Our personality type is a function of both our genetics and our environment. A great deal of whom we are comes from our parents. We are “encoded” to be a certain way through their DNA. We also develop due to the influences of our environment; our family as well as our friends and even strangers that pass through our life. Most psychologists and parents agree that our personality type is set by an early age, some say as young as 3.
Personality analysis has been in development for thousands of years. The first know research on personality types was done by Hippocrates of Kos (Greece) (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) where he defined four basic personality types. The 20th century heralded a new interest in defining and identifying separate personality types. DiSC is a popular personality assessment that is based on the work of William Marston PhD that has been in existence for over 50 years with 36 million people who have taken the DiSC assessment.
How does all of this relate to business? Our personality type is a major force in who we are at work, how we do things, how we communicate and how we accept what is told to us. If we have an important idea to communicate or we need them to buy into to the task or assignment; we can dramatically improve getting it done if we understand the personality type we are talking to. There are four basic personality types that business professionals encounter and understanding each type will help you be a more effective manager.
The High “D” Driver/Dominate. This type of person values brevity and getting to the point (they don’t waste time). They like your communication to also be short, tell them what you do and what you want them to do. They don’t like a lot of details and if you email them, put you thoughts in bullet points. They are multi-task capable; but their primary motivation is getting tasks completed and moving on to a new task. They gain energy from being in charge and meeting challenges. Know what you want to say to them and stay focused. Be confident, maintain eye contract and keep your voice strong.
The high “I” or Influencer. This type of person likes new and exciting things. They are great at expressing themselves, like social recognition, group activities and relationships. They are easily liked and accepted by others. They are great public speakers, good in sales and promotions. But they are easily bored and may not follow through on work that requires detail or is highly complicated. Sales people will have trouble turning in sales and expense reports. If you expect detail work from them, you will have to check back with them on a continuing basis to get it done. They like new directions, great ideas and enjoy humor. They like to lead and influence others, they are highly motivated workers. They like to be noticed and appreciated in public.
The high “S” Steady/Supportive. This type of person is easy to get along with and wants to be your friend. They are very dependable and loyal and are steady, consistent, unchanging. They like friendly conversations at a relaxed pace. Ask about their family, kids or latest weekend outing before you ask them about work. Relationships are important to them, so continue to build relationship credits with them. They will be there when you are in dire straights. Also know that a warm Hello and a sincere thank you in a private setting is fuel to the high “S”. Think carefully before taking any action or major changes in your organization, they don’t like change. Give them plenty of lead time before changes in location or routines so that they will buy into it before it is implemented. They need security. Communicate in a soft voice as a friend, be warm, friendly and smile a lot.
The high “C” Cautious/Conscientiousness. This type of person is smart, careful and accurate. They live for facts, the more facts the better. In fact they will have so many facts that it is hard for them to make decisions because they have so many details to consider. They welcome documentation and statistical evidence that proves your point. Expect them to ask for more information or make minuet changes after three or four versions. They are thoughtful and don’t always get a chance to express themselves, so ask for their opinion before you tell them what to do. You will get better buy-in that way. They are pretty critical of most projects and will be the first to ask more questions or tell you why it won’t work. Be prepared to deal with this and deal with their criticism on a face-to-face basis otherwise, email communications will be endless. If giving them tasks, be clear as what needs to be done and the time frame you expect it completed. They are perfectionists and are critical of themselves and others. They will work and re-work a project over and over until it is perfect, way past the dead line unless you tell them up front. If you want to talk to them, don’t drop in, make an appointment. They will think about what you say long before you answer it, so don’t expect quick responses to your questions. Talk to them in a reserved manner with your voice slow and low. Give them time to respond.
Helping your employees understand their personality types goes a long way in improving communication, team work and getting things done. It also helps managers in the hiring process getting the right person in the right seat on the bus (Tim Collins “Good to Great”).
We provide DiSC assessments and seminars. We do this because understanding your managers and employees will help you improve financial performance. That is why I teach DiSC, it is a key ingredient in helping business owners be better people managers. If you need help in this area, please give me a call or shoot me an email.
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!