Hopefully your holiday shopping’s all wrapped up by now. (If not, PI has you covered.) As you consider purchases for family and friends, take a moment to focus on yourself and shift from gift list to wish list.
Ever wonder what your Reference Profile says about your holiday wish list? In the spirit of holiday cheer, we asked a few PI employees that very question.
Here’s what they had to say:
Promoter – Caraline Winch
“The Promoter icon is a megaphone for a reason. I have a high extraversion drive and love an audience. My favorite gift as a child was a toy microphone that had a button I could press for a quick laugh or applause break. I also enjoy gifts that flex my low-formality creative muscles, ideally things I can make for or with others.
Gifts on my wish list this year include this solar printing kit I can try with my niece, as well as dinner with my loved ones.”
Collaborator – Courtney Swift
“I’m a Collaborator, so pretty much anything sentimental or people-centric will do. This could be a record from my favorite artist, something related to my dogs, or a communal item (a new dinnerware set, a party game, etc.).
I also keep a running list of everything I want throughout the year but haven’t yet bought for myself. That way, when people ask (even for a birthday) I’ll always have something they can consider.”
Venturer – Oz Guner
“I’m a Venturer, with unapologetically the highest dominance drive within PI. So I’m demanding. I’m ruthless in criticizing a bad gift. Like every other Venturer out there, I want to try out new experiences, instead of that trinket or scented candle that’ll get thrown out during spring cleaning or sold in a yard sale come moving season.
Venturers are goal-oriented risk-takers that crave variety, independence, and the opportunity to take on new challenges. My perfect gift would be a skydiving gift certificate, a fly fishing course, or a U.S. National Parks pass.”
Maverick – Shannon Howard
“Do you mean, ‘Is your wish list all over the place and looks like it’s been contributed to by six different people because you don’t stick to one hobby?’”
Operator – Susan Thibeault
“I’m an Operator, and as our CEO Mike Zani once remarked, Operators are the tradition keepers. I’ve always stuck to a basic wish list: music (CDs or vinyls), books, and Dunkin Donuts gift cards. That way, I can cozy up to a good book and ignore the outside world for a little while, or go treat myself to a coffee.”
Scholar – Holly Kim
“True to my pattern—high patience, high formality—I think a lot about my wish list before I ask someone for a specific present. I think about how often I’d use it; if I want clothes, I ask what occasions I could wear it, if I have space to store it, etc. So I usually disqualify most things on my list myself!
And since I have low extraversion, I’m typically hesitant to ask other people for gifts. Instead, I’ll flex my high dominance and buy it myself so I get exactly the version I want. Or, I’ll ask for that gift from someone familiar—like my family.”
Guardian – David Silbert
“Guardians are known for having very low dominance and extremely high formality. For the holidays, that means I’m following the wish list process to a T. I write an actual list to my parents, including hyperlinks and even prices to help them budget.
My brother is the exact opposite. Like Shannon, he’s a Maverick—high dominance, low formality, and big ideas. For him, the holidays are a time to flex his creative chops. He builds a PowerPoint each year, complete with stylish photos of big name brands. Though I’ve noticed he leaves out all the price tags!”
Altruist – Erin Balsa
“I’m an Altruist, but I’m a very narrow pattern—super close to the Adapter Reference Profile. And true to my narrow pattern, some things on my holiday wish list are practical (new hair dryer) while others are anything but practical (sneakers that look great but are too uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour or two).”
Persuader – Steve Messina
“As a Persuader, I like to talk it out (high extraversion) and avoid the rules around asking for gifts (low formality). When someone’s buying for me, sometimes I propose that I just choose an item ‘to make it easier for both of us.’”
Individualist – Andrew Barks
“As an individualist, I tend to do my holiday shopping (you guessed it) solo. Go in with a plan, be efficient, don’t let that mall noise throw you off your game or stress you out. We have higher patience drives and lower formality, so if you bought me a silly tri-cornered hat for Christmas, I wouldn’t make you feel bad about it—I’d probably wear it all night, in fact.”
Specialist – Shannon Ahmed
“As a Specialist, I have high formality and love structure. A great gift would be a productivity planner alongside a set of colored pens. I’m also a reserved and introspective gal, so I’d love a great book from a local bookstore I can curl up with alone for hours. And since I’m a tea drinker, I’m hoping for this self warming mug (that doubles as a wireless charger!) while I read.
True to my Specialist profile, I love when I can be the expert in a topic, so a Udemy gift course wouldn’t hurt either. Happy holidays!”
Captain – various
Jim Speredelozzi: “As a Captain, I just buy what I want and leave nothing for anyone to buy me.”
Jamie Whited: “I was just thinking the same thing, Jim! #captainsunite”
Rachel Rosenthal: “All I wanted this year were L.L.Bean slippers. So I emailed my mom and sisters telling them, ‘This is all I want, please get them for me.’
Getting me gifts is hard, because when I want something, I hate waiting—so I just get it. (Within reason; I’m not out here buying myself whatever I want!)”
Ryan Donnelly-Brelling: “I completely agree! And when I do leave something on my list, I leave zero guess work and give very specific instructions.
This year, I told my dad I wanted an extension pole for my paint roller, blue tape in specific sizes, two 10×20 ft drop cloths, two roller trays, brush cleaner, and a 6-ft ladder. I sent my sister the link to a planter I wanted, my brother a link to a candle… You get the point!”
Mark Reinke: ”When I ask for socks and underwear, I actually want socks and underwear. No, I don’t think they’re a ‘boring’ gift. Yes, I know they’re $30. And yes, if you do not get them for me, I will buy them on the 26th…
Oh, and please don’t buy the cheap ones in bulk because ‘they’re just socks and underwear.’ I’ll hide them in a drawer somewhere and then go buy the ones I actually wanted!”
The Predictive Index team wishes you and your family a very happy and healthy holiday season!
