Dani Johnson’s “GEMS” and Motivating Your
Coaches by their Type
Written By Seay Stanford On February
2, 2014 · Seays GEMS Quiz
The Dani John “GEMS”
Personality Test
Introduction
Have you ever taken a personality test that absolutely bored you?
I have too! After all those dull and dreary word associations, and endless questions, what
do you get? Results that often require a Ph.D. to interpret, with clinical analysis
that has no bearing on your day-to-day life. These clinical test results also only focus on
you, and not on how you need to relate to and interact with others. After all, who do we
work with? Other people.
Who do we live with? Other people. Who do we interact with each
day? Other people. The fact is, it’s not about you, it’s about how you communicate
with others. From years of research, trial and error, and observation of
practical human behavior, I learned there are four basic types of
personalities, and everyone needs to speak the language of each personality
type to excel in all areas of life. As a first step, you must
identify your own personality type, or “GEM,” and get comfortable with
your own language.
Once you understand your GEM type, you can learn to spot other
GEMS™ quickly.
Walk through these various scenarios and answer the questions
honestly. Remember, the only right answer is an honest answer! Not all of
these scenarios will apply to you perfectly, because we are all different. So
just place a check mark next to the answer that is most appropriate or you
feel best describes you. You may notice letters at the end of each option,
ignore them while you are reading through, they are to score your test after
you have completed it.
Scenario 1: You have received an item that needs to be
assembled:
1. You read ALL the instructions first and take an inventory of
all the parts. “D”
2. You throw the instructions off to the side and only look at the
pictures. “A”
3. You don’t want to be a burden to anybody else so you assemble
it alone, but it may take you longer than others to do so. “C”
4. You first grumble that it hasn’t already been assembled and you
put it together really fast. You think the manufacturer made a mistake because
now you have left over parts! You toss the parts; they were not needed. “B”
Scenario 2: When giving a gift:
1. You find something really nice, in fact so nice you decide to
keep it for yourself. You then go buy them something different. “B”
2. You purchase a fun gift that tells the story of an inside joke,
or is just a complete gag gift. “A”
3. You make the gift yourself or purchase something and add your
own personal touch. “C”
4. You may buy them a card or if you knew what they wanted, it was
economical, and fit into your budget, you would make the purchase. “D”
Scenario 3: Hotel chains now place a card inside the hotel room
that reads “Please
save our water supply. If you would like your towels to be washed
please place them
on the floor.” Your response is:
1. You definitely follow the instructions and hang your towels
after use. You want to do your part to save the environment. “C”
2. You read the card and analyze how sincere the hotel actually
is. You hang up your towels, because you would never leave them on the floor.
“D”
3. You will just throw the towel on the floor by default. You
probably didn’t even realize there was a card in your room and you’re in a
hurry anyway, so you’re out the door. “A”
4. You will say to yourself, “No, I paid a high price for this
hotel room and I want the full service, including fresh clean towels.” “B”
Scenario 4: You are out with other people. When ordering from a
menu at a restaurant:
1. You wait to order to see what everyone else orders first to
ensure you order something different. That way, you can taste multiple unique
things from the menu! “A”
2. You look at cost to value and ask yourself, “How much do I get
for what price? What makes the most sense to buy?” “D”
3. You usually gravitate to the most expensive item on the menu
because you want the best. You typically ask the server, “What is the best
thing on your menu?” “B”
4. If someone else might be picking up the bill, you will choose
the least expensive item. You tend to order the healthier option. “C”
Scenario 5: You are at dinner with your friends, the server seems
stressed out because
the restaurant is packed. When he/she delivers your food, you
realize quickly he/she
brought you the wrong dish:
1. Say nothing, it was an honest mistake, and you don’t want to
further stress the poor server. “C”
2. As it is being delivered you say something immediately like,
“Ah, I didn’t order this,” and in the back of your mind you think the server is
obviously incompetent. “B”
3. Catch the server’s attention and send it back, and say that you
would appreciate a discount on your check. “D”
4. Eat the meal, who knows, it might be better than what you
ordered. You may make a comment to the server with no expectations and say
something like, “It’s no problem, I’ll eat it anyway.” “A”
Scenario 6: When it comes to rules:
1. You think that everyone else’s rules are stupid. When it comes
to the rules
you invented, you believe everyone should follow them. “Its
my way or the highway” “B”
2. You will naturally follow the rules because you don’t want to
hurt anybody’s feelings or displease anyone. “C”
3. You believe that rules are meant to be broken. “A”
4. You believe that rules were meant to be followed. “D”
Scenario 7: Pick an occupation that most appeals to you:
1. You prefer to work directly with people, build relationships,
and travel. “A”
2. You prefer to work with methods, systems, numbers, processes,
and routines. “D”
3. You like what is challenging and makes the most money. “B”
4. You enjoy helping and serving people and working toward a great
cause. “C”
Scenario 8: When it comes to sports:
1. If you can’t win then you won’t play, because winning is
everything! “B”
2. You love to play team sports! If you don’t win it’s OK because
you enjoyed playing the game with each other. “A”
3. You don’t exactly see the point in sports, you have a long task
list and some research you would rather be doing. “D”
4. If you make me play, I’ll play, but please don’t hurt me and
don’t scream at me and I really don’t care if we win. “C”
Scenario 9: When it comes to clothing:
