, perhaps more than those with any of the other styles, seem to need a physical outlet of cardiovascular exercise as a tension release for their seemingly constant level of high energy output. If they do not have this energy channeled in appropriate directions, there is a risk of their becoming targets for stress-related illnesses.

Personal Style Results (8 of 8)

To assist you in summarizing the results of this assessment and plan for their utilization, we have prepared downloadable documents. These documents provide you with a personal worksheet to identify your personal strengths, styles, where you can become more flexible, areas that represent control issues, and people with whom you would like to become more effective.

Download Worksheet (PDF) (Viewable with Adobe Acrobat)
https://www.crgleader.com/locker/psi/worksheets/increase_effectiveness.pdf

Download Worksheet (RTF) (Editable in all word processing programs)
https://www.crgleader.com/locker/psi/worksheets/increase_effectiveness.rtf

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