The human being is still the main factor in any business. It might not seem obvious since there is more and more automation. Yet, the human being is still the customer, the one that buys products and services, even when businesses buy from businesses. There is a human being. And here comes the Power of Human Design in Business and for Business.

The Power of Human Design in Business

In this article, I want to explore how to apply Human Design principles to build a bridge between these “worlds”: how to create a working environment where humans can exploit their unique potentials and capabilities with the knock-on effect on business: products and services that people truly love because they come from humans with a positive energy.

Understand what makes people tick

People are complex and unique creatures with different needs, motivations, and desires (as I have highlighted in my last article “Why the individual is the new hero of business“). Understanding these differences helps us understand why people do what they do. This knowledge can be used on both sides: to really motivate employees since they just are at the right place of work and to create products and services people really love.

For me, the center of all is the human being. So let’s have a look at this center piece from a working environment perspective. A human being and his contribution in a working team.

Human Design in Business: Team roles

Do you actually know that each person has a particular preferred way to work in a team in a business context? It is embedded in the person and comes from an intrinsic motivation. By knowing this, each person can contribute in their own preferred way to a business result. It is natural and therefore it comes easy without pressure. And it helps to create a team in which each person exploits their own individual potential for the good and the success of the team. So why not to use it?

An INITIATOR is very independent, effective and result-oriented. Such a person prefers to tackle assignments independently and then bring the results into a team process. Feedback from others is important for an initiator in order to incorporate it into his result-oriented work. As such, an initiator tries to avoid unfocused or unproductive team processes.

The TEAM PLAYER is present, cooperative and works process-oriented. For such a person team work is a very appropriate way of working. Exchanging his views with others is important to a team player. He is fully aware that team work yields results that he could not achieve alone. The team player feels comfortable and can maintain a presence in teams. The right composition of a team is, however, important, it determines whether he can unfold and develop in the team.

The TEAM SUPPORTER works – as the name suggests – in a supportive style, is communicative and process-oriented. While working in a team he can make valuable contributions and support the team process. A team supporter finds temporary team work very satisfying when all involved act in concert and good results can be achieved. When being part of a team, the team supporter does not necessarily have to have a leading role in the team process.

The TEAM GUIDE likes coordinating, is empathic and has an efficient working style. For a team guide team work is productive when he can incorporate his contributions well, and these contributions are recognized. When being part of a team, he pays particular attention to efficiency and it is also important to him that each team member can unfold in a satisfying manner.

The COORDINATOR just likes coordinating, is reflective and discerning. A coordinator is rather hesitant when it comes to working in teams,. He keeps an “eye from the outside” and intervenes only when he realizes that the team is heading in the wrong direction or when productivity or success are at stake. Only then can a coordinator will incorporate his contributions in his capacity as a coordinator.

The MOVER & SHAKER is effective, activating and implementation-oriented. He likes to participate in teams as an expert to find out how he can contribute to the team’s success. When implementing, a mover & shaker prefers to act independently so that he is able to fulfill his work assignments rapidly. If team processes or meetings take too long, he typically becomes impatient or occupies himself with something else simultaneously.

The TEAM LEADER is present, activating and implementation-oriented. The team leader maintains a natural presence and is eager to advance the process energetically. He therefore can tend to become impatient or take on (too) much work himself. A real team leader – by the pure design of the person – and his share of contribution to the team results is considerable.

The EXPERT likes to work as an individual, is specialized and engaging. While the expert engages well in team processes, team work is, in the long run, not his preferred way of working. He enjoys working at an energetic pace and in his unique and individual way. The teams typically seek his expertise.

The OBSERVER – guess what – loves to observe, is reflective and a freethinker. He can perceive a team’s energy and spirit accurately and enjoys bringing in his own perceptions. But, he really prefers having an overview of the entire situation. For an observer, teamwork in regular teams is only temporarily appropriate as he prefers rather irregular and diverse ways of working.

Now that we had a look at the different team roles there is another aspect that a Human Design view on individuals in a team can surface: their natural talents. The area in the product or service value creation process in which an individual can contribute and unfold strongly, and what they focus on. This is typically as well the talent that can be refined in the course of one’s life.

Human Design in Business: The Talents

There are 6 talents coming from the valuecreation process stages: the first step is about analysis, the fundamentals and the available resources are examined. Then, a product or service is developed which is then implemented or respectively produced. When products or services are available, they will be offered and sold to customers in personal contact. If this is successful, further market penetration can take place and the product can also be expanded into new markets. Slightly outside the value-creation process is the transformation stage, in which the purpose of an action is being questioned, or how this action can take place in a new, better or different way.

Here are some keywords regarding these different talents that an individual has and business areas in which such talents could be very well used.

• ANALYSIS: the person having such a talent is resource-oriented, investigates and creates the basics and fundamentals, so to say safeguarding. Typical business areas in which such talents could be usefuel are e.g. investigation, research, project planning, purchasing.
• DEVELOPMENT: the person with a talent “development” likes to work product-oriented, is very quality-conscious, typically very passionate in his development work (“geek”) and user-related. These talents could be very useful in any business domain where e.g. creation, concept, design, perfection, inventiveness are a key requirment.
• REALIZATION: the person with such a talent is very much action-oriented, strategic, testing and trying and improving. Business domains that could benefit are e.g. production, implementation, application, materialization.
• CONTACT: the person with the talent “contact” loves the interaction and contact with people: client-oriented, empathic, sensitive, personal and the business domain are all the customers and client facing sides e.g. sales, customer service, communication, assistance.
• DISSEMINATION: the person with the talent “dissemination” is market-oriented, expansive, conquering, practical, realistic and global and would ideally fit into business function dealing with e.g. media, marketing, PR, advertising, distribution, administration, logistics
• TRANSFORMATION: the person with the talent “transformation” is very much value-based, visionary, individual, transforming, humanitarian and philanthropic. The person is not really involved in the calue chain but rather aside or outside of it. Business function like e.g. human resources or social welfare jobs would benefit such a person.

Now I shed a glance of light on two more aspects of Human Design in a business context.

There are many more: decision making, specializations, the physical work environment, cooperation mode, leadership profile (leading and being led), typical behaviors, intrinsic motivators and development potential.

The way forward – in my humble opinion – is to find out all these aspects for a human being in order to empower each one to live as per their potential and intrinsic motivation.

The human being belongs in the center and not the job descriptions.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲?

You know the answer as well as I do!