1. You wear clothes that are comfortable, breathable, non-binding.
You also own a lot of old things that have been passed down from generation to
generation because you are the family heirloom recipient. And you generally
like earth tones. “C”
2. You are the person who wears something bright, trendy, fun,
colorful, what’s hip, what’s hot now. You like funny clothes even with jokes on
them. It doesn’t matter if anybody likes it; you like it. “A”
3.You wear the BEST, the most popular labels, the hottest-looking
clothes. You put on the most expensive clothing and you dress to impress. You
also wear a lot of black! “B”
4. You may have items in your closet that are more than 10 years
old, still in good working order. And there is no point in replacing them,
fashion repeats itself just like history. “D”
Scenario 10: When it comes to shoes:
1.You purchase quality shoes at a discounted price. Among your
shoes, you’ve had many of them for a long time because you wear them until they
wear out. “D”
2. You have a lot of comfortable slip-on shoes, something that is
easy to get into and out of and great to wear all day. You probably love
Birkenstocks and during the winter you may even wear them with socks. “C”
3. You have tons of shoes and none of them are boring. They are
colorful, be dazzled, extreme, or something that always makes them a topic of
conversation. Comfort is not the goal. “A”
4. You have a selection of top-of-the-line, brand-name shoes.
(Several pairs in black) “B”
Scenario 11: When it comes to accessories:
1. You always have tons of accessories, mixing and matching
different bracelets, rings, watches, and earrings (usually inexpensive, or
fake). You may even have lots of visible tattoos and piercings. “A”
2. Your accessories are simple and you only wear maybe a watch
and/or wedding band. It is tasteful. “D”
3. You are attracted to the best jewelry, the highest quality
stones and metals. Basically you want your jewelry to say I have more
money than you (even if I don’t). “B”
4. You typically don’t wear a lot of jewelry, if you do it is
handmade, or heirlooms that have been passed down and hold sentimental value.
