Profiling as a Navigator
In the World of Communication and Understanding People’s Motives and Behaviour
WHAT DO WE REALLY SEE IN PEOPLE?
How often do we find ourselves in situations where we are disappointed in people — at work, in everyday life, or within the family? How often do we expect a certain behaviour, a certain reaction, or a certain level of responsibility from someone, only to get something completely different? And conversely, there may be a person beside us with tremendous potential, yet we may have no idea what they are truly capable of.
As a result, resentment, misunderstandings, and the feeling that we are not understood arise.
Imagine a yellow orange and a round yellow tomato. On the outside, they may look similar in colour and shape, but we understand the difference perfectly well. From an orange, we expect sweet-and-sour citrus juice; from a tomato, we expect the taste of a tomato. We also know what can be done with each of them in order to use the product appropriately.
We do not expect orange juice from a tomato, nor do we use an orange to make borscht. And this does not surprise us, because we understand their nature.
With people, everything is much more complicated. We often expect others to react in ways that are natural to us but may be completely unfamiliar to them. We may believe that openly discussing feelings is the right thing to do, while for another person it can be overwhelming. We may consider clear structure and order to be the norm, while someone else may experience them as pressure.
From childhood, we are taught to treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves. But in real life, people have different perceptions, different values, and different ways of reacting. What feels like support to one person may feel like control to another.
That is why it is so important to understand what we can expect from a person, what they are capable of, and how to make the best possible use of their strengths. Profiling helps us recognize these differences and stop demanding from people what does not correspond to their inner characteristics, while allowing us to take their strengths into account as effectively as possible.
RADICALS AS THE INNER FOUNDATION OF PERSONALITY
Profiling uses the concept of “radicals.” The word comes from the Latin radix, meaning “root.” Radicals are understood as stable behavioural responses and characteristics of the nervous system that influence how a person perceives information, thinks, and reacts emotionally.
Simply put, these are habitual ways of responding to people, situations, and change. Some people are focused on structure and results, others on atmosphere and relationships, and still others on ideas and meaning. These characteristics develop on the basis of individual traits and remain relatively stable over time.
As emotional intelligence develops, a person can understand themselves better, become more aware of their reactions, and use their strengths more effectively while taking their weaknesses into account.
HOW PROFILING DIFFERS FROM THE EVERYDAY “I’M GOOD AT READING PEOPLE”
Many people are convinced that they simply have a good feel for others. Sometimes this really works, but more often these are guesses based on personal experience, mood, and impressions.
Profiling is based on systematic observation. It takes into account how a person speaks, reacts, carries themselves in a physical space, makes decisions, and behaves both in stressful situations and in a calm environment.
Attention is focused not on a single phrase or emotion, but on the overall pattern of behaviour. In our course, we study each radical according to 37 factors. As a result, instead of a random impression, we develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of the individual.
WHAT PROFILING OFFERS IN PRACTICE
In everyday communication, it becomes easier to understand people: who needs clear instructions and structure, and who values support, atmosphere, and emotional connection.
In personal relationships, it becomes easier to understand the reasons behind the behaviour of partners, children, and parents, and their reactions no longer seem strange or unpredictable.
In the workplace, it becomes easier to distribute tasks, take employees’ thinking styles into account, and build more effective teamwork. This affects results, the working atmosphere, and the quality of communication.
In negotiations, profiling makes it possible to speak to a person in the language of their values, goals, and ways of perceiving information, making communication more precise and effective.
Profiling also helps us better understand ourselves — our reactions, strengths, and preferred environment — which is important both for professional choices and for overall quality of life.
WHEN KNOWLEDGE BECOMES A PRACTICAL SKILL
Over time, profiling ceases to be merely a theory and becomes a practical skill for understanding people. It helps us clearly recognize what kind of person is in front of us, how they perceive information, what matters to them, and how best to communicate with them.
Attention is paid to facial expressions, gestures, speech, values, motivation, and typical reactions. Gradually, a comprehensive understanding emerges of a person’s priorities and the ways they tend to respond in different situations.
In relationships and at work, this provides a deeper and more accurate understanding of partners, children, parents, and colleagues. It makes it easier to find the right approach to different people and makes interactions more stable, conscious, and effective.
UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE AS A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
Today, we may have access to technology, AI, information, and modern tools, but the key factor in success is still communication with people. Robots have not yet replaced our partners and bosses.
Poor decisions, broken teams, difficult relationships, and failed partnerships often arise because of an insufficient understanding of people’s behaviour, motivation, and reactions.
Profiling develops the practical skill of accurately understanding another person and becomes a tool that improves the quality of communication, makes interactions clearer and more manageable, and helps us feel more confident at work, in relationships, and in everyday life.
Simply put, it is the ability to understand people, recognize their strengths, and build communication in a way that leads not to disappointment and mutual misunderstanding, but to effective results.
Larisa Sokolovskaya
Ph.D., Professor, Personal Effectiveness Coach, Certified Profiler, Mediator, Member of the Board of Directors of the North American Association of Transformational Game Practitioners (NAATGP)