The Japanese cabinet minister was nearing the end of his patience. Charged with expediting post-Tsunami reconstruction efforts he had been dispatched to the disaster-hit northeast region of Japan only to run smack into the inertia of one bureaucrat after the other. When he was forced to wait for over an hour to meet the Governor of Miyagi, he finally expressed his frustration by refusing to shake Governor’s hand and threatening to withhold badly needed funds unless attitudes and behaviors changed.

The Japanese Prime Minister found his Minister’s behavior unbecoming and asked him to resign. In his contrite resignation address the Minister blamed his behavior on his blood type.  He explained, “I am a type B and can have the tendency to be simplistic and straightforward at times”.  The Japanese public understood immediately.

In parts of Asia blood types are used as a key tool by dating services to match potential mates. Horoscopes use blood types rather than Zodiac signs to make their prognostications. The biographies of celebrities and even Facebook pages reference blood types rather than birth date. And finally, not to be forgotten, blood types are used in employee selection.

For the curious, a full overview on blood type personality profiling can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_types_in_Japanese_culture.
And in case you want to know…..

• Type As are most compatible with As and ABs.
• Type Bs are most compatible with Bs and ABs.
• Type ABs are most compatible with ABs, Bs, As and Os.
• Type Os are most compatible with Os and ABs.

If you inclined to believe this is just bunk, feel free to discard blood typing into the same profiling waste heap as astrological signs, birth order, and even phrenology. However, if you are a believer, the next time you are reading the head bumps on that first born, Capricorn candidate…. don’t forget your blood kit.

One last thing and apologies in advance.  What’s the pessimist’s blood type?……….B negative.

About the Author

Robert Hebert is the founder and Managing Partner of StoneWood Group Inc., a leading executive search firm in Canada. Since 1981, he has helped firms across a wide range of sectors address their senior recruiting, assessment and leadership development requirements.

Contact Robert by email at [email protected] or call (1) 416-365-9494 EXT 777