People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Because of your strengths, you may be particularly able to deconstruct tangled situations. Perhaps you sort through facts to discover the inner workings of intricate processes, regulations, programs, or action plans. Some people rely on you to reduce complexities to their basic parts. This partially explains why they trust you to present information in a manner they find easy to understand. It’s very likely that you periodically are sought out by people whom you have befriended. They may trust you when you have taken time to know them individually. This may partially explain why certain people come back again and again for ideas or suggestions. They might realize you try to tailor your words of wisdom to fit their unique situations, needs, strengths, limitations, goals, or personalities. Chances are good that you attempt to treat individuals impartially. You might let a number of people know the details and steps you take to perform specific chores, projects, hobbies, assignments, or errands. Instinctively, you might feel happier if you are busy, even if it means performing routine or mundane tasks. When you have nothing to do, perhaps you are the type of person who looks for something to do. By nature, you may sense people depend on you to clarify abstract ideas. Perhaps your ability is appreciated when someone or a group needs to understand an intricate system, problem, rule, procedure, contract, or design.

Gavin T., flight attendant: "I have many wonderful acquaintances, but as for true friends that I hold dear, not very many. And I'm real okay with that. My best times are spent with the people I'm tightest with, like my family. We are a very tight-knit Irish Catholic family, and we get together every chance we can. It's a large family -- I have five brothers and sisters and ten nieces and nephews -- but we all get together about once a month and yuk it up. I'm the catalyst. When I'm back in Chicago, even if there is no birthday or anniversary or whatever, I become the excuse for getting together and hanging out for three or four days. We really enjoy one another's company."

Tony D., pilot: "I used to fly in the Marines, and, boy, you had better be comfortable with the word ‘friend' in the Marines. You had better feel good about trusting someone else. I can't tell you how many times I put my life in someone else's hands. I was flying off my friend's wing, and I'd be dead if he couldn't get me back safely."

Jamie T., entrepreneur: "I'm definitely selective about my relationships. When I first meet people, I don't want to give them very much of my time. I don't know them; they don't know me -- so let's just be pleasant and leave it at that. But if circumstances make it so that we get to know each other better, it seems like a threshold is reached where I suddenly start wanting to invest more. I'll share more of myself, put myself out for them, do things for them that will bring us a little closer, and show that I care. It's funny because I am not looking for any more friends in my life. I have enough. And yet with each new person I meet, as soon as that threshold is reached, I feel compelled to go deeper and deeper. Now I have ten people working for me, and I would call each of them my very good friend."

Find a workplace in which friendships are encouraged. You will not do well in an overly formal organization. In job interviews, ask about work styles and company culture.

Deliberately learn as much as you can about the people you meet. You like knowing about people, and other people like being known. By doing this, you will act as a catalyst for trusting relationships.

Let it be known that you are more interested in the character and personality of others than in their status or job title. This is one of your greatest talents and can serve as a model for others.

Let your caring show. For example, find people in your company to mentor, help your colleagues get to know each other better, or extend your relationships beyond the office.

No matter how busy you are, stay in contact with your friends. They are your fuel.

Be honest with your friends. True caring means helping the other person be successful and fulfilled. Giving honest feedback or encouraging your friend to move out of a role in which he or she is struggling is a compassionate act.

You probably prefer to be seen as a person, an equal, or a friend, rather than as a function, a superior, or a title. Let people know that they can address you by your first name, rather than formally.

You might tend to withhold the most engaging aspects of your personality until you have sensed openness from another person. Remember, building relationships is not a one-way street. Proactively "put yourself out there." Others will quickly see you for the genuine individual you are, and you will create many more opportunities to cultivate strong, long-lasting connections.

Make time for family and close friends. You need to spend quality moments with those you love in order to "feed" your Relator talents. Schedule activities that allow you to get even closer to the people who keep you grounded and happy.

Make an effort to socialize with your colleagues and team members outside of work. It can be as simple as lunch or coffee together. This will help you forge more connected relationships at work, which in turn can facilitate more effective teamwork and cooperation.

People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

By nature, you may allow yourself to become emotionally attached to people. You might see the good in individuals and choose to overlook their flaws or mistakes. Perhaps the fondness you show toward others endears you to many of them. It’s very likely that you gravitate to situations where you will be in the company of others. You are much less inclined to be solitary or a loner. Instinctively, you may contend there is something worthwhile and perhaps lovable about many people. You attempt to find the good in each person with whom you spend time. You might overlook some negative traits to discover praiseworthy ones. You might concentrate on the desirable qualities that distinguish an individual from everyone else. Once in a while, you remind others about why you consider someone special. You may hope that one day they can value the person, too. Chances are good that you are sometimes unreserved. Perhaps you share personal information and stories with first-time acquaintances as easily as with old friends. Driven by your talents, you may feel affection for a wide variety of people. Perhaps this trait permits you to see good qualities in people that others overlook. Once in a while, you are stunned when someone says, "I can't find one good thing to say about that individual."