“C”
Scenario 12: Through your formal educational years:
1. You never got in trouble. You probably scored high in either
math or science. You were neat and organized, everything was in its proper
place. Your locker was also neat, organized, and even color coded! “D”
2. You heard ‘sit down and shut up’ often. You often got in
trouble for being loud and tardy. “A”
3. You were the best at everything – well everything you chose to
be the best at, because it’s silly to be the best at something that is not
important. “B”
4.You were a compliant and quiet student who listened to most
everything your teachers had to say. You worked diligently so that you wouldn’t
disappoint your teachers and/or parents. “C”
Scenario 13: When it comes to your car:
1. You like a fun car that has really cool colors and the sound
system is more expensive than the car itself. And you have a lot of stuff
in my trunk that you have no idea what’s in there. You have candy wrappers and
fast food wrappers underneath all the seats. If there is license and
registration it is crumbled up in a ball somewhere. “A”
2. You like the best cars! Clean, sparkling, and capable of
getting a lot of attention. It has to be a popular high-end brand name and it
has to be expensive. It is the best of its class. “B”
3. You like a car with research behind it; it must be cost effective,
get good gas mileage, and have longevity. A car must be clean and
organized inside and out. The scheduled maintenance and tune-ups ensure the
longevity of the vehicle. Everything must be in good working order. “D”
4. A car should be safe and good for the environment. Your cars in
the past have had bumper stickers on the back and pictures of the kids
inside. You always have tissues and wipes just in case. You know all the safety
features. “C”
Scenario 14: When driving:
1. You drive slow, and will let everyone into your lane. You stop
for pedestrians and will brake for animals in the road. “C”
2. You drive fast, honk the horn at cars and pedestrians. You
tailgate, and you don’t heed the bike lane. “B”
3. You drive fast, talk/text, run yellow lights. Music is very
loud. You didn’t even know there were pedestrians waiting to cross. “A”
4. You tend to obey the traffic signs and law. On the highway you
may set your cruise control to the exact speed limit. It is illogical and
insensible to pay for a traffic citation. “D”
Scenario 15: When packing to go out of town:
1. All of your clothes are thrown in unfolded with shoes on top of
the clothes or in with the clothes. Your shampoos and toiletries are also
thrown in with everything. “A”
2. You have one complete outfit for each day picked out in
advance. All of your toiletries are in separate compartments. Everything
is perfectly folded. “D”
3. You bring more clothes than what you need, and you pack at the
last minute because you are so busy. However, you do keep your toiletries
separate and shoes separate. Your bag is not so organized but you know what
will look good and better than everybody else when you arrive. “B”
4. You bring very few cosmetics. You don’t have a bag that’s too
heavy because “somebody else may have to lift this.” You always have a
first-aid kit just in case somebody else needs a bandage. You also pack snacks!
“C”
Scenario 16: When it comes to dating:
1. You are on time. You dressed appropriately for whatever the
activity may be. “D”
2. You most likely go to a concert or out dancing, something that
is active and fun! And you WILL be late because you changed your clothes
10 times because you didn’t know what you wanted to wear. “A”
3. You would go to an expensive restaurant. “B”
4. You enjoy a nice quiet restaurant that is not too expensive and
has an organic flare to it. “C”
Scenario 17: When you are surrounded by children:
1. You are multi-tasking, holding a conversation as well as
texting and emailing
others at the same time. “B”
2. Find most kids to be noisy and rambunctious and difficult to
control. “D”
3. Will get out and play with the kids for hours! “A”
4. Suggest a nice quiet activity (like reading) and just enjoy
spending time with them. “C”
Scenario 18: When it comes to money:
1. Impulse buyer, you don’t know where half of your money ends up.
“A”
2. Splurges on expensive items, you tend to purchase items that
are the best. “B”
3. Not a huge spender, but
you lend or give friends and family money and you may go with out because
of it. “C”
4. You know where every dime of your money ends up. You never
impulse buy; every purchase is thought out thoroughly. “D”
Scenario 19: When setting goals:
1. Set dozens of lofty goals, you are a goal-setter and a
go-getter. You tend to overfill your plate and will avoid failure at all
cost. “B”
2. Assess first and establish practical goals. “D”
3. Volunteer to help other people fulfill their goals, you
naturally find a need and fill it! “C”
4. Don’t set big goals, unless it is to have a good time. You love
to start things, but rarely finish them. “A”
Scenario 20: When it comes to solving problems:
1. You are a verbal processor, you have to talk out your problems
with someone. “A”
2. You come up with several scenarios, map each solution out and
decide what the most efficient course of action would be. “D”
3. Fix it fast; you don’t have time to deal with problems. But you
know your solution is the best possible answer. “B”
4. Become overwhelmed, seek out others for help. You don’t want to
disappoint anybody. “C”
Scenario 21: An argument breaks out, you are the one who:
1. Probably started it (but you would never admit that).“B”
2. Will quiet down and stay out of it. “C”
3. Try to make light of it and attempt to change the subject. “A”
4. Have a valid argument and lay it out, even if it’s harsh.
“D”
Scenario 22: If it’s a big decision:
