The 4 roles can be defined in terms of whether they are expressive or receptive:

  • The Constructor contributes, builds, and adds to a flow of activity, so it is expressive.
  • The Reformer proposes something new, or does something to break the mould and established pattern, so it is expressive too.
  • The Focuser welcomes activity to be nurtured, so it is receptive.
  • The Brainstormer just loves ideas, and loves to find the most interesting ones, so it is also receptive.
In any situation, there is both a context and a text.  The text is the details of what’s going on.  Text is at the forefront, the main thing.  Context is the backdrop, or the background situation, or the rules by which details abide.  The 4 roles are also defined by whether they are expressive or receptive in context:
  • The Constructor learns about the situation in which it can contribute.  Therefore it is receptive to context.
  • The Reformer proposes a new overall situation, so it is expressive in context.
  • The Focuser wants to see a place for details to flourish, so it doesn’t mind expressing and even imposing a set of rules for this to happen.  Therefore it is contextually expressive.
  • The Brainstormer is not only attentive to specific ideas, but to the situation, and is therefore contextually receptive.
The Brainstormer is the direct opposite of the Reformer — it does not push change, but rather gravitates to the most interesting ideas within reach.  Whereas the Reformer pushes (expresses) its ideas on others, the Brainstormer pulls, or draws in, or seduces others to follow what it thinks is interesting.  Both have the power to affect change, but with opposite strategies: the Reformer with strength (presents a strong and forceful argument), and the Brainstormer with beauty (paints an appealing picture).
This distinction is a classic one.  You may have heard this expressed as yin and yang.  It could also be called masculine and feminine styles, although men and women use plenty of both, even if men are generally more known for strength and women for beauty.
I will go into much more discussion about both context and text, and expressive and receptive.  For now, notice we get a nice chart:
[TODO: chart]
The 4 roles are no more and no less than this chart.  I tried to give them nice names, but they are imperfect.  These roles encompass all human behaviour, and therefore single word names aren’t going to be enough!  It’s practicality that