Deborah C., publishing executive: "I have made best friends out of people that I have met passing in the doorway. I mean, it's awful, but wooing is part of who I am. All my taxi drivers propose to me."

Marilyn K., college president: "I don't believe I'm looking for friends, but people call me a friend. I call people and say, ‘I love you,' and I mean it because I love people easily. But friends? I don't have many friends. I don't think I am looking for friends. I am looking for connections. And I am really good at that because I know how to achieve common ground with people."

Anna G., nurse: "I think I am a little shy sometimes. Usually I won't make the first step out. But I do know how to put people at ease. A lot of my job is just humor. If the patient is not very receptive, my role becomes that of a stand-up comedian. I'll say to an eighty-year-old patient, ‘Hi, you handsome guy. Sit up. Let me get your shirt off. That's good. Take your shirt off. Whoa, what a chest on this man!' With kids, you have to start very slowly and say something like, ‘How old are you?' If they say, ‘Ten,' then I say, ‘Really? When I was your age, I was eleven' -- silly stuff like that to break the ice."

Choose a job in which you can interact with many people over the course of a day.

Deliberately build the network of people who know you. Tend to it by checking in with each person at least once a month.

Join local organizations, volunteer for committees, and find out how to get on the social lists of the influential people where you live.

Learn the names of as many people as you can. Create a file of the people you know, and add names as you become acquainted. Include a snippet of personal information -- such as their birthday, favorite color, hobby, or favorite sports team.

In social situations, take responsibility for helping put reserved people at ease.

Find the right words to explain that networking is part of your style. If you don't claim this theme, others might mistake it for insincerity and wonder why you are being so friendly.

Partner with someone with dominant Relator or Empathy talents. This person can solidify the relationships that you begin.

Your Woo talents give you the ability to quicken the pulse of your surroundings. Recognize the power of your presence and how you open doors for an exchange of ideas. By simply starting conversations that engage others and bring talented people together, you will take performance up a notch -- or several.

The first moments of any social occasion are crucial to how comfortable people will be and how they will remember the event. Whenever possible, be one of the first people others meet. Your capacity for meeting and greeting new people will help to quickly put them at ease.

Practice ways to charm and engage others. For example, research people before you meet them so you can talk about your common interests.

People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

By nature, you periodically regale people with funny anecdotes, timely jokes, witty comments, or whimsical ideas. Maybe amusing others brings you pleasure -- especially when you make them laugh out loud. Chances are good that you may prefer to discuss ideas about what can be invented in the coming months, years, or decades. Perhaps you are reluctant to reveal details about your personal life. This partially explains why you enjoy describing tomorrow's possibilities rather than dwelling on today's or yesterday's events. Because of your strengths, you may delight some people with your stories or adventurous tales. You might gravitate to discussions or engage in casual chitchat. If the dialogue begins to lag, you might keep it moving by asking questions, introducing a new topic, describing an incident, or offering an explanation. Instinctively, you sometimes enjoy verbalizing your thoughts. You may want certain individuals to acknowledge your ideas and honor your feelings. Perhaps gaining and maintaining specific people's attention pleases you. It’s very likely that you may feel comfortable speaking to a variety of individuals or audiences.

Sheila K., general manager of a theme park: "Stories are the best way to make my point. Yesterday I wanted to show my executive committee the impact we can have on our guests, so I shared this story with them: One of our employees brought her father to the flag-raising ceremony we have for Veterans Day here at the theme park. He was disabled during World War II, and he now has a rare form of cancer and has had a lot of surgery. He's dying. At the start of the ceremony, one of our employees said to the group, ‘This man is a World War II veteran. Can we give him a hand?' Everybody cheered, and his daughter started crying. Her dad took off his hat. He never takes off his hat because of the scars on his head from the war and the cancer surgery, but when the national anthem started, he took off his hat and bowed his head. His daughter told me later that it was the best day he's had in years."

Tom P., banking executive: "My most recent client thought that the flow of capital toward Internet stocks was just a passing phase. I tried using a rational argument to change his mind, but he couldn't or wouldn't be convinced. In the end, as I often do when faced with a client in denial, I resorted to imagery. I told him that he was like a person sitting on a beach with his back to the sea. The Internet was like a fast-rising tide. No matter how comfortable he felt right now, the tide was rising with each crashing wave, and very soon, one of those waves would come crashing down over his head and engulf him. He got the point."

Margret D., marketing director: "I once read a book about giving speeches that gave two suggestions: Talk only about things you're really passionate about, and always use personal examples. I immediately started doing that, and I found lots of stories because I have kids and grandkids and a husband. I build my stories around my personal experiences because everyone can relate to them."