1. Make quick decisions and often change them just as quickly. “A”
2. Never like making a decision, and quickly become stressed out.
Especially if the decision could hurt people’s feelings. “C”
3. Consider all of the options and make the most logical choice.
“D”
4. Make quick decisions. You aren’t afraid to make a tough
decision and you disregard any obstacles in the way. “B”
Scenario 23: If there was a threat of a natural disaster in your
area:
1. You are too busy to even think about the disaster. Why waste
time concerning yourself with something that may never happen? If it actually
did come to your area, you would quickly run out and grab supplies at the last
minute. “B”
2. You already have your emergency kit ready, and have had it
ready to go for years with enough food and fresh water to last your family
several months. “D”
3. You have an emergency kit with a lot of excess food in case
other people didn’t prepare; you also have extra flashlights and lots of
bandages for everybody else. “C”
4. When you hear about the possibility, you run to the store and
stock up on overly processed foods such as chips, donuts, beer, soda, and
crackers. And make sure to grab a deck of cards. “A”
Scenario 24: Spring cleaning! You open your garage door:
1. There are boxes full of old knickknacks that have been there
for years. You can’t bring yourself to throw them out. You know that
others are in need so you find some older clothes and furniture to donate. “C”
2. Everything is already organized, pushed to one side, and
stacked perfectly. However, you take the time to implement a new
color-coded labeling system on all the boxes. Red is for Christmas decorations,
etc. “D”
3. Everything is everywhere, you can barely open the garage door;
it is a disaster. Why clean it? You still always find what you need. “A”
4. Your garage is packed full of “stuff” and you are too busy to
clean and organize it. You do a quick clean and shove boxes to one side so you
can fit your new car in the garage. You may have thrown away some important
family items, but who hangs on to stuff anyway? “B”
Scenario 25: You open your closet doors:
1.There is a place for everything. Your closet is organized with
the hangers in the same direction and your clothes hang neatly from light
to dark. “D”
2. A majority of the hangers are empty, most of your clothes are
on the floor in your room. You are lucky if you find two socks that match.
“A”
3. Not overly organized or sloppy, you are just too busy to
organize it. But your clothes are hanging. “B”
4. Your closet is packed with hand me downs, a lot of neutral
tones, and comfortable organic materials because you can’t throw anything out!
“C”
Scenario 26: You are loading the dishwasher:
1. Load it full with food still encrusted on all the dishes, you
don’t get to unloading it until the sink is full again of dirty dishes. You
often ruin hand-wash only dishes and melt plastic ware by placing them in the
high heat rack. “A”
2. Load it with crusty dishes,
you don’t want to wait for it to be full to run it so you start the
dishwasher when it is half-full most of the time. “B”
3. Load the dishwasher with pre-rinsed and scraped dishes, in an
orderly manner with all of the silverware matched up in separate, designated
areas. “D”
4. Because conserving water and energy is important to you, you
don’t run the dishwasher until it is totally full so you don’t have to run
it that often. “C”
Scenario 27: Shopping at the grocery store:
1. Grab and go, the idea is to get out of the store as quickly as
possible. “B”
2. Spend entirely too long in the grocery store, buy more than you
intended and totally forget to buy the key items you originally went in
for. “A”
3. Go straight for the
organic section. “C”
4. Have a list, don’t buy anything that is not on the list, and
shop the sales and look for discounts. “D”
Scenario 28: Friendships:
1. Have lots of friends; people love being around you! And you are
constantly making new friends! You value relationships and keep in touch
with people you have known for a very long time. “A”
2. You have a huge heart for your friends, and also maintain many
long-term relationships. You are everyone’s best friend, but often your
kindness gets taken advantage of. “C”
3. You attempt to change people, because they tend to let you
down. You have a few close friends but it is hard to earn your trust. “D”
4. Everybody knows who you
are, you make sure of that. Your closest friends are probably driven and
ambitious like yourself (but not more than you). “B”
Scenario 29: When you are in a room full of people:
1. You will talk to every single person in the room, and
comfortably. “A”
2. You size up everyone in the room, and immediately identify any
competition. “B”
3. You find one person and connect really well, spending the whole
night in a thoughtful conversation with them. “C”
4. You gravitate away from the main mass of people, sit back, and
observe. “D”
Scenario 30: When talking on the phone:
1. You are aware of how much time you are dedicating to the call,
being sure to ask all questions up front and end the conversation after
all important information has been relayed. No reason to linger. “D”
2. Even if it is the cable
guy, you talk for at least twenty minutes discussing your favorite TV shows
and what you had for lunch. “A”
