Flourishing People

3D HR’s logo is a tetrahedron – a four-sided pyramid.  In our case three faces represent the three dimensions of good Human Resources practice – guidance in better people management, growth in personal development skills and effective collaboration for improved team-working.  The base of the tetrahedron is the vision and values of the organisation that we are supporting.

In April at a CIPD exhibition I came across another tetrahedron, used by TetraMap ®.  Intrigued, I spent time talking with Anne at the stand and filling in a quick paper exercise to rank 10 sets of 4 words.  The result was a snap-shot of my natural preferences which was surprisingly accurate.  So last week, I spent 2 days training to be a TetraMap facilitator.

For several years I have used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® and in some circumstances it is very helpful to people.  By contrast, TetraMap is more intuitive, more incisive about your own natural preference and behaviour, and more useful in how you can adapt to others’ natural preferences.

TetraMap draws on the images or metaphors within nature:-

• Earth, like a mountain, is firm
• Air, like the wind, is clear
• Water, like a lake, is calm
• Fire, like the sun, is bright

We each have an order or rank of preferences, although we each have and use the four elements.  We just tend to use one or two more than the others, most of the time.

The four elements can be mapped as a TetraMap and portrayed as a tetrahedron.  The tetrahedron is one of the strongest 3-D objects.  It has no one dominant face.  Each face touches the other three faces – they are all inter-connected.  There are no faces that are directly opposite another.

When we exhibit a preference for one element, that’s the ‘face’ other people see.  They may glimpse two other faces or elements and one tends to be hidden, beneath us.  It’s still there, just not very obvious.

In general and in varying ways, people show their elemental preferences in how they behave and what they pay attention to:-

• Earth – appreciate facts and tend to be decisive
• Air – appreciate logic and tend to be orderly
• Water – appreciate feelings and tend to be considerate
• Fire – appreciate possibilities and tend to be spontaneous

If you know your own preferences – your own nature – and can discover the nature of others, team-working is much more likely to be effective, productive and harmonious.

There are more details on the 3D HR website including a link to the TetraMap International site.  If you also are intrigued to know more, do contact us.

Note: TetraMap is a registered trademark of TetraMap International.