Welcome Engineer

. . . This is your story

PRESENTPAST

You seek what’s known and what you can be certain of.

Everyone has a unique point of view which is formed by their blend of the three foundational priorities of mind: Past (Certainty), Present (Probability), and Future (Possibility).

The result of this blending of priorities is a person’s thinking style. It defines the value each of us brings to every aspect of our lives. It is what motivates us and shapes our personalities. It is also at the root of most of our differences in the way we each think.

Your thinking is oriented towards making things work out for the best by following your plans while making sure the path you set out is well-thought-through and reasonable. Drawing outside the lines isn’t in your nature. You’re not a rebel at heart, which is something you probably consider a plus. It doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to understand that order is a primary principle of life.

You will always blend a need to improve the Probability of success with Certainty. Your talent lies in staying your course, while only adapting your plans based on informed decisions. Use this ability as your foundation and align your efforts with what you do so well.

As an Engineer, you have a

  • Desire to stay focused on your goals
  • Need to be valued for your ability to execute with precision
  • Quiet and focused nature not easily distracted by unimportant things
  • Need for quiet focused time, you slow down and steadily execute tasks
  • Realistic expectation of what you can reasonably get done
  • Pragmatic and well-informed approach to being in conversation

Your Archetype badge

Maximize Your Strengths

Use planning and organizational skills to structure information and knowledge to reach your goals smartly.

  • Do take on roles where you’re needed to organize and structure smartly.
  • Do use your research and information-gathering skills to be really sure of what you’re doing.

Growth Opportunities

Think innovatively, paint outside the lines, and move quickly on new opportunities.

  • Don’t be responsible for coming up with new concepts under pressure until you start using more Future in your perspective.
  • Don’t try to guess or bluff your way through—it’s better for you to stick with facts and realistic plans.
IN FLOW

How you are in the world

Like a steady stream of water, you flow best when you know the path you need to take. You need to move to a definite destination rather than taking the journey for journey’s sake. You need to know what to expect for you to be able to flow smoothly. You prefer repetition to surprises. It’s safer knowing what’s coming up because you can plan for it. You flow by taking leaps from one certainty to another, pausing in a spot only long enough to get your bearings and feel sure of where to make the next step. Still, surprises are a part of life. When they pop up, you’ve done your research and have a plan for dealing with them. If you’re brilliant enough to factor in all these surprises, were they really surprises to start with?

It helps to be in control. For you, flow isn’t just about riding the waves, it’s about direction. You know where you want to go and you’ve got a good idea of what it’ll take to get there. Sounds like you’re strong-willed, and generally you are. When your heart is set on something, it’ll take a lot to persuade you in another direction. You’ve got a pride that sometimes hinges on arrogance when you’ve committed to something and you will not be swayed from what you know and believe to be true. Your flow really doesn’t allow for the flexibility of new paths at the last moment. If some unseen force demands a change, you’ll take it. Otherwise, you commit yourself to flow in the exact destination you’ve planned for.

The fly in the ointment of your perfect little microcosm is when people act erratically, throwing your well-organized and well-structured plans out of whack by putting unexpected obstacles in your path. You’re not a conformist because you want to surrender your individuality, you’re a conformist because you see the importance of a group mentality to keep the flow and status quo. There are rules and traditions that have to be followed. Not by a few of us, but by all of us. It’s the cosmic balance. Karma and dharma. Pity you can’t force people to follow that doctrine.

WISDOM

What you bring to the world

Your wisdom springs more from your past experiences and keen intellect than street-learned quick-wits. You’ve accumulated what you’ve learned in the past and figured out how truths can be applied to the present. But that doesn’t mean your wisdom is just intellectual and “heartless.” Your wisdom is about finding the truth and being fair and judicious. Let’s put it this way: people with a Dominant outlook see the truth as flexible. Their wisdom is a street-wise wisdom that bends with the situation. But you’re a person who hangs more value on absolutes. So while it might be an issue for some that you apply the same rules across the board, you see your objective wisdom as totally fair.

