When Heavenletters came along, I was doing career counseling, teaching people job search strategies, helping people find worthy work.

I never took courses in this subject. It just was always something I was interested in, quite in contrast to poetry and stories.

Now, I never liked career and psychological tests. They took way too long to take, some took days, and then the results were not always helpful. They tend to tell you to become more of something you’re not, and less of something you are. In other words, change yourself. And, besides, these tests cost a small fortune.

I came across a book that was magically helpful with revealing what makes us tick — Managing with Style by Rowe and Mason. It’s quite a technical book, written for a doctoral thesis, but its ideas were wonderful, and I loved that book. If it had been written to be a popular rather than academic, I am sure it would have become a best seller.

Well, this book I liked had a test I liked. It was short and painless. It took about ten minutes to take, two minutes to do the math, and ten minutes to go over the results with the client, and it was free. And this test made us happy no matter what the results were. It was a chart of ourselves. It helped us know ourselves, and it didn’t try to make ourselves into something else.

So this test was on operating styles. It gave four operating styles.

Before I tell you what these four styles are, let me say, as the book did say, that we are all, everyone of us, all of the styles. And they are all are good, and all are needed in the world. One style isn’t better than another. For most of us, we have one or more styles that we are comfortable with. And that’s what the test is about – what we are most comfortable with. This test of operating styles, like any test, of course, does not tell the whole story. We are much more than our operating style or styles.

Yet this test does give us a vocabulary, and it is amazingly helpful in pointing out what some of our real needs are.

Also, let me emphasize that this is not a test of ability. Someone could be a whiz in computer skills, but that doesn’t mean it’s their love.

There were two predominantly left brain styles, and two predominantly right brain styles.

Left brain is more mind, intellect, logic. Right brain is more heart, intuition, creativity.

The two left brain styles are named Directive and Analytical. The two right brain styles are named Conceptual and Behavioral.

A quick run-down of the two left brain styles:

Directive people look for speed and efficiency. They like rules, procedures, and structure. They are action-oriented and work fast. They appear very certain and can be seen as bossy. Interestingly, when under stress, most of us tend to become directive. Directive people can thrive in bureaucratic environments.

Analytical people love to work with details. They are detail-oriented, not action-oriented. They need time to dig in and be thorough. They do not work fast because accuracy and exactness are more important to them. Technical environments naturally suit them.

A quick-run down of the two predominantly right brain styles:

Conceptual people are big big thinkers. They are idea-oriented. They see the wholeness. They are future-oriented. They need freedom and independence so that they can do all they can do. From the outside, to those who do not understand, conceptual people may look like dreamers. Many conceptual people are visionaries. Einstein was conceptual.

Behavioral people are all about feelings. Everyone loves harmony. A behavioral person has to have harmony in order to function. They want everyone to be happy. If someone two desks away is unhappy, a behavioral person can’t be happy. Behavioral people need to know they are appreciated. Like directives, they like to move fast.

We all need appreciation, but behavioral people really need it. Like directives, behavioral people are now-oriented. Behavioral people can be too sensitive. And because they don’t like to hurt anyone’s feelings, they can be wishy-washy.

Do you know people who seem to be predominantly one or more of these styles? And what about you?

I broke the bank when it came to right brain behavioral.

I like to work fast, and I like things done NOW. Always there seems to be an immediacy for me. For instance, I have to answer emails right away while I still have the zip. Details are not important to me. Record-keeping is not. Feelings are what matter to me.

Ambiguity is hard for me. Confusion is hard for me. You might think I’d be used to confusion by now, but it doesn’t work that way. The sort of thing I mean is when someone says and acts very nicely, but I feel something else – this is most uncomfortable. I need to know clearly what something is. I need things spelled out.

Although seeking to know ourselves through this test cannot compare to knowing ourselves as God would have us know ourselves, this test really and truly made a difference for a lot of people, including myself. We can say with a sigh, “Ah, this is how I am,� and feel validated.

There is another delightful book I like that talks about different operating styles from an entirely different angle. This other view is also vibrant and non-standard, and I hope to tell you about it in another blog entry soon.