PL Plant
Characteristics
Individualistic, serious-minded, unorthodox.
Plants are innovators and inventors and can be highly creative. They provide the seeds and ideas from which major developments spring. Usually they prefer to operate by themselves at some distance from the other members of the team, using their imagination and often working in an unorthodox way. They tend to be introverted and react strongly to criticism and praise. Their ideas may often be radical and may lack practical constraint.
They are independent, clever and original and may be weak in communicating with other people on a different wave-length.
Function
The main use of a Plant is to generate new proposals and to solve complex problems. Plants are often needed in the initial stages of a project or when a project is failing to progress. Plants have often made their marks as founders of companies or as originators of new products.
Too many Plants in one organisation, however, may be counter-productive as they tend to spend their time reinforcing their own ideas and engaging each other in combat.
Strengths
Genius, imagination, intellect, knowledge.
Allowable Weaknesses
Up in the clouds, inclined to disregard practical details or protocol.
ME Monitor Evaluator
Characteristics
Sober, unemotional, prudent.
Monitor Evaluators are serious-minded, prudent individuals with a built-in immunity from being over-enthusiastic. They are slow deciders who prefer to think things over - usually with a high critical thinking ability. Good Monitor Evaluators have a capacity for shrewd judgements that take all factors into account and seldom give bad advice.
Function
Monitor Evaluators are at home when analysing problems and evaluating ideas and suggestions. They are very good at weighing up the pro’s and con’s of options and to outsiders seem dry, boring or even over-critical. Some people are surprised that they become managers. Nevertheless, many Monitor Evaluators occupy key planning and strategic posts and thrive in high-level appointments where a relatively small number of decisions carry major consequences.
Strengths
Judgement, discretion, hard-headedness.
Allowable Weaknesses
Lack of inspiration or the ability to motivate others.
CF Completer-Finisher
Characteristics
Painstaking, orderly, conscientious, anxious.
Completers, or Completer-Finishers, have a great capacity for follow-through and attention to detail, and seldom start what they cannot finish. They are motivated by internal anxiety, although outwardly they may appear unruffled. Typically, they are introverts who don’t need much external stimulus or incentive. Completer-Finishers dislike carelessness and are intolerant of those with a casual disposition. Reluctant to delegate, they prefer to tackle all tasks themselves.
Function
Completer-Finishers are invaluable where tasks demand close concentration and a high degree of accuracy. They foster a sense of urgency within a team and are good at meeting schedules. In management, they excel by the high standards to which they aspire, and by their concern for precision, attention to detail and follow-through.
Strengths
A capacity for fulfilling their promises and working to the highest standards.
Allowable Weaknesses
A tendency to worry about small things and a reluctance to "let go".