3. You don’t talk a lot, you mostly listen to the other person.
You never end the conversation, you are available to them for as long as
they need and answer all questions fully. “C”
4. You have a purpose for the conversation, and will stay on the
phone long enough to make sure that purpose was accomplished. You will
keep talking until the other person fully understands. The conversation
ends with an action item. “B”
Scenario 31: Public Speaking:
1. You have everything written down, and explain or present the
information in a step-by-step fashion, and tend to use a larger
vocabulary. “D”
2. You avoid public speaking as much as possible. When forced you
keep it short (if not slightly rushed sounding) and tend to be more soft-spoken.
“C”
3. You probably should have made note cards but forgot. You are a
very animated speaker, using your hands and swaying or walking around
while you talk. It may not be the most organized and maybe you
unintentionally leave out a few things but in general, you are always
enthusiastic about the topic. “A”
4. You are a very confident public speaker, and aren’t afraid to
be the first to present an idea. “B”
Scenario 32: In conversation with someone one-on-one:
1. You don’t talk loud and are more reserved. You tend to be the
first to listen and the last to speak. “C”
2. You are pretty loud or animated (or both) when you get to
talking to someone. “A”
3. You tend to talk in a rhythm, more monotone. You are not overly
loud or soft-spoken. You like to ask questions in order to clarify. “D”
4. You tend to dominate the conversation. You are a direct
communicator, and you emphasize what you think is BEST a lot. You’re
opinionated and don’t like it if people disagree. “B”
Scenario 33: When visiting the zoo:
1. You make a beeline for the birds of prey and wildcat exhibits.
In general, see what you want and then leave. “B”
2. You stop by every exhibit and feel a sadness for all the caged
animals. And typically donate at every opportunity. “C”
3. You, as always, have the day planned out, and stop by each
exhibit and catch every animal show in order of the map. You also pack
snacks and water and don’t buy anything from inside the park; it is all
overpriced. “D”
4. You don’t even look at the map, you bounce around the park to
each exhibit sign as you see them. You make sure to buy the elephant
swirly straw and some cotton candy. “A”
Scenario 34: Handshake:
1. You tend to offer a loose relaxed handshake and often use both
hands to shake. “C”
2. You offer a firm quick handshake. “D”
3. You love an enthusiastic shake and tend to not let go, or you
bypass the hand and offer a hug. “A”
4. You have a strong solid grip when you shake hands; you control
when it ends. “B”
Scenario 35: Keeping track of time:
1. Every clock in your house is set to the same time, down to the
second. You are always on time. You are never late. “D”
2. You are so busy it is hard to keep track of time. You usually
sacrifice eating and sleeping times to get things done. “B”
3. You try to be everywhere early; you don’t want to inconvenience
anyone. However, it doesn’t always work out. “C”
4. If you do care about being on time, you set your watch 10-30
minutes ahead to help give you extra time, and still often find yourself
late. You lose track of it quickly. “A”
Scenario 36: When home alone:
1. Pull out your home task list and begin completing things that
need to get done, one by one. “D”
2. Pull out your laptop and continue working. “B”
3. Put on the TV, music, and call someone, all at the same time.
“A”
4. Put on some relaxing music and sit down to rest for a bit, and
maybe enjoy a cup of tea outside. “C”
Scenario 37: How you view people:
1. You find most people incompetent. “D”
2. You see the good in people. “A”
3. You try to show them up, whoever it is. “B”
4. You do see the good in people, and will give them multiple
chances – even if they have hurt you. “C”
Scenario 38: When at the doctor’s office:
1. You got there on time and you are frustrated if you are made to
wait longer than a few minutes past your appointment time. “D”
2. You got there early and will wait patiently to see the doctor
if he is running late. You understand some emergency may have come up that
requires the doctor’s time. “C”
3.You showed up late and just hope they didn’t cancel your
appointment. You get out your phone and start texting or make a call. You
may even play a game on your phone. “A”
4. Chances are you were a couple minutes late, but act as if you
were on time. If made to wait more than a reasonable amount of time, you confront
the receptionist. If the doctor can’t make time for you, you are not going to
sit around all day – she/he should just let you in or reschedule the
appointment for a day when the doctor is less busy. “B”
Scenario 39: Hair:
1.Your hair is always trendy, professional, and you paid a lot of
money to maintain it (even if you are a guy). “B”
