What's in for me? How to deal with different personality types during SCAMPER ideation phase?
Everyone has different psychological needs - what do you do then?
This post is about how to deal with different personality types while you facilitate the SCAMPER ideation method.
Which 6 personality types do I refer to?
PCM (Process Communication Model®) is an innovative model that allows you to understand the depth of personality structure.
Created by Taibi Kahler in the 1970s, PCM was used by NASA in the training and selection of astronauts for 20 years, and today used by many well-known Fortune 500 companies.
According to PCM, we all have 6 personality types in us, which influence how we think, feel, and behave.
Each type has its own perceptual filter, a preferred way of seeing the world.
How to deal with specific situations in a SCAMPER ideation session depending on the team members’ personality types?
🎲 Thinker - likes to have data and facts and has the tendency to create logical connections between different topics.
what could they ask you: if it necessary to place my ideas in these specific columns (of SCAMPER) as some are fitting to more columns?
answer: no, you can put your ideas on the wall and I sorted them out in columns for you. The Thinker is having already a very structured thinking approach and they do not need this kind of structured ideation in general.
🎲 Persister - likes to offer his opinion and beliefs about specific topics.
what could they ask you: complicated questions about specific situations, ideas, and probably new proposals of how to do the ideation because he believes in something.
answer: here is really good to set expectations from the start before the session starts. Explain to them that this will be a special ideation process and that the process is meant to help them come up with ideas but if they can create ideas in any other way that is fine. Usually, they accommodate with the facilitation but if not, show flexibility and let them choose rather than discuss the process.
🎲 Harmonizer - for them a comfortable atmosphere is important, they express themselves through feelings.
what could they ask you: they are getting uncomfortable when discussions appear and they need good vibes and a non-conflictual environment
what you could offer: make sure that when ideation starts all questions are answered, and no more discussions appear
🎲 Imaginer - they reflect a lot, having a lot happening inside their own world, powerful imagination
what could they ask you: actually not too much, this is one of their preferred activities for them because it is done in silence and there is a clear approach to how to do it
what you could offer: clear instructions on the activity and they will follow you; their imagination is huge so they will come up with a lot of surprising ideas usually
🎲 Rebel - they like to have fun and react to the world with likes/dislikes.
what could they ask you: for fun!
answer: explain the activity also like an amusement park rollercoaster which makes loops in your brain and helps you see the world from 7 different perspectives. They will be there in the park and have fun while doing this activity
🎲 Promoter - they need actions and get things done
what they could ask you: challenging things, they will finish faster than everyone and be bored
what you could offer: add to the activity explanation that this is a challenge and provoke them to solve it; prepare some extra bonus steps as they are most of the time faster than everyone and then getting bored - could be something like questions to reflect in silence (i.e. “What surprised you during this activity?”, “What did you discover new during this activity?”)
One-phrase summary:
We have different psychological needs and when facilitating activity is a good idea to set expectations and explain them to the team to fit their needs. In this way you give them the answer to the question “What’s in for me?” and they will collaborate in a very efficient and creative way together.
Resources:
Book “Understand to be understood” by G.Collignon
Personal facilitation experience