The Difficult Job Of Managing
Managers have a very difficult role to play, not in the least the fact that they have to lead a team of people who have their own personalities, priorities and traits. A manager needs to be creative, help people increase their efficiency and productivity and do all that in a harmonious way. The key to achieving that is the fact that great managers know the different personalities and understand the things that motivate these people to do well at work. Individuals have their own thinking style, their own way of processing information, communicating, and solving problems. They find different aspects of their work motivating. Most workplace conflicts start because of miscommunication and personality clashes. By recognizing the different personality types, a manager should be able to create a harmonious and productive working environment.
Understand Your Management Type First
The Everything DiSC Management Profile teaches managers how to bring out the best in each employee no matter what their personality is. It shows them how to get the best out of everyone around them and begin to build effective relationships with the people they manage. Everything DiSC Management provides a personalized learning experience that is based on a defined process.
- The first step begins with the manager understanding THEIR management style—what does the manager prioritize?
- The second step is understanding their employees’ needs in three key areas of managing: directing and delegating; motivating their employees, and developing them.
- The third step involves adapting their management approach to better match the priorities of the people they manage.
- The final step is follow-up – taking DiSC back to the workplace and using specialized tools to understand how the manager can work more effectively with their employees and colleagues.
Every organization can use the DiSC Profile to improve many aspects of their individuals and teams.
The Considerate Type
The first known personality type is the considerate type.
“They are agreeable, but might take a bit longer than others to get the work done. They might need some help in making decisions.” Managing Different Personalities – People Management Skills
Considerate types are optimists, but they often need a bit of time to really understand a certain task. They require management to offer clear directions to them and they thrive on getting credit for work they’ve accomplished. They also work better if their manager sometimes speaks to them about non-related work. Managing these people better will lead to meticulously completed work that is free from errors.
The Popular Extrovert Type
Another commonly found type is the popular extrovert.
“This staff member often feels most comfortable in the spotlight, showcasing his clever wit and ingenious ideas.”
How to Deal With Different Personalities as a Leader
Because they want to be popular, they are often eager to please those around them and channel their energy into collaborative efforts. However, sometimes independent efforts are just as important as teamwork for their personal growth. Management must focus on the positive while offering constructive feedback, but never gloss over negative issues and ignore problems. The popular extrovert is best placed in a customer-facing role, including sales.
The Perfectionist Type
Then, there is the perfectionist.
“The Perfectionist gets things done right, regardless of the consequences.”
How to Manage 9 Different Personalities at Work
The main problem with people with this kind of personality is that they are so meticulous that they may take a long time to complete more complex tasks. As a manager, therefore, you must make sure that they don’t spend too much time analyzing and perfecting their work. They may become annoyed if they are pressured to multi-task or they feel they have been rushed. Perfectionists are often systematic and precise thinkers; once they have figured out how to complete a certain task at a certain level they will be able to repeat this again and again. Perfectionists need their managers to provide clears objectives and fact-based ideas and they will deliver exactly that, perhaps even improving it slightly.
The Dependable Stabilizer Type
The dependable stabilizer is another workplace personality type.
“They need their routines, and the status quo gives them comfort. They are low risk-takers, and will see what everyone will do first.” Can’t We All Just Get Along? Understanding 6 Workplace Personalities
Stabilizers work at a slow pace because they are forever checking what everybody else is doing. They tend to be accommodating and flexible to others’ needs at work as well. Their managers should give them clear directions and ask questions to confirm their understanding. They may need a lot of time to work out how they will complete a task, as they always look into how their actions will affect everybody else in the workplace. Once they have decided on that course of action, they will then complete the task to perfection so as to make sure everybody else is happy with their results. Don’t push them to move ahead before they are ready to move. They must be given the time they require by their managers
Type C Personalities
Some psychologists believe there are just three main personality types – A, B and C. The types above span the characteristics of type A and B, but type C stands out from the other two types.
“Type C personality is usually characterized as extremely detail-oriented and highly introverted.”
Strategies for Managing Different Personality Types
These people are very quiet and non-assertive and they prefer to work behind the scenes, where nobody notices them. They often work in jobs that require them to work with data rather than people. Managers can trust them with complex tasks and challenges, particularly if there is a large amount of detail involved. It is very important for managers to show their trust on the type C personality type staff, as they will clamp down and lose confidence if someone doesn’t believe in them. They also like to be left alone and will struggle to accept praise, although they do appreciate concise, direct statements that focus on specific achievements, results and abilities.
How to Recognize the Personality Types
Managers are not psychologists and they may struggle to understand the exact ins and outs of the different personalities in the workplace. However, managers must be able to work with people, which means they should at the very least be able to tell apart whether members of their staff are thinkers or feelers.
“Thinkers are more prone to making decisions based solely on logic, while feelers make their decisions based on relationships and value what is ‘good’ over what is objectively best for the team.”
5 Ways to Manage Different Personality Types
Thinkers versus Feelers
Thinkers want to have the various details of the job they are given. They want to know what is expected of them and what the end result will look like. The feelers, on the other hand, want to know what the impact of their work will be on the greater good. They want to know how others feel about them doing this particular task and they want to get praised for their work once they complete it.
The most important thing is that everybody knows that they are on the same team. Management needs to make sure all different personality types are aware of this, for instance, by providing both direct and friendly feedback and by providing diagrams and graphs about how performance is being monitored. It is never possible to keep everybody happy, but it is possible to create a culture in which everybody is respected and able to be themselves, while working alongside others who have different needs and priorities.
About Steve Giles
Co-owner/Co-founder of Intesi! Resources. Educated as an architect I transitioned to technology during my career in architecture. Intesi! Resources was founded in 2004 and my focus is everything Web/eCommerce related from the design and development of our site to all the marketing activities involved. I also provide significant support for our clients on all our products and how they are used to deliver assessment-driven learning solutions that develop self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
