Richard Jones shared these in a speech.

Robert Robert Ornstein – The Psychology of Consciousness

The following is how I often use the long time existing and used 4 SHAPES QUIZ/TEXT/EXERCISE Many trainers, speakers, consultants, professors, ministers, counselors use it or have. I use it as a lead into the use of my own M.I.N.D. Design© 1980 to help people learn a little about their own thinking/learning/communicating/problem solving styles and how to quicly GUESS the styles of other people. FIRST UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, IN ORDER TO LEARN HOW TO WORK BETTER WITH OTHERS©1980

Here are four shapes. Choose which one you like out of the 4. Then choose the one you like second then third then fourth for example I might choose them in this order.

Second Phase/Step Ask people to go stand in the corner that represents their chosen shape then ask them to talk with those people about why each of them chose that shape

Third Phase/Step Ask people to go stand in the corner that represents the shape they didn’t like or chose last then ask them to talk with those people about why each of them dislike that shape

The following material can be found on this page along with much more that one Leadership consultant, Nancy Hardaway, uses in her work with clients. I became aware of the SHAPES Quiz/Test/Exercise over 40 years ago and have still not found out who created it. The original version I found used a Z instead of a squiggle. I changed it to a squiggle in 1980 and so have many, many, many other speakers, trainers consultants, professors since or before. This is a simple and fun way to help people learn about the importance and impact of knowing our and others’ thinking/learning/communicating/problem solving skills.

SQUARE: Details & Data & Systems People. Characteristics:. Hardest workers; task oriented Loyal Structured; organized Think sequentially, logically May be stubborn Value details and data; analytical Know policies & rules Not fond of change, prefer a stable environment Prefer to working alone to teamwork May see fun as unnecessary or a luxury Trouble saying “I’ve got enough information” Conservative, regular, orderly. Meeting behavior: well prepared, lots of notes, gets right down to work. Motto: “Give me a job and a deadline and I’ll get it done”

TRIANGLE: Results People Characteristics: Bottom line; focused on goals Driven to succeed; motivated by results Take charge and move fast Big picture – Don’t need all the research or details Need to know WHY Confident Competitive Outspoken – Love to debate and argue No nonsense Decisive; cut to the chase; move on Impatient Likes recognition – may put stock in status symbols Meeting behavior: Hate meetings. Get to the bottom line and move on Motto: “So what’s your point???”

CIRCLE: People People Characteristics: Most empathy and perception for others Fun-loving; laugh the most Listen and communicate well Easily swayed by opinions of others Caregivers/helpers Like people, committees, teams Peacemakers – hate conflict or making unpopular decisions Good sports Over commit; take on more than you can handle Too nice; can’t say no Better at caring for others than yourself Don’t particularly like hierarchy Meeting behavior: Social, create harmony, love the food, Motto: “I’ll do it – somebody has to!”

SQUIGGLE: Idea People Characteristics: Often visionaries –lots of ideas Creative Lots of energy and enthusiasm Like to try new and different things Can appear a little flaky because their mind moves so fast Difficulty with completion; start a task and move on to the next great idea Can be frustrating to work with Try to be more organized, but tend to lose their lists Easily bored Flexible – spontaneous Make cognitive leaps, from A straight to F Prefer less structured environments Meeting behavior: Already thinking of the next step Motto: “I just got this great idea!”

If we arrange the 4 shapes in this order or pattern we can compare them and the results or descriptions to many other more detail questionnaires and tests such as: HBDI, NBI, KAI, SOLAT, Myers-Briggs Temperament Instrument, and hundreds of others, including my own M.I.N.D. Design©1980. And many RIGHT BRAIN/LEFT BRAIN teaching, learning style instruments: Gregorc, Kolb, Dunn & Dunn. They are all useful and helpful but none are specifically highly accurate. There are researchers who discredit or disagree with the existence of specific Learning styles. My 33 years of using them with groups classes or audiences tells me otherwise.

This is a fun and a simple way to help people learn to better work with other people sales people to work better with their customers or clients. and for teachers and students to work better together to increase learning.

If you do a Google search for squiggle square circle triangle you might receive 120,000 hits like I did on September 20 th, It is very popular and used by many professionals and amateurs to help people better understand themselves.

M n i Dd Herrmann Merrill McCarthy Fischer Lotas Kolb Gregorc Maccoby Mok Myers-Briggs SOLAT Kirton Style Instruments

Directive Negotiative Meditative Intuitive

i M Dd n n n n n n i i i i i i

M.I.N.D. Design TM.. Meditative factual detailed logical one focus at a time

M.I.N.D. Design TM. Intuitive mostly divergent use hunches or guesses strive for new ideas many focuses/challenges at once

M.I.N.D. Design TM Negotiative personal/friendly very loyal like to enjoy work work as spirit moves them

M.I.N.D. Design TM. Directive systematic practical organized do scheduled or expected

M.I.N.D. Design TM. Meditative factual detailed logical one focus at a time. Intuitive mostly creative use hunches or guesses strive for new ideas many focuses/challenges at once Directive systematic practical organized do what is scheduled or expected Negotiative personal/friendly very loyal like to enjoy what they are doing work as the spirit moves them