You will always do well in roles that require you to capture people's attention. Think about a career in teaching, sales, marketing, ministry, or the media. Your Communication talents are likely to flourish in these areas.

Start a collection of stories or phrases that resonate with you. For example, cut out magazine articles that move you, or write down powerful word combinations. Practice telling these stories or saying these words out loud, by yourself. Listen to yourself actually saying the words. Refine.

When you are presenting, pay close attention to your audience. Watch their reactions to each part of your presentation. You will notice that some parts are especially engaging. Afterwards, take time to identify the moments that particularly caught the audience's attention. Draft your next presentation around these highlights.

Practice. Improvisation has a certain appeal, but in general, an audience will respond best to a presenter who knows where he or she is headed. Counterintuitively, the more prepared you are, the more natural your improvisations will appear.

Identify your most beneficial sounding boards and audiences -- the listeners who seem to bring out your best communication. Examine these individuals or groups to learn why you are so good when you speak with them or to them, and look for the same qualities in potential partners and audiences.

Keep getting smarter about the words you use. They are a critical currency. Spend them wisely, and monitor their impact.

Your Communication talents can be highly effective when your message has substance. Don't rely on your talents alone; take your communication to the level of strength by developing your knowledge and expertise in specific areas.

You are gifted in fostering dialogue among peers and colleagues. Use your Communication talents to summarize the various points in a meeting and to build consensus by helping others see what they have in common.

If you enjoy writing, consider publishing your work. If you enjoy public speaking, make a presentation at a professional meeting or convention. In either case, your Communication talents will serve to assist you in finding just the right way to frame your ideas and state your purpose. You delight in sharing your thoughts with others, so find the medium that best fits your voice and message.

Volunteer for opportunities to present. You can become known as someone who helps people express their thoughts and ambitions in a captivating way.

People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.

Chances are good that you help people stay aware of the latest news and current events. Instinctively, you aid others by concentrating their attention on objective and factual information. You probably examine data, review studies, conduct investigations, gather evidence, and decide what it all means. You are likely to document the steps so individuals can quickly reference the material later. It’s very likely that you enjoy the support that teammates give one another. When you are forced to work alone, you probably miss having people turn to you for assistance. Because of your strengths, you occasionally credit yourself with having a gift for seeing the unique talents that make people different from one another. You may have little patience for placing people into broadly-defined categories. Perhaps you describe individuals in specific and vivid detail. Driven by your talents, you occasionally provide your teammates with a logical perspective on things. You might show your partners how one action or a single comment caused something unexpected to occur. Experience might be one of your best teachers. This partially explains why you do not automatically orchestrate an event, plan a schedule, or allocate resources the same way you did the last time. Maybe you realize that every situation is unique.

Les T., hospitality manager: "Carl is one of our best performers, but he still has to see me every week. He just wants a little encouragement and to check in, and he gets fired up a little bit after that meeting. Greg doesn't like to meet very often, so there's no need for me to bother him. And when we do meet, it's really for me, not for him."

Marsha D., publishing executive: "Sometimes I would walk out of my office and -- you know how cartoon characters have those balloons over their head? I would see these little balloons over everyone's head telling me what was in their minds. It sounds weird, doesn't it? But it happens all the time."

Andrea H., interior designer: "When you ask people what their style is, they find it hard to describe, so I just ask them, ‘What is your favorite spot in the house?' And when I ask that, their faces light up, and they know just where to take me. From that one spot, I can begin to piece together the kind of people they are and what their style is."

Select a vocation in which your Individualization talents can be both used and appreciated, such as counseling, supervising, teaching, writing human interest articles, or selling. Your ability to see people as unique individuals is a special talent.

Become an expert in describing your own strengths and style. For example, answer questions such as: What is the best praise you ever received? How often do you like to check in with your manager? What is your best method for building relationships? How do you learn best? Then ask your colleagues and friends these same questions. Help them plan their future by starting with their strengths, then designing a future based on what they do best.

Help others understand that true diversity can be found in the subtle differences between each individual -- regardless of race, sex, or nationality.

Explain that it is appropriate, just, and effective to treat each person differently. Those without strong Individualization talents might not see the differences among individuals and might insist that individualization is unequal and therefore unfair. You will need to describe your perspective in detail to be persuasive.

Figure out what every person on your team does best. Then help them capitalize on their talents, skills, and knowledge. You may need to explain your rationale and your philosophy so people understand that you have their best interests in mind.

You have an awareness and appreciation of others' likes and dislikes and an ability to personalize. This puts you in a unique position. Use your Individualization talents to help identify areas where one size does not fit all.

Make your colleagues and friends aware of each person's unique needs. Soon people will look to you to explain other people's motivations and actions.

Your presentations and speaking opportunities will be most engaging when you relate your topic to the experiences of individuals in the audience. Use your Individualization talents to gather and share real-life stories that will make your points much better than would generic information or theories.