2. You love experimenting with funky colors, dreadlocks, a perm!
Anything! “A”
3.You don’t want to damage your hair with harmful chemicals or
processing. Whatever is easy. You don’t pay attention much to styling.
“C”
4.You tend to pick a hairstyle that does not require a lot of time
to maintain it. You may have been going to the same barber/hair stylist for 20
years, and you rarely change your hair style. “D”
Scenario 40: Of these four choices, which option motivates you the
most:
1. Serving others. “C”
2. Challenge and/or Money. “B”
3. Fun! “A”
4. Facts and figures. “D”
Congratulations on completing the assessment!
Great job. So…now what?
Simply go back through the assessment and add up the number of
items that corresponds to the letters A, B, C and D and enter those totals on
the lines below. As you’ve probably figured out, each letter corresponds to a
specific GEM:
A = Sapphire
B = Ruby
C = Pearl
D = Emerald
But hold on; you don’t get just one score; you get two. Everyone
has a primary and a secondary GEM! So, if the highest total number of answers
corresponds to the letter D, and the second highest number of answers
corresponds to the letter B, you are an Emerald (Primary) and Ruby
(Secondary).
Keep in mind that there are NO RIGHT ANSWERS or ‘GOOD’ GEMS™. Each
GEM is excellent in its own right, with strengths and advantages that need
to be recognized and honored to maximize communication!
Scoring:
A:__
B:__
C:__
D:__
WRAP-UP
Now that you have completed the exercise, please let me introduce
you to the four basic personality types, or GEMS™. Once you identify your
own personality type, or “GEM,” and get comfortable with your own
language, you will also spot other GEMS™ quickly. Being able to identify
yourself and others will allow you to communicate more effectively and speak to
others in their language. You will notice that both your personal
and working relationships will become less stressful, more productive, and
more fulfilling in every way.
SAPPHIRES are motivated by fun!
PEARLS are motivated by a cause.
EMERALDS are motivated by facts and figures.
RUBIES are motivated by a challenge and/or money.
We will go into more detail on each GEM tomorrow. People have
many different responses to the GEMS™ Personality Test. Some may
have found the process of taking this test to be a bit uncomfortable,
while others find that the results fit them accurately. Whatever your
response, your feelings are valid and consistent with the GEMS™ Mastery.
Emerald, you may have found this process imperfect as you analyzed
each question and answer. Your greatest struggle was that the answer you
had to choose did not describe you with the greatest accuracy. Emerald,
remember the directions did say, “Pick the one that most accurately
describes you,” not what perfectly describes you.
Ruby, you have places to go, people to see, and a list that needed
to be finished yesterday. Most Rubies have a tendency to skip or skim the
instructions, which specifies that for the best results you should read
ALL of the answers. You, on the other hand, read the answers until you had
a “that’s me” moment, made your selection, and went on to the next
question.
Sapphire, after answering a few questions, your curiosity got the
best of you and you began to count the pages to see how long the test was.
You may have even experienced some slight perspiration as you saw the
length of the test and found it intimidating or hard to focus. Due to your
creative nature, there’s a good chance that you skipped around, instead of
answering the question in the order presented.
Pearl, you looked at the test and considered all four answers
before making your choice (as you were instructed when you read through
the introduction thoroughly). Though you may have been somewhat uneasy
answering some very direct questions, you considered what fit you most and
continued on.
Each GEM is unique and special. As you continue on through the
video, audio and study guide, you will further understand how each GEM is
vital to your work, your life and your success.
*** Please COMMENT in the GROUP what your PRIMARY and
SECONDARY GEM is. We will have more on LEADERSHIP when it comes to
motivating your TEAM using their “gem type” tomorrow! ***
GEMS™ Personality Test
www.DaniJohnson.com