You learn through example and from research, and this is also how your wisdom develops. Sketched-out diagrams and how-to books, getting in and getting your hands dirty by figuring it out and making it work. You yearn to understand. It’s not enough for you just to wing it. You thrive on being in control of your mind and emotions. Your wisdom is reflective and well thought out. It grows by referencing smart people and really listening to what others have to teach you. Sometimes, it’s trial and error, but often it’s an educated instinct based on past experience, analysis, and comprehension.

For you, wisdom is linked to responsibility. In fact, part of your wisdom is in realizing that everything around you is somehow linked. Like the butterfly in Africa that flaps its wings and causes the storm in America, you have the wisdom to recognize the connection of everything, even in the face of chaos. As scientists start proving how everything in the universe is connected, they’re just confirming what you’ve known all along.

PERCEPTION

How you see the world

Truth is the right answer. Truth is what can be proven. It’s an absolute. Fact. You know it in your mind, and you feel it in your gut. It’s based on instinct, but not some weird psychic hit – your intuition comes from learned experiences. You can sniff B.S. a mile away because you’ve encountered it before and learned from it. You can tell when something is true because it “rings true”. Think about that. When something rings true, you’re hearing something beyond the words, like you’ve got an organic computer lurking somewhere inside that alerts you when something doesn’t gel.

You’ve learned your truths from seeing what happens around you and from reading books. People who use a mostly Future perspective don’t really have any truths. How can there be truths in a future that hasn’t happened yet? They work with flexible truths, often changing what is true with the situation. You hang your truths on quantifiable facts.

So truth equates with solution in your value system, but you often don’t think of the word “truth” as much as you think “right” or “factual”. For every problem, there’s a right and wrong answer. For every choice, you see a right or wrong path. Do you ever bend the rules? No, probably not. See, Future thinking people rely on bending the rules. What’s sauce for the goose isn’t always sauce for the gander in their world. You’re definitely the kind of person we’d come to with a problem that needed an empirical truth. Like math. Or technical questions. Or planning. Or historical facts.

But how do you do when someone needs a truth that’s based on experience, beliefs, personal judgment, and the balance of probability? Are there times when there are no absolute truths? Before you say these cases don’t exist, think about a friend coming to you and asking what they should do about a relationship they’re in.

Some of the time, they’re happy, other times they’re not. There aren’t clearly defined rules to govern the truth in this situation. There is no set of rules you can apply to find the right answer. You’re going to have to come up with some wishy-washy truth that isn’t empirical.

IN RELATIONSHIP

The Engineer helps the relationship achieve its goals and play it safe

We all have relationships, they’re a natural and important part of most people’s lives. Why is it that even in our most intimate and important relationships we struggle, at times, to make things work, to understand each other, to see eye-to-eye? The simple fact is that we do not think the same way. We each bring our own point of view and use that to further what is important to us in the moment, whether it be in our private life, our work or with friends.

Knowing how we think—specifically our archetype—helps us to hear with more compassion. To listen and hear beyond a person’s words. To understand where they are coming from, what they need, and where they are trying to get to in conversation with us.

Find Out How Engineers Relate With Each Archetype

Choose your friend or partner’s archetype below to gain insights into your relationship.

Past: Truth-seeker

Pros
You understand their need for mining the past for the kind of information that allows them feel comfortable and secure because you also do it.

Cons
They might not understand why you need to be so organized and keep so much control. You need to understand that they’re totally focused on playing it safe.

Present: organiser

Pros
You share a need for control, organization, and structure, and a good base for understanding where the other is coming from.

Cons
They might not share your need for the safety of details and complain about your need to know everything. This could become a game of trying to keep control.

Future: Visionary

Pros
If you pool your resources and work together, you’re capable of anything.

Cons
You won’t meet anyone more your opposite in how they do things. Be patient with their seeming flakiness. It’s not personal, it’s just how they survive. Don’t try to control them or box them in, it won’t work.

Past-Present: Curator

Pros
You both use the present and the past, so there’s a good chance you understand what the other person is on about.

Cons
You are coming from different angles. You need to understand how each of you uses the present and past so there aren’t confusions about what’s really important.