You move comfortably among a broad range of styles and cultures, and you intuitively personalize your interactions. Consciously and proactively make full use of these talents by leading diversity and community efforts.

Your Individualization talents can help you take a different approach to interpreting data. While others are looking for similarities, make a point of identifying distinctiveness. Your interpretations will add a valuable perspective.

People who are especially talented in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.

By nature, you sometimes seek the advice of thinkers. This is likely to happen when you feel unsure about making decisions that affect your future. Perhaps you can figure out the right course of action with their assistance. Maybe you even pause to outline your plan in detail. Because of your strengths, you may establish standard operating procedures for performing particular kinds of tasks that occur on a regular basis. Rather than inventing a new way to do things every single time, perhaps you favor pinpointing a series of steps that enables people to handle the chore more efficiently. Investigating how something works, then streamlining its function might be your forte -- that is, your strong point. Once you have laid out a series of steps and a timeline, you might be eager to see your new and improved system implemented across the board -- that is, used equally by everyone. Instinctively, you sometimes rely on your own high standards or methodical routines to ensure that certain details are properly handled. If you can conquer specific obstacles, perhaps you feel convinced most things are being done correctly, accurately, and precisely. Chances are good that you might create systems that ensure no person is given an edge -- that is, a special advantage. Perhaps you reduce the risk of showing favoritism toward anyone by establishing standard policies and practices. Maybe your commitment to "even the playing field" -- that is, give every person the same opportunities, resources, time, or training -- is evident in your personal relationships as well. It’s very likely that you might derive great satisfaction from putting photographs in albums, books on shelves, files in order, and/or tools on hooks. Perhaps you are not intimidated by messy drawers, disorganized financial records, cluttered closets, or untidy study notes. Instead, you may use these opportunities to showcase your ability to bring order to chaos.

Les T., hospitality manager: "The turning point in my career was attending one of those time-management courses some years back. I was always disciplined, but the power grew when I learned how to use that discipline in an organized process every day. This little Palm Pilot means that I call my mom every Sunday rather than letting months go by without calling. It means I take my wife out for dinner every week without her asking. It means that my employees know that if I say I need to see something on Monday, I will be calling on Monday if I haven't seen it. This Palm Pilot is so much a part of my life that I have lengthened all of my pants pockets so that it fits right there on my hip."

Troy T., sales executive: "My filing system may not look that pretty, but it is very efficient. I write everything by hand because I know that no customer is going to see these files, so why waste time making them look pretty? My whole life as a salesperson is based on deadlines and follow-up. In my system, I keep track of everything so that I take responsibility not only for my deadlines and follow-up but for all of my customers' and colleagues' as well. If they haven't gotten back to me by the time they promised, they're going to receive an e-mail from me. In fact, I heard from one the other day who said, ‘I may as well get back to you because I know you're going to call me if you haven't heard from me.'"

Diedre S., office manager: "I hate wasting time, so I make lists -- long lists that keep me on track. Today my list has ninety items on it, and I will get through ninety-five percent of them. And that's discipline because I don't let anybody waste my time. I am not rude, but I can let you know in a very tactful, humorous way that your time is up."

Don't hesitate to check as often as necessary to ensure that things are right. You feel an urge to do it anyway, and soon others will come to expect it from you.

Accept that mistakes might depress you. Precision is a core part of who you are; however, you must find ways to move through these moments of annoyance to prevent becoming discouraged.

Recognize that others may not be as disciplined as you are. More than likely, their clumsy process will frustrate you, so try to look beyond it, and focus on their results, not on their process.

Exactitude is your forté; you enjoy poring over details. Seek opportunities to peruse contracts, important communications, or financial documents for errors. You can save yourself and others from making costly mistakes and looking foolish.

Increasing efficiency is one of your hallmarks. You are a perfectionist at heart. Discover situations in which time or money is being wasted because of inefficiency, and create systems or procedures to improve efficiency.

You not only create order, you probably also crave it in the form of a well-organized space. To completely free your Discipline talents, invest in furniture and organization systems that enable you to have "a place for everything and everything in its place."

Timelines motivate you. When you have a task to complete, you like to know the deadline so you can plan your schedule accordingly. Apply your Discipline talents by outlining the step-by-step plan you will use. Others will appreciate your cues because they will help keep everyone "on task."

Others may confuse your Discipline talents with rigidity. Help them understand that your discipline helps you pack more effectiveness into a day -- often because you prioritize your time. When working with others who are not as disciplined, ask them to clarify deadlines so you can adjust your workload to accommodate their requests.

Seek out roles and responsibilities that have structure.

Create routines that require you to systematically follow through. Over time, people will come to appreciate this kind of predictability

Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people—in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends—but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk—you might be taken advantage of—but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.

Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don’t. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet—lots of them.