History - written by Chuck Johnson, Understanding Character© Founder

When I was very young, my father would talk about friends and neighbors and say, "it's just her nature" or "that person goes against my grain".  I always remembered these remarks and wondered about their meaning.  Eventually, I came to realize he was talking about the cause behind a person's behavior.

As I became older and joined the workforce, I continued to think about my father's remarks.  And I was curious about behavior.  I wondered when someone didn't do a given task the way they should.  I even wondered about myself.  I wondered why I found myself thinking one way but acting (or at least feeling like acting) another.

During the 1960s and 1970s testing in personnel matters became popular.  In my job I was exposed to these tests and noticed that they had little practical application.  Even with what seemed to be accurate results, there was little or no productive benefit.  I knew I needed to understand this.  And I would often contemplate it.  When I did, I would hear my dad's words.

I eventually formed a consulting firm of my own and began pursuing the answers to this puzzle in earnest.  I worked with good people who were eager to learn and sincere in wanting to succeed at given tasks.  However, even after working it through with them and then leaving it for them to accomplish, I would return a few weeks later to find the work not done.  Even though they were the same good people, with good intent, they could not seem to accomplish the tasks and goals we had identified.

Gradually, it dawned that we (myself and some associates of mine) were learning that the individuals were not capable of doing the specific task they had been assigned to do. The person they were was simply not the person who could fulfill that specific role of achieving the tasks and goals.  We began to use the word "character", meaning who a person truly is.  This did not seem like any great revelation.  It seemed many people knew this to be true; however, they didn't seem to know or understand what they knew.

We found the Personal Survey© and began to use it to help individuals know more about themselves.  We formed discussion groups.  We found that people would agree with Survey results.  They would say "yes, that is me".  However, we also found that there was something lacking.  There was an obvious "what do I do now" feeling.  Various training programs were available and included instruction along the lines of having a better attitude, being more approachable, and achieving more positive behavior.  The term frequently used was behavior modification.  Again, this seemed to have little productive application. We were learning that each person was different and any kind of behavior modification had a very short-term effect.

When my dad made his observations, so many years ago, he was planting seeds.  I have tended those seeds.  I doubt he knew how accurate his observations were.  I doubt he even knew how closely I listened.  But he set the whole process in motion and it continues today. 

Understanding Character© students are learning about themselves, about others, and about the world they inhabit.  They are able to feel better and be better contributors to their families, their workplaces, their communities.  What began so long ago shows no signs of slowing down.

In Memory of

Claude Everett Johnson

1908-1991