What if the key to understanding the way other people behave is understanding your own behavior first? 

Author Thomas Erikson has spent decades studying how people communicate and function. Through his work, he outlines four basic behavioral types to help people understand each other better in the workplace and in life. His books include, Surrounded by Idiots, Surrounded by Psychopaths, and Surrounded by Bad Bosses. 

Thomas and Greg discuss the red, yellow, green, and blue archetypes of behavior, why this framework will help you understand yourself better, and the benefits and limitations of personality tests. 

*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*

On why you shouldn't forget about your soft skills

01:05:09: If you forget about the soft skills, you're going to get yourself in trouble because you will need other people throughout your life to cooperate with. But to anybody who's listening, you will never make it on your own. I'm a self-made man. No, you’re not. You didn't do it completely on your own. Maybe you're the strongest driver in your life. Sure. But you didn't make it on your own. That is actually not true. You use a lot of other people. And if you know the best possible way to motivate them and bring them on board, that is what you're going to need. People skills—that’s the magic.

Knowing how to keep your word is crucial to any process

47:26: The difference between what you say and what you do for me is the most crucial point in any process, really, when it comes to recruiting new staff members, finding business partners, or finding investors.

Motivators vs. behaviors

23:14: Motivators are even more important than behaviors. Cause behaviors are what's on the surface. You can see the behavior, you can see how he talks, how he walks, what he says, what he doesn't say. You can't see the motivators. I call them even drivers. Because motivational factors drive your actions, it drives your behaviors. And deeper down that, you have the personality which is somewhere beneath the surface.

How do you recognize a psychopath?

59:00: If it feels bad, then it is bad because your emotions don't lie. Maybe you don't know why you feel bad when you're around this person or that person, but if it feels bad, it's bad, and then you should listen to that. Try to observe why I feel bad when I'm working with him. What is it that he's doing that makes me feel like this? That could be the only answer you need for now, and maybe then you should 

• Myers-Briggs Test
• DiSC Test
• Big Five Personality Traits
• William Moulton Marston

• Thomas Erikson's Website
• Thomas Erikson on LinkedIn
• Thomas Erikson on YouTube

• Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life)
• Surrounded by Psychopaths: How to Protect Yourself from Being Manipulated and Exploited in Business (and in Life)
• Surrounded by Narcissists: How to Effectively Recognize, Avoid, and Defend Yourself Against Toxic People (and Not Lose Your Mind)
• Surrounded by Bad Bosses (And Lazy Employees): How to Stop Struggling, Start Succeeding, and Deal with Idiots at Work