Different styles are a strength

Knowing what your ‘home’ operating style is a great way to start to understand how best to interact with other people who are different from you.

Build great teams by recognising difference as a strength.

Be aware of different operating styles.

I am a very action-orientated person.  I have been known to get quite scratchy when I’m in meetings where there is a lot of general chit chat and seemingly very little focus.  It is one thing to know how important it is to build relationships and encourage the flow of ideas in the workplace. It is quite another, if you are like me, to know how to harness innovation and to tap into the creative spirit of other people.  Recognising different operating styles has helped me acknowledge qualities in others  as  strengths and to put my energies into building on those attributes rather than allowing myself to be irritated by the very differences that are so important when working in a team.   Although most people can flex between different styles, most people have a ‘home style’.  Look at the table below - where would you see yourself?  Take a minute to work out what someone’s home style is before you interact with them, you will potentially save yourself (and them) a lot of grief!

When you next have a meeting or interaction with someone who you think is ‘difficult’ - use this table to do a quick check on what their style is.  If it’s not the same as yours, you may be heading for a clash, so try to understand where they are coming from and adapt your own style to complement theirs. 

ANALYTICAL

 Give them all the facts 

Explain options

Allow plenty of time

Don't talk down

Respect their expertise - get technical 

Get into the detail

 They like to learn

CONTROLLING

Keep it short and snappy

 Focus on tangible benefits

 Be well-prepared

Know what decision or action you want

Flatter them

Make it easy for them

AMIABLE

 Get to know them

Build a relationship by listening

Don't pressurise them

 Talk about your feelings

Make them feel safe

Respect their point of view

ENTHUSIASTIC

Give them a picture of great results 

Use examples and stories

Show how it’s new, exciting, or different

Involve them

Make the process fun

So what are the implications of the different styles?

 The Analytical and Controlling people like:

 ●      TASKS

●      FACTS

●      LOGIC

●      REASON

The Amiable and Enthusiast styles focus on 

 ●      PEOPLE

●      EMOTIONS

●      RELATIONSHIPS

But you need to be aware of the other axis in the table too:

The Analytical and Amiable like to

●      TAKE THEIR TIME

●      BALANCE RISKS

●      REFLECT

The Controlling and Enthusiastic folks tend to be

●      ASSERTIVE

●      QUICK

●      DECISIVE

There are lots of models that are good for identifying different styles - Myers Briggs, DISC and many more. As with all models there are shades of grey but it is surprising how useful it can be to start with a simple review of how someone operates not only to avoid frustrations but ultimately to get better results for your team or organisation. 

I hope you find this article interesting and useful. Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback!

I run workshops on raising awareness and insight into different operating styles - let me know if I can help you.