Relational thinkers create connections between and among ideas, objects, and events that others would not have before the relational thinker makes the connection, and may not, even afterwards.

If a Relational thinker were in a line at the grocery store and the amount of the sale came to $10.67, the Relational thinker might say, "Oh - that's the year after the Battle of Hastings - 1066!"  Or, "October, '67?  That's when the Red Sox played the Cardinals, in the Impossible Dream season!"

Relational thinkers make rapid connections among seemingly disparate elements.  This also translates to rapid assessments of both circumstaces and people.  They tend to be very good on standardized tests and rapid readers.  Punning and word play are among their joys.

Relational thinkers resist repetition - it drives them up a wall.  They make connections all the time, even if you only hear a few of them out loud.  Everything reminds them of a story, a person, a song, or something.  (And usually more than one something!)

Relational thinkers tend to be very good at generating new ideas and modifications, but they are less effective at maintaining the status quo, even when it just needs taking care of.

As relational thinkers NEED to be involved in multiple activities, to try to confine them to one task, one conversation, is to punish them for being who they are. 

In order to increase a Relational thinker's ability to hear a particular conversation or complete a single task, nurture and develop the multi-processing talent that is his or her natural style.  If s/he tends to listen to two conversations, teach him/her to listen to three and four conversations.  It's like stretching any talent.

For more information, or to share your thoughts, please contact us.  We would love to hear from you!  Let us know what works or doesn't work.  If you have a style that you don't see discussed, please share it.

Stories that illustrate these behaviors are especially welcome.