Profiling as a Navigator in the World of Communication and Understanding People’s Motives and Behavior
What do we really see in people?
How often do we find ourselves in situations where we feel disappointed in people at work, in life, or in the family? How often do we expect one kind of behavior, one type of reaction, one level of responsibility from a person, and receive something completely different? And on the contrary, someone with great potential may be right beside us, and we may not even suspect what they are truly capable of. As a result, resentment, misunderstanding, and the feeling that we are not understood arise.
Imagine a yellow orange and a round yellow tomato. Outwardly, they may look similar in color and shape, yet we clearly understand the difference. From an orange, we expect sweet and tangy citrus juice; from a tomato, we expect a tomato flavor, and we know how each of them can be used properly. We do not expect orange juice from a tomato, nor do we use an orange for borscht. And we are not surprised by this, because we know their nature.
With people, everything is much more complicated. We often expect from others the reactions that are natural for us, but may be completely foreign to them. It seems right to us to discuss feelings openly, while for someone else that may feel overwhelming. We consider clear structure and order to be the norm, while for someone else it may feel like pressure. Since childhood, we are taught to treat others the way we want to be treated, 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 exactly why it is so important to understand what can be expected from a person, what they are capable of, and how to make the most accurate use of their strengths. Profiling helps us see these differences and stop demanding from people what does not correspond to their inner characteristics, while making the most effective use of their strengths.
Radicals as the Inner Foundation of Personality
In profiling, the concept of radicals is used. The word comes from the Latin radix, meaning “root.” Radicals are understood as stable behavioral reactions and features of the nervous system that influence a person’s perception of information, thinking, and emotional responses. Simply put, these are habitual ways of reacting to people, situations, and change. Some people are oriented toward structure and results, others toward atmosphere and relationships, and still others toward ideas and meaning. These features are formed on the basis of individual characteristics and remain relatively stable over time. With the development of emotional intelligence, a person can better understand themselves, become aware of their reactions, and use their strengths more effectively while taking their weaknesses into account.
How Profiling Differs from the Everyday “I Can Read People”
Many people are convinced that they are simply good at sensing 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, how they react, how they carry themselves in space, how they make decisions, how they behave in stressful situations and in calm surroundings. Attention is directed not to a single phrase or emotion, but to the overall behavioral picture (in our course, we study each radical according to 37 factors). As a result, what emerges is not a random impression, but a clear and holistic understanding of personality.
What Does Profiling Provide in Practice?
In everyday communication, it becomes easier to understand people: who needs clear instructions and structure, and who needs support, atmosphere, and emotional contact. In personal relationships, understanding of the reasons behind a partner’s, children’s, or parents’ behavior becomes deeper, and reactions stop seeming strange or unpredictable. In the workplace, it becomes easier to distribute tasks, take employees’ thinking styles into account, and build more effective team interaction. This affects results, the work atmosphere, and the quality of communication. In negotiations, there is an opportunity to speak to a person in the language of their values, goals, and ways of perceiving information, which makes communication more precise and effective. Profiling also helps a person better understand themselves, their reactions, strengths, and preferred environment, which is important for career choices and overall quality of life.
When Knowledge Becomes a Practical Skill
Over time, profiling stops being just theory and becomes a practical skill of understanding people. It helps one clearly realize what kind of person is in front of them, how that person perceives information, what matters to them, and how communication with them can best be built. Attention is paid to facial expressions, gestures, speech, values, motivation, and a person’s typical reactions. Gradually, a holistic understanding of their priorities and ways of responding in different situations is formed. In relationships and at work, this gives a deeper and more accurate understanding of partners, children, parents, and colleagues, makes it easier to find the right approach to different people, and makes interaction more stable and conscious.
Understanding People as a Strategic Advantage
Today, one may possess technology, AI, information, and modern tools, but the main factor of success is still connected with communication with people. Robots have not yet replaced our partners and managers. Wrong decisions, broken teams, difficult relationships, and partnerships that never materialize more often arise from an insufficient understanding of people’s behavior, motivation, and reactions. Profiling forms the practical skill of accurately understanding a person and becomes a tool that strengthens the quality of communication, makes interaction clearer and more manageable, and helps people 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 such a way that it 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 Transformation Game Facilitators (NAATGP)