Future-Past: Researcher

Pros
You share using the past to keep yourselves informed, so you both understand why you ask lots of questions.

Cons
You look to organize and structure your life using the past as a tool; they use it to help them decide which exciting new opportunities to follow. Be careful of using the same tool for different purposes.

Present-Past: Engineer

Pros
You share a view of the world. Enjoy it when it works.

Cons
Too much of the same thing doesn’t make it better. A little variety is needed to keep things moving along.

Present-Future: Navigator

Pros
You both like to stay ordered and structured, so you understand where the other is coming from.

Cons
You both like things your own way, but while you like safety, they prefer excitement. Be careful of control games.

Future-Past: Explorer

Pros
You both use a Past perspective to back up your ideas, giving you a middle ground.

Cons
You are coming from a place of looking for control and organization, while they’re looking for new experiences and opportunities.

Future-Present: Leader

Pros
They will understand your need to be organized and have structure, even if they don’t always share it.

Cons
You are probably more of a homebody, looking for some routine in your life and something solid you can rely on, whereas they’re looking more for adventure and new experiences.

Past-Present-Future: Connector

Pros
They understand where you’re coming from because they use present, past, and future in their perspective.

Cons
Since they’re always trying to find a balance, they can lack total commitment. Accept their need to keep finding compromises that make things work.

IN COLLABORATION

Engineers execute from a truth grounded in evidence

  • You create efficient systems–or- organizing information, people, and the flow of work.
  • A team player, you help the group stay focused on its collective goals.
  • You promote accountability, reliability, and trustworthiness, and help bring projects to completion.

The secret to happiness and success is knowing where to look for the value in ourselves and others. When you’re aware of the value your colleagues bring—especially when it’s different from your own—you can partner with them to drive your mutual success.

The 10 Archetypes Collaboration Styles

Past: Truth-seeker

Truth-seekers help the group develop a deeper understanding of its mission.

Truth-seekers teach people how to reduce the risk of failure and measure progress realistically.

Truth-seekers’ skepticism and independence militate against “group-think” and blind conformity.

Present: Organizer

Organizers keep their teammates focused on outcomes.

Organizers ensure that goals are realistic and the group doesn’t take on more work than it can handle.

Organizers hold people accountable and make sure they honor their deadlines and commitments.

Future: Visionary

Visionaries champion innovation, focus on solutions, and help others begin to think outside-the-box.

Visionaries inspire others and remind them of the bigger picture.

Visionaries help the group adapt to new circumstances.

Past-Present: Curator

Information and organization are both important to Curators.

Curators are likely to manage the group’s data, adding to it with their own thorough research.

Curators caution and practicality provide a solid foundation for decision making. They help the group avoid unnecessary risks.

Past-Future: Researcher

Researchers ensure that the group makes decisions with full knowledge of the risks and consequences.

Others come to rely on their experience and wisdom.

Researchers are good at detecting when rules and structures become too confining for the group.

Present-Past: Engineer

Engineers create efficient systems: organizing information, people, and the flow of work.

A team player, Engineers help the group stay focused on its collective goals.

Engineers promote accountability, reliability, and trustworthiness, helping bring projects to completion.

Present-Future: Navigator

A Navigator’s attention to trends and changing markets is a valuable contribution to the group.

Navigators encourage others to act in a timely manner.

Navigators combine vision, action, and a knack for organizing. People say that they are natural leaders.

Future-Past: Explorer

Explorers help the group set goals with a “grain of salt,” insisting that their vision be backed up with solid facts.

Explorers counsel against snap decisions.

Explorers find it easy to motivate others because they’re confident that their goals are viable.

Future-Present: Leader

Leaders make sure the group grabs new opportunities before it’s too late.

Leaders are more open to change than most Present thinkers, and understand the benefits of deviating from a plan.

Leaders are inspiring but pragmatic.

Past-Present-Future: Connector

With your unusual ability to engage all thinking styles, Connectors have a clear understanding of group process.

Connectors sense when members are focusing on only one thinking styles and a minority perspective is being pushed to the margins.

Connectors serve as a mediator, help resolve conflicts, and keep everyone focused on constructive interaction.