M.I.N.D. Design TM Preferred Thinking Styles

. M - Meditative uses facts gives specific answer works alone thinks as a detective explains in detail questions everyone calculates accurately is very precise thinks abstractly uses logical thought works step by step M.I.N.D. Design TM Preferred Thinking Styles

. I - Intuitive lots of ideas imagination sees or senses answers gets solutions w/o facts experiments often pretends easily sees patterns quickly takes risks very inventive future thinker M.I.N.D. Design TM Preferred Thinking Styles

. N - Negotiative friendly loyal to others likes to work w/ people always involves others tends to be emotional joiner follower over leader trustworthy enjoys talking adaptable to group M.I.N.D. Design TM Preferred Thinking Styles

. D - Directive works step by step is very practical plans before acts neat & organized directs people follows the rules on time exactly dependable does things right way wants correct answers M.I.N.D. Design TM Preferred Thinking Styles

M - Meditative uses facts gives specific answer works alone thinks as a detective explains in detail questions everyone calculates accurately is very precise thinks abstractly uses logical thought works step by step I - Intuitive lots of ideas imagination sees or senses answers gets solutions w/o facts experiments often pretends easily sees patterns quickly takes risks very inventive future thinker N - Negotiative friendly loyal to others likes to work w/ people always involves others tends to be emotional joiner follower over leader trustworthy enjoys talking adaptable to group D - Directive works step by step is very practical plans before acts neat & organized directs people follows the rules on time exactly dependable does things right way wants correct answers M.I.N.D. Design TM Preferred Thinking Styles

Rational, logical, Analytical, individual Systematic, equations, Step-by-step, proven Intuitive, exploratory, Unknown, fanciful Fun, harmonious, Involving all, family/team Solo Convergently Divergent Systematically Convergent Organization Wholistically Divergent Family Solo/Team Divergent M.I. N. D.

M M&n M&i M&d I&m I&n i I&d N&m n N&i N&d D D&m D&n D&i 75% 50% 25% Conflict Potential between Different Styles

M.I.N.D. Design TM Creativity Profiles Four Basic Creative Thinking Styles M - Rationally Innovative Rational & Challenging Continuously improving, refining what exists or systematically moving from the abstract to the concrete. Uses logic and rationale. This is a deductive and reductive approach moving back and forth from the practical to the theoretical. A style of a loner. The style of a highly goal-oriented person who is most concerned with completing the challenge. I – Imaginative Off-the-Wall Creation of the new, the untried. Blue sky, inspirational thinking & leading. Uses hunches, guesses, approximations. This is an exploratory, open-ended seemingly undisciplined approach that works from many potential solutions backwards more often then from the problem towards solutions, using multiple thinking and non-thinking approaches. The style of a highly impatient person, loyal to the challenges and the process. D – Systematic Conventional Applying known theories and systems or equations to reuse previously proven solutions or problems. This is a reductive approach using predominantly critique, judgment and argument. Very organized and a step-by-step thinker The style of a person highly loyal to an organization. N - Joint Team Communal & Harmonious An exploratory, often accidental approach. Generally “ feels ” a problem and its many potential solutions. Generally this style prefers to work in teams to “ bounce ” ideas often off other “ accepting ” people/leaders. A compromising style. The style of a person highly loyal to his or her team and the project or organization.

M.I.N.D. Design TM Creativity Profiles Four Basic Creative Thinking Styles M - Rationally Innovative Rational & Challenging Continuously improving, refining what exists or systematically moving from the abstract to the concrete. Uses logic and rationale. This is a deductive and reductive approach moving back and forth from the practical to the theoretical. A style of a loner. The style of a highly goal-oriented person who is most concerned with completing the challenge. I – Imaginative Off-the-Wall Creation of the new, the untried. Blue sky, inspirational thinking & leading. Uses hunches, guesses, approximations. This is an exploratory, open-ended seemingly undisciplined approach that works from many potential solutions backwards more often then from the problem towards solutions, using multiple thinking and non-thinking approaches. The style of a highly impatient person, loyal to the challenges and the process. D – Systematic Conventional Applying known theories and systems or equations to reuse previously proven solutions or problems. This is a reductive approach using predominantly critique, judgment and argument. Very organized and a step-by-step thinker The style of a person highly loyal to an organization. N - Joint Team Communal & Harmonious An exploratory, often accidental approach. Generally “ feels ” a problem and its many potential solutions. Generally this style prefers to work in teams to “ bounce ” ideas often off other “ accepting ” people/leaders. A compromising style. The style of a person highly loyal to his or her team and the project or organization.

Innovation- Problem-Finding Self Recovery- Implementing Self Imagination- Idea-Generating Self Discovery- Idea Sensing Self your cre8ng ™ style M.I. N. D.

Idea Grid™ Attribute Listing TRIZ™ cre8ng ™ Tools M.

Excursions Forced Relationships Metaphors cre8ng ™ Tools I.

Writing Relay Group Excursions Guided Imagery cre8ng ™ Tools N.

S.C.A.M.P.E.R.™ Checklisting Brain Writing cre8ng ™ Tools D.

Idea Grid ™ Attribute Listing TRIZ ™ S.C.A.M.P.E.R. ™ Checklisting Brain Writing Excursions Forced Relationships Metaphors Writing Relay Group Excursions Guided Imagery cre8ng ™ Tools M.I. N. D.