Recently, on the Wevorce blog, we opened up a conversation about Divorce Archetype™ profiles and offered a preview of groundbreaking research we’ve compiled over recent years. This post continues our series: Divorce Archetype™ Profiles Uncovered. Today, we explore the Thinker vs. Doer profiles.
Thinker
You are strategic. You like to think through all what if? scenarios and plot possible endings for each. You plan responses to what people might say before you even start a conversation.
You may also be introverted and often need time to process before you speak.
Being a Thinker can be of great benefit to divorce proceedings. Your approach to reaching a settlement will be thoughtful and conscientious. But, be aware that as a Thinker, you may have a hard time making decisions and can get stuck in the thought process stage rather moving forward to find an end result.
Doer
You learn by taking action. Getting your to-do list done makes you feel better.
As a Doer, you can be of value to divorce proceedings. Your approach to reaching a settlement will be diligent and thorough. Yet, you may find it difficult to see the overall big picture. Change can be uncomfortable and you may struggle with accepting an impending divorce.
Thinkers and Doers in Business
Let’s first consider a professional context, specifically how those we might refer to as “thinkers” or “doers” in the business world can help us better understand Divorce Archetype profiles. In business, thinkers are visionaries. They have the inspiration and initiative to think outside the box and explore new concepts. Ideation and innovation are second-nature and come easily.
But thinkers can also lack follow-through or lose focus easily. They are dreamers who can leave a string of unfinished projects behind them, and their broken promises can leave co-workers leaderless and disappointed.
It’s the doers that have the productive and focused nature to follow through with projects. They are results-oriented and realistic in what they do. They provide a fresh perspective and can effectively prioritize tasks to get things done.
Their weaknesses may be they lack vision or are short-sighted. Often a doer’s identity or purpose may come from others, and extreme focus may make them less flexible to change.
Any smart business will balance things out with both thinkers and doers.
Thinkers and Doers in Marriage
Thinker and Doer profiles can complement one another with collaboration in a marriage. So, it makes sense if a Thinker and Doer were able to work together for the benefit of their family, they could work together toward creating the best divorce settlement possible. By acknowledging each other’s strengths — and being aware of their weaknesses — Thinkers and Doers can help each other discover a compatible way to begin again.
Divorce Archetype profiles in review
Initiator vs. Reactor (Influencers)
Every divorce will have an Initiator (one who has reached their breaking point) and Reactor (one who isn’t ready to face it). The only variant may be when an additional archetypal layer is added by an affair, during which delicate emotions may seem to be wrapped in barbed wire.
Dependents
The Dependent is rather self-explanatory; if you had children or adopted children during your marriage and they are still legally in your care, you fall under this profile.
Happily Even After vs. Solo
The Happily Even After profiles describe couples who want to work together to keep divorce amicable. The couples who can’t agree on whether or not to get a divorce, or the terms of a divorce fall under the Solo profile.
Traffic Lights
The Traffic Lights profiles correspond with literal traffic lights and signify the readiness of each spouse during the divorce process. These profiles are as follows: Red Light (also referred to as Positional), Honeystuck, and Green Light. When the Positional/Red Light profile is involved, couples are often unable to agree on most things. In the Honeystuck profile, a spouse may have days when he or she feels ready to move forward — and days when divorce seems impossible to face. Variations of this profile include Gas and Break, Parent/Child, and Driverless. The Green Light profile describes couples that have been wrestling with the decision to divorce for a while, but are now ready to part ways and move on to the next chapter of their lives.
Money Manager vs. Non-Money Manager
The Money Manager profile describes the spouse who handles the finances during marriage. The Non-Money Manager often has not participated in these activities, and may have little to no access to financial account information.
Income Earner vs. Income Supporter
The Income Earner often makes enough money to support the entire family, and this person may be referred to as the sole breadwinner. While an Income Earner may work hard to provide financial support for the family, an Income Supporter has, in many cases, put his or her career on hold to focus on managing the family, playing a supportive role in helping his or her spouse earn household income.
Saver
In the Saver profile, we find Savers like to — you got it — save up for a rainy day. They will plan ahead and put money aside before making an important purchase. Having a financial cushion for unexpected emergencies makes Savers feel safe.
Spender
Spenders somehow always find enough money to buy what they want. Saving for a rainy day doesn’t motivate a Spender, they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. Spenders like to buy things and it makes them feel good.
Find more information about the Divorce Archetype assessment here.
