by Julie Gibbons on June 25, 2009
It’s only a few weeks until we release the new PeopleMaps site and products - and we can’t wait to unveil the new look. The new site and products are radically different - and the change in our look and feel will hopefully represent that.
Checking out our new logos last week, I was prompted to think of how far we’ve come since the early days - (and not only in terms of design) …
We hadn’t even gone dot com back in 2001!
Our old questionnaire used radio dials - no fancy Flash or Ajax for us back then …
How fond of purple were we? This was back when we still serviced only jobseekers…
But the best look of the day might have been our illustrious leader … nice tie, @peoplemapsmg!
And then we opened up to business accounts… and everything was starting to be more recognisable …
The next move we made was to hire our wonderfully talented designer Craig, and even our map started to take on a very identifiable look…
So what’s coming your way? Well, here’s a little taster …
A little different, huh? Hope you like it. We do …. very much 
by Martin Gibbons on June 12, 2009
Spent a great couple of days with Learning Links Europe talking about how personality profiling can impact on their business.
The workshop session yesterday was a little unorthodox but I think they enjoyed it. I know I did. We dealt with some big issues;
We started the session looking at the day to day problems that each of them were facing. The issues raised were very broad. Afterwords we looked at these a little closer and discovered that personality profiling would help them significantly with each of them. This comes back to the theory that “all my problems walk and talk”
We talked about how we could increase the level of service to clients. This was an important issue as this was a room full of people who care passionately about the welfare of their clients. Between us we discovered a whole bunch of different ways that personality profiling could help clients.
We explored how we all view the world differently and how difficult it is to understand that some people, located on a different part of the personality map, view the world so differently from us. Although logically we understand this, it is only natural to assume that others all see the world the way we do. It takes awareness to overcome this.
With a team of over ninety people, LLE is a “complex” work environment with many relationships. We looked at how to use profiling in-house to help individuals and the many formal and informal teams work together. There is a great spirit already and we discovered power personality tools that we can adopt that allow a team thrive.
If I was summarise the day it would be that we explored how personality profiling helps you understand yourself and others. From this understanding comes tolerance, forgiveness and an accelerated “moving forward”.
I had a great day. Lot’s of laughs and everyone even managed to tolerate my swearing. I get a little carried away with the theatre of it all but I hope no one was offended too much.
by Martin Gibbons on June 9, 2009
Wallpaper is like a hangover but without the preemtive fun part.
I like my house for all sorts of reasons but the main reason I bought it was because the only room that was wallpapered was the bathroom. It was virtually a wallpaper free zone.
I don’t understand people that wallpaper. I understand them even less than people with hangovers. I understand that hangovers are payback for too much fun the previous night but where is the fun in wallpapering? People stand for days with a scraper in one hand and a steamer in the other muttering, “never again” to themselves and then what do they do as soon as they have a smooth virgin wall? They add new wallpaper to it.
And it’s because I simply don’t get it, that I can say with confidence that DIY is a personality issue. The world is full of people like me who simply don’t get people like you. This is particularly true if you are a wallpaper enthusiast.
My hope is that although I may never grow to like wallpapering, I may at least grow to understand people that do. Personality profiling may help us both.
by Martin Gibbons on June 4, 2009
I admit that the job advert was very off the wall. It was not the kind of advert that most graduates would have responded to . . .and that was exactly its intention.
- I didn’t ask for a CV.
- I didn’t conduct a face to face interview.
- I didn’t conduct a telephone interview.
- No one filled in an application form.
- I didn’t ask for work experience.
- I didn’t ask for ages or sex or nationality or where they lived.
- I didn’t ask for practically anything, except . . . .
All I asked for was an application written by a Psychology Rockstar and for them to complete the personality questionnaire. I asked that they were psychology graduates. I asked that the applicants delighted me and amused me and entertained me with their application, two or three paragraphs, that’s all.
In most cases the first and only time I spoke with any of the applicants was to tell them they had the job.
And the standard of applicant was exceptional. It left me with a difficult choice but I am delighted to say that Andy and Claire have now joined the PeopleMaps team. They have been “playing” with us for a week or more now, so they know what they are getting into. They impressed the hell out of me from the first minute and continue to do so.
Really looking forward to working with them and I extend a warm welcome on behalf of the existing PeopleMaps team to Andy and Claire. Welcome to the strange wee world that is PeopleMaps.
Claire Psychology Rockstar
Andy, Psychology Rockstar.
by Julie Gibbons on May 25, 2009
Quick update: We’ve disabled the existing PeopleMaps Facebook app as it wasn’t working properly.
Don’t fret - it’ll be back soon. Bigger and better, of course…
by Martin Gibbons on May 23, 2009
Just finished watching the new Star Trek movie. Ten out of Ten. Great film that exceeded my expectations. Now I am not a crazed Star Trek fan. I couldn’t tell you who Kirk met on the planet Fffarrr in episode 23 but I have been around since it started or thereabouts.
