PeopleSmart in Business eBook - The Platinum Rule

fully and with less expression than the other types. Reluctant to reveal
personal feelings, they oft en use thinking words (like the Dominant
Director), as opposed to feeling words. “From what I’ve read, I think
Product X may be better for our situation than Product Y because of
its superior fi ltration system,” or, “I think that Jones is overreacting in
this matter.”
Formality is more comfortable
Cautious Th inkers are non-contact people who prefer the formality
of distance. Th is preference is refl ected in the functional, but uninviting
arrangement of their desks and chairs, usually with the desks
physically separating you and them. Th ey generally are not fond of
huggers and touchers, and prefer a cool handshake or a brief phone
call. When Cautious Th inkers walk, they usually move slowly and methodically
toward a known destination.
Noticeably understated
Cautious Th inkers tend to wear more conservative clothes, but with
unique, oft en perfectly matched accessories. While the Interacting Socializer
may draw attention to himself with glitz and glitter, Cautious
Th inkers usually prefer a more understated, faultlessly groomed look
with nary a hair out of place. But their taste may diff er from the people
around them.
Th ey like expressions of individuality and creativity, but within guidelines.
For some reason, male Cautious Th inkers with beards seem to
prefer short, well-manicured ones. If they smoke, they oft en prefer
pipes—perhaps, someone noted, this is because taking a puff from a pipe
gives them more time to think before they answer. Since they may prefer
exploring life’s complexities, they may enjoy the intricacies of a specifi c
kind of music or individual musical piece, whether jazz, classical, rock,
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