Energetic pair dovetail for a credible working partnership
By Emma Bache
In the latest in our graphology series our resident graphologist examines the contrasting characteristics of Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman, co-founders of lastminute.com.
A WELL-KNOWN pair from the heady days of the high-tech boom have submitted their jottings to the scrutiny of graphologist Emma Bache in the latest in our occasional series on the handwriting of prominent business figures...
On the left is a born leader who enjoys being the centre of attention. On the right is someone who is often frustrated at being unable to keep work and personal matters separate – Who can this duo be?
AT A glance the strong visual discrepancies between the two handwritings suggest that the writers are poles apart, but there are many complementary facets that stabilise and enhance a working relationship. Sample A, left, exudes a creative but also considered approach to matters and possesses well- developed social skills which Sample B, right, would find more difficult to maintain. As “front of house’’ A creates a warm and verbally astute administrator and communicator where B would be straining at the leash to get ahead with projects. They are both communicators, but A has a softer, more considered approach.
Both writers are extremely ambitious and strong willed, but B is more likely to vent his/her opinions at work. Handwriter A, although more versatile, can be moody but indecisive. The most difficult aspect of this working relationship is the fact that both have a tendency to control. They are both stubborn.
Neither A nor B is a loner and could very well reap positive rewards from such a working relationship. The overriding impression of this combination is one of the dovetailing of two very different individuals into a credible and successful working partnership.
Martha Lane Fox
THE WRITER of Sample A has a speedy, self-confident hand with an expressive fluidity. Although all three zones maintain a visual balance, the middle zone predominates, indicating a well-honed ego and a personality well able to cope with the daily practicalities of life.
The upper zone is free from embellishment, but has some marginal retracing and leftward tendencies. The writer is by no means a loner and enjoys attention and praise which is likely to be forthcoming with his/her bold enthusiasm and strong leadership qualities.
A dichotomy exists between the writer’s innovative mental talents and over-sensitivity in the intellectual arena. The writing has a sharp quality to it, which hints at a verbally articulate and mentally intense individual, but one that can overly worry about what others say or feel about him/her and his/her achievements.
Living for the present, the writer can sometimes be fearful of change and, despite an appearance of easy expression, will take a considered approach to emotional responses. This trait is backed up by the mainly vertical slant. The reclined upper-zone hints at a tendency to cling to outdated attitudes and ideas.
The lower-zone strokes are determined but diverse and display a restlessness and vulnerability at the heart of the writer’s physical and instinctual life. Energy levels are high but are often defused into a more creative arena.
Form quality and rhythm are of a high standard and there is certainly an aesthetic appreciation and a harmony between thinking and feeling. However, the undulating baseline shows a more tortuous indecision and struggling response towards stress.
To add to the equation of emotional response there is also threading in the writing, which adds sensitivity but also a more undisciplined and unpredictable character. The writer must be commended for maintaining an outward appearance of easy-going amiability while juggling many more complex and varied facets to the inner self.
Brent Hoberman
THIS handwriting, Sample B, instantly demands attention from the reader through its predominant irregularity, heavy pressure and countless retracing of strokes in all three zones.
The overall size is large, with sharp and penetrating strokes in the upper and lower zones. Energy is indicated here but clarity is muddied in favour of aggressive go-getting on the one hand and copious amounts of inhibition and repression on the other. The wealth of theories and ambitious plans that the writer has is often let down by a less than secure emotional grip on life.
The retracing and pointed loops in the upper zone indicate both the writer’s considerable intellectual acumen but also his/her frustration in not always being able to segregate the emotional consequences of life from the workplace. The result is volatility and some inconsistency of mood and reactions when faced with external influences.
The middle zone also shows retracing and irregularity in both size and formation. At the time of writing, he/she was tense and highly strung and certainly showing the strain of work pressure. As he/she is highly competitive and ambitious, fear of ridicule and failure take on a more acute meaning and the uneven baseline and some downward tilting is a result of momentary depression and anxiety.
Middle-zone looping and tangling implies a writer who takes on more than he or she can handle and one that would benefit from working with their opposite number in terms of emotional stability and creativity. The writer is at his/her most creative when working with a less self- absorbed individual with a less intense attitude to life.
The strongly connected writing is a sure sign of a need for communication, as well as a love of ritual and symbolism. He/she has an impulse to give and reach out, but caution checks this spontaneity and often rules against it.
This person is by no means the easiest of individuals to understand but one who offers much in terms of determination, willpower and both physical and mental energy.