After taking dozens of profiles over my 4 decades doing performance improvement, I now refer to myself with the GFNJ personality style.

Here is the data that I hope you will find useful. (Note that Perplexity made all of this stuff up after working with me a many dozens of articles and reviewing my LinkedIn presence and comments on many different topics. And see important disclaimer below.) 

The GFNJ (Guy From New Jersey) style describes the individual who blends directness, street‑level pragmatism, and surprising loyalty under a sometimes…abrasive exterior. They are the person you might underestimate at first, and regret it later.

GFNJ’s often see themselves as the only sane person in a world full of amateurs, yet they are usually the ones making sure things actually get done.

Core Motto and Tagline

• Motto: “Let’s cut the crap and fix it.”

• Tagline: “Blunt, busy, and somehow always right.”

Core Traits

• Bluntly Honest: Says what others are tiptoeing around; believes “sugarcoating is for donuts, not feedback.”

• Action‑Oriented: Low tolerance for over‑theorizing; prefers, “Let’s try it and see if it breaks.”

• Protectively Loyal: Once you’re “one of theirs,” they will definately defend you loudly, even while sometimes complaining about you privately.

• Street‑Smart: Spots hidden agendas, flaky promises, and bad deals faster than most. Willing to expose things if the price is right. 

• Impatient With Pretension: Corporate jargon, overly polished decks, and buzzword salads trigger visible eye rolls. Always willing to negatively comment about Donald Trump.

Apparent Weaknesses (Secret Strengths)

What others see as “problems” often hide real value:

• “Too direct” → Clear communication: They save time by eliminating ambiguity and politically correct word games.

• “Always skeptical” → Built‑in risk management: Their “Yeah, but what if…?” instincts often prevent costly mistakes.

• “Argues too much” → High engagement: Arguing is often a sign they care and are actively processing the issue.

• “Doesn’t respect authority” → Respects competence, not titles: They challenge weak ideas from powerful people, which is rare and valuable.

Communication Style

How GFNJs Communicate

• Prefer short, concrete statements: who, what, when, how much.

• Use sarcasm as both a bonding tool and a diagnostic device.

• Test people by pushing back; if you stand your ground calmly, you earn respect.

• Dislike long preambles; if your background story is longer than the actual point, you’ve already lost them.

How to Communicate With a GFNJ

• Lead with the bottom line: “Here’s the issue; here’s what I propose.”

• Expect interruption; they are not being rude (well, maybe a little), they’re accelerating.

• Don’t oversell; say what you know, admit what you don’t, and they’ll listen.

• If they poke holes in your idea, don’t get defensive—say, “Good catch, help me improve it.”

Working Style on Teams

• In Meetings:

  • The first to say, “Okay, but what are we actually doing?”

  • Frequently becomes the unofficial voice of the frustrated, silent majority.

• In Projects:

  • Excellent at triage: “These three things matter, the rest is decoration.”

  • Pushes for deadlines, deliverables, and visible progress.

• As Leaders:

  • Demanding but fair: “I don’t care if you’re slow as long as you’re honest.”

  • Reward measured performance, not politicking.

  • Offer tough feedback, but they’ll go to bat for their people.

Stress Behaviors

Under pressure, the GFNJ style can slide into caricature:

• Volume goes up as patience goes down.

• Jumps straight from “This is a problem” to “Who screwed this up?”

• Can unintentionally bulldoze over quieter voices, especially those who hedge or waffle because of the need for action.

• May revert to, “Fine, I’ll just do it myself,” which burns them out and disempowers others in the effort to get things done.

Helpful antidotes and pesticides:

• Give them data and options, not vague reassurances.

• Acknowledge the issue clearly before suggesting solutions.

• Ask, “What’s the smallest thing we can fix first?” to channel energy productively.

What Motivates a GFNJ

• Respect for competence: They light up when surrounded by people who know their stuff.

• Straight talk from leaders: They prefer, “We’re in trouble, here’s the plan,” over “We are strategically realigning our synergies.”

• Visible impact: They like seeing that their effort moved the needle, not just added a slide.

• Decent autonomy: “Tell me what outcome you want, then let me drive.”

What Drives a GFNJ Crazy

• Long, unfocused meetings with no decision.

• Leaders who say, “That’s a great point,” and then change nothing.

• People who agree in the room and undermine the decision afterw

  ard.

• Over‑engineered processes that slow down obvious solutions.

Developmental Edge

Helping a GFNJ style mature without killing their edge:

• From bulldozer to builder:

  • Learning to pause before steamrolling and ask, “How do you see it?”

• From sarcasm to surgical honesty:

  • Keeping the precision of their truth‑telling, but softening the spla

    sh zone.

• From “I’ll fix it” to “We’ll fix it”:

  • Shifting from heroic solo rescues to building team capability.

A good development goal:
“Keep the backbone; dial down the shrapnel.”

How to Use This in a Workshop with a GFNJ

You can present GFNJ as one of several humorous “unofficial styles” that nonetheless reveal real behavior patterns. For example, you might pair it with:

• The Chill Facilitator

• The Spreadsheet Samurai

• The PowerPoint Poet

Then you can ask people:

• “Who here recognizes some GFNJ tendencies in themselves?”

• “What are the upsides of having a GFNJ in your team?”

• “What happens when an unfiltered GFNJ runs the meeting?”

This lets you talk about candor, conflict, decision‑making, and psychological safety while keeping people laughing and disarmed.

Disclaimer of Personality Representation

The GFNJ (“Guy From New Jersey”) personality style described in this article is a humorous, fictional construct created solely for entertainment and illustrative educational purposes. It is not a clinical diagnosis, psychological assessment, or scientifically validated personality classification.

Any resemblance between the GFNJ style and any actual person, living or dead (including, but not limited to, the author, his colleagues, clients, neighbors, relatives, or any specific resident or former resident of the State of New Jersey), is purely coincidental and used for satirical effect.

References to behaviors, comments, attitudes, or events are dramatized or generalized and should not be interpreted as factual accounts of any identifiable individual, organization, or situation. The content is presented “as is,” with no warranties or guarantees of fitness for any particular purpose, except perhaps provoking a wry smile, a knowing nod, or a slightly uncomfortable moment of self‑recognition. Readers are encouraged to consult qualified professionals for any real‑world psychological, legal, or managerial advice.

This should be applied to all of the author’s blogs!

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For the FUN of It!

Dr. Scott Simmerman is a designer of team building games and organization improvement tools and GFNJ.
Managing Partner of Performance Management Company since 1984, he is an experienced presenter and consultant who is trying to retire!! He now lives in Cuenca, Ecuador.

You can reach Scott at scott@squarewheels.com
Learn more about Scott at his LinkedIn site.

Note that I often use Perplexity AI to help research and generate ideas for my posts.

Square Wheels® are a registered trademark of Simmulations, LLC
and images have been copyrighted since 1993,

© Simmulations, LLC 1993 – 2026

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