A Note From The President

Avil Beckford, President

This month we are looking at two ways that we group people. Why do we have to place people in groups? Would chaos reign if there weren't any groups? We have introverts/extroverts, astrological groupings, generational groupings like baby boomers and Generation Y, we have colour groupings and I am feeling so yellow. In addition, there are many tools on the market to help us figure out which group we fall into.

You know that I always like to add to the mix, so this month we are reviewing The New Birth Order, and the survey results are on NEOs. So you are now wondering what on earth am I talking about? Birth order is "the science of understanding your place in the family line." In Australia, they group consumers into NEOs, evolvers and traditionals. NEOs earn and spend more than anyone else. Evolvers possess most of the characteristics of NEOs and often evolve into NEOs. Traditionals are more interested in getting a good deal than being concerned about quality.

What is the reasoning behind grouping people? Susan Flynn from Tidewatch Consulting shares her views with us.

"Grouping is a concept worthy of reflection. Positive or negative in intent, we group people for two simple reasons: Place and Power. Grouping helps us "find our place". When a group is defined by culture, personality traits, management styles, skills, life stage or even astrological signs, we identify with others who are "like me", and use this information to navigate relationships, interests, childhood and career. Grouping furthers self-awareness. Grouping also helps us "place" others. Marketers, of course use grouping extensively, but all of us, whether we realize it or not, use grouping socially and in the workplace to help get to know and get along with others. We also group for Power. The power in numbers can be supportive, influential, and give voice to important causes that would not be heard without the critical mass of like minds. There's power in the knowledge that results from grouping. Where would research - psychological, scientific or cultural - be without the study of patterns and similarities among people?

But Power and Place have a downside. Stereotyping, negative assumptions and conflict result when grouping is rigid and close-minded. All too often, grouping is used to keep people "in their place" or equally unfortunate, we keep ourselves in place i.e. stuck in a comfort zone or the routines of our "group". In my culture change work, I frequently see organizations where we-they thinking, silos and groupthink prevail, often driven largely by grouping. Agile companies on the other hand encourage diversity, boundary-crossing and out-of-the-box thinking. For some people, grouping leads to insight and innovation. For others, it excludes and inhibits possibilities. In which group do you fit?"

Book Review

The New Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman

After reading this book, I had mixed feelings about it. The New Birth Order is entertaining, yet insightful, and packed with a lot of interesting information, but I think there is too much going on. To get the most from this book, I suggest that you read the first ten chapters and use the Table of Contents to decide which other chapters to read. The book includes a lot of parenting information in the later chapters, but do not let this deter you, because by just reading the first ten chapters you would have gotten your money's worth.

Dr. Kevin Leman defines birth order as the science of understanding your place in the family line. He provides another way of categorizing and trying to understand people. Here are the characteristics that Dr. Leman uses in the book:

Firstborn: Perfectionist, reliable, conscientious, list maker, well organized, hard driving, natural leader, critical, serious, scholarly, logical, doesn't like surprises and loves computers. Leman divides firstborns into two major groups - (1) compliant nurturers and caregivers, and (2) aggressive movers and shakers.

Middle Child: Mediator, compromising, diplomatic, avoids conflict, independent, loyal to peers, many friends, a maverick, secretive and unspoiled.

Last Born: Manipulative, charming, blames others, attention seeker, tenacious, people person, natural salesperson, precocious, engaging, affectionate and loves surprises.

Only Child: Little adult by age seven, very thorough, very deliberate, high achiever, self-motivator, fearful, cautious, voracious reader, black and white thinker, has very high expectations, more comfortable around people who are older or younger and uses "very," "extremely," and "exactly" a lot. Only children also share many of the characteristics of firstborn children.

Based on the characteristics listed above, and using myself as an example, I exhibit many of the characteristics of a firstborn and only child. The problem is that I am neither, so why don't I fit this mold? I am from a two-child family with a boy and a girl. Leman explains that "Firstborn personalities can also be created by being the oldest of your sex, having a five-year gap between you and the child above you of the same sex, or achieving a role reversal and taking over the firstborn privileges and responsibilities." I am the firstborn girl so that's why I function as a firstborn.

Leman includes factors that affect whether or not you exhibit the characteristics of another birth order group. Some of these factors are - death of a sibling, the number of years between siblings, adoptions, being in a blended family, the "critical" nature of the parents, and birth order of each parent.

"The New Birth Order is instructive and the author not only attempts to explain "why you are the way you are," but, also suggests how to adopt the positive qualities of other birth orders to make our lives more enjoyable and fulfilling."

"I recommend this book, but I believe that there are several chapters that you can skip and still benefit from the information provided."

March's Book List

The New Birth Order, Kevin Leman

Survey Results

What Are The Characteristics of A Neo-Consumer?

• To be called a NEO, an individual must have both:
  • High levels of past, present and intended spending
  • Sustainable differences in the underlying attitudes and values that motivate high spending.
• In Australia consumers fall into three groups - NEOs, Traditionals and Evolvers - evolvers exhibit most of the characteristics of a NEO and often evolve to NEO behaviour over time. Traditionals are price sensitive and are more interested in deals than quality.
• NEOs and Evolvers account for 77% of discretionary spending
• 45% of NEOs are women and 55 % are men
• There are 3.8 million NEOs in Australia and 53.4 million in the USA

What Are Some of The Facts You Need To Know About Neos? NEOs:

• Spend more
• Are 5 times more likely to earn $100,000+
• Most likely to be in professional or management occupations
• Success is the result of planning, not luck
• Are deeply influenced by social issues
• Test themselves intellectually and physically
• NEOs are 4 times more likely than Traditionals to seek-out premium lifestyle experiences
• Buy more books, CDs and DVDs
• Are significant commercial media consumers
• Drink more imported beer
• Dominate fresh coffee consumption
• Prefer European cars
  

Source: The Neo Group and Roy Morgan Research, http://www.roymorgan.com/products/neos/neos_home.cfm

How Did They Do That?

Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC, Director & Founder of Academy of Coaching Excellence & author of "The Energy of Money"

Challenge: In the beginning, I tried to get a seminar business off the ground and grow it at a time when nobody knew who I was. I was realizing that just because I encountered barriers didn't mean that my business idea was bad.

Resolution: I was persistent and did whatever it took to get the business idea into the physical reality, and ignored the "little voice" that nagged about the soundness of the idea. I enlisted trusted friends as a support system, and made and kept promises such as making a few sales calls each day and educating people about what I had to offer. I now operate a very successful seminar business.

Lessons Learned:

• Make and keep small promises. It could be a promise to make two sales calls a day because two sales calls are better than no sales call and takes you closer to you goals.
• It takes ten times more energy than you thought necessary to start and grow a new business.
• You need a support structure in place to check in with you, encourage you and give you the courage to go on.

What Can Ambeck Do For You:

Ambeck Enterprise provides diverse business research and analysis services to senior level executives, through the relevant distillation of diverse facts and data.

Formula For Success

Maria Nemeth

Do not promise what you cannot do. Whatever you promise to do, do it with clarity, focus, ease and grace.

If you do not wish to receive this e-Newsletter, please send an e-mail to postmaster@ambeck.com with unsubscribe written in the subject line.