It’s a lesson in many things. It’s a study of personality, which I will be going into in more detail in future posts but it is also a lesson in management. I am fortunate to be working with a small but dedicated team at PeopleMaps and I have to say I am inspired. And the similarities between what goes on on the USS Enterprise and the USS PeopleMaps are there.
We are a small team, sometimes fighting impossible odds. We clash against each other on occasion. We overcome our pettiness to rise to the bigger challenge. There’s a lot of love, there’s a lot of pressure. There are very diverse personality types and yet somehow against all logic, we pull through and live to fight another day.
I obviously identify with Kirk, partly because we have the same job role and partly because like him, I am not a specialist and therefore depend entirely upon my friends and colleagues who are. I don’t have Kirk’s charm or zest for thrills but I am happy to let him inspire me. I like that he didn’t believe in a “no-win” situation and that anything could be achieved, regardless of what the facts tell you; regardless of what’s logical. I liked his healthy disregard for rules and authority too. Is this not something all young companies need.
So I urge you to go see Star Trek and be inspired. Regardless of who you are you will find a character to identify with. See if you can make your working life as exciting and fulfilling as that on board the USS Enterprise.
by Martin Gibbons on May 23, 2009
Listening to BBC World Service radio this morning (the best station on air) and heard this bizarre news story.
A man in China was threatening to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. Unfortunately he was holding up traffic as the road had to be cordoned off. This had been going on for several hours so you can imagine the traffic chaos that ensued.
So a helpful man came up to the would be jumper, shook his hand and then pushed him off the bridge.
I hear you gasp. It’s shocking I know but the good news is that the man survived with minor injuries.
And my true confession is that I understand the pusher. I get him. Some of you may feel the same. Some of you may be disgusted at me. And this is where personality comes in.
I think it is safe to say that the man who pushed, was from the North East of the PeopleMaps Map. From his perspective he was coming up with a solution and taking action, cutting through all the “unnecessary” preamble. He was helping the indecisive jumper by giving him a push and he was helping the traffic problem. He was also helping himself get to work. All in all a very helpful chap.
Those of you who are also from the North East of the map with empathise with the pusher man and although you may recognise the extreme nature of the action, could imagine yourself doing something similar under extreme pressure. You may not condone it but you get it.
And for you in the South West of the map, you will have stopped reading by now and will be spitting curses at me and the pusher. And there’s him thinking he was being helpful.
by Julie Gibbons on May 15, 2009
Do you read books related to your business and just know that other folk would benefit by reading them too? How often do you Tweet about them, or comment on them on Facebook, or write up a review on Amazon? I’m guessing not every time.
Well, it’s no different here at PeopleMaps - we read great books all the time, and most often forget to share the information - having no formal process for doing so, and being rather busy with other things.
A couple of years back whilst talking about the vision for the company, we jotted down some ideas that included having a recommended reading list for PeopleMaps staff. And you know, we never did get round to it.
So here I am on a rainy Friday evening, and I’ve decided I’m going to put together a list of books that have affected our business thinking in one way or another (minus the books that I’ve given on loan and have forgotten about). And I’m thinking why limit it to PeopleMaps staff?
So here it is… our business library. You might have read them all; you might find it predictable; or you might just find some gems in there you’d never thought of… it’s certainly a reminder to us to keep adding to the collection, and broadening our ideas.
Thanks must go to @dwlt for many recommendations over the years. And if you have one for us, please do suggest it in the comments on the page, thanks!
by Julie Gibbons on May 12, 2009
You know, part of what we do here at PeopleMaps is help people understand themselves better, through the application of personality profiling.
In fact, ‘personality-centric living’ is pretty much core to our business - and, by its very nature, our personal lives too.
The business is run on these principles, we look to other sources of like-minded people to do business with and because so much of what we do is about the stuff we really love to do, it cannot easily be separated from our whole and complete lives.
If you are searching for some answers about your life - perhaps you’re looking to make your million, or perhaps you’re just looking for the “something more” you feel is out there, perhaps you need to start to look internally and discover who you really are, what comes naturally to you and what you’re passionate about. Think of it as a platform from which you can begin to forward.
This post was triggered by Chris Garrett’s latest post Just Like Breathing. You should give it a read - Chris always makes sense, and comes at it from his own personal viewpoint.
In case you missed it first time round, Martin put together a guest post over at What Would Dad Say that covers some of the same principles.
by Julie Gibbons on April 9, 2009
Interested in personality reports for relationships? Our relationship division, PartnerMaps was featured in Dating Ad Network this week.
Thanks to Dmitry for the opportunity to participate…
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-Very Exiting and informative.
-Very good! I find it a very valuable tool; as one believes more in something if experienced it personally.
-Wow! At the risk of sounding like Patsy or Edina - my PartnerMaps report is Absolutely Fabulous! I love the way it looks and the best thing about it is that my partner of 35 years agrees with what it tells about us both. Everyone should have one.
-It's the best!
-Thank you, most informative and helpful. Timothy.