Dr. Dave, I "borrowed" these web sites that you provided to us during our Principles of Individual Leadership class. The first is http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
which is a Jung typology test. The other is http://www.keirsey.com
which is a temperament test. At your leisure, take a few moments to explore each site to see what they have to say about your personality...how accurate did you find the results? Remember, It is important that you answer all the questions from the perspective of what feels real for you and not try to give answers that you think would sound like how you should behave in any particular situation.
For the Keirsey temperament quiz, I am a Guardian...which is scary how accurate it is. For the Jung test, my type is ENFJ: Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. I would mostly agree with this. I would say I'm more extraverted than introverted, but I tend to keep quiet in situations that I'm uncomfortable in or something that is new to me. Once I open up and become comfortable, I'm like a social butterfly.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Constructive vs Destructive Attitudes
As a leader, you will most certainly have a few encounters with people who are difficult to deal with. To cope with such people, you must first learn the difference between Constructive and Destructive attitudes.
The Constructive attitude: This person has been gifted with a strong sense of self. This does not mean they are an egomaniac, rather, it means they are very self-motivated. Typically independent, autonomous, and self-directed, they will go after what they want. They don't recognize obstacles as roadblocks but see them as more of a challenge. Their “attitude” comes from an aura of confidence, which stops short of arrogance. People usually find them fun to be around and since they appear to be successful in life and business, people want to be around them and seek them out. You can count on these folks to eagerly step into a leadership role, whether formal or informal.
The Destructive attidude: This person has a chip on their shoulder a mile wide. Their attitude comes from a lack of self-confidence. They may have grown up in an abusive situation, experienced a great deal of trauma, or been criticized throughout their life. Now, they feel they must compensate in some way to prove to the world that they are “good enough”. So you end up dealing with behaviors that include defensiveness, resistance or passive-aggressiveness.
The litmus test here is whether or not you are getting destructive results or if the person is simply quirky and annoying. Let's face it, we all have our unique personalities and we're entitled to them. I'm sure we all have our annoying moments, given the right set of circumstances. That's part of being human. However, if this person's attitude results in performance problems, hurt feelings on a regular basis, and co-workers who are increasingly unwilling to work with this person, then it's time to do something about it.
So, how does one cope with the destructive ones? Once you know what you're up against, it's much easier to know how to proceed. While you can't change someone's personality, you can approach the situation in a very clear and straightforward manner. First, you would focus on his or her performance, since improving it is the primary goal. Second, discuss the fallout of their behaviors. Call it a coaching session, or just a conversation – the term really doesn't matter. Sit them down and review the performance goals and expectations. Clearly state they are exhibiting behaviors that are impacting their ability to be successful. Be as calm and objective as possible when you deliver this news. Most likely the person will get defensive and they could get angry. That's okay. Your job is to clearly communicate so they know where they stand. Third, discuss goals. Don't give them a laundry list from here to the North Pole. Keep it short with just one or two goals for the near future. For example: you want them to improve their listening skills. That means they shouldn't turn and walk away from you when you are giving them instructions. It means that they should repeat back what they just heard you say, etc. Fourth, set a follow up meeting to revisit and review their progress. It's not fair to swoop in and coach them on their behavior without caring enough to circle back around and either compliment them on their progress or discuss how to adjust the rudder. Too many times, we let this last step go which ends up demoralizing the folks who work so hard to show us they've worked to make improvements.
You will find that these strategies help you cope with an employee with an attitude far better than going home at night and reaching for the aspirin!
Resource: http://www.laurabenjamin.com/articles/DealingWithAnEmployeeWithAnAttitude.htm
The Constructive attitude: This person has been gifted with a strong sense of self. This does not mean they are an egomaniac, rather, it means they are very self-motivated. Typically independent, autonomous, and self-directed, they will go after what they want. They don't recognize obstacles as roadblocks but see them as more of a challenge. Their “attitude” comes from an aura of confidence, which stops short of arrogance. People usually find them fun to be around and since they appear to be successful in life and business, people want to be around them and seek them out. You can count on these folks to eagerly step into a leadership role, whether formal or informal.
The Destructive attidude: This person has a chip on their shoulder a mile wide. Their attitude comes from a lack of self-confidence. They may have grown up in an abusive situation, experienced a great deal of trauma, or been criticized throughout their life. Now, they feel they must compensate in some way to prove to the world that they are “good enough”. So you end up dealing with behaviors that include defensiveness, resistance or passive-aggressiveness.
The litmus test here is whether or not you are getting destructive results or if the person is simply quirky and annoying. Let's face it, we all have our unique personalities and we're entitled to them. I'm sure we all have our annoying moments, given the right set of circumstances. That's part of being human. However, if this person's attitude results in performance problems, hurt feelings on a regular basis, and co-workers who are increasingly unwilling to work with this person, then it's time to do something about it.
So, how does one cope with the destructive ones? Once you know what you're up against, it's much easier to know how to proceed. While you can't change someone's personality, you can approach the situation in a very clear and straightforward manner. First, you would focus on his or her performance, since improving it is the primary goal. Second, discuss the fallout of their behaviors. Call it a coaching session, or just a conversation – the term really doesn't matter. Sit them down and review the performance goals and expectations. Clearly state they are exhibiting behaviors that are impacting their ability to be successful. Be as calm and objective as possible when you deliver this news. Most likely the person will get defensive and they could get angry. That's okay. Your job is to clearly communicate so they know where they stand. Third, discuss goals. Don't give them a laundry list from here to the North Pole. Keep it short with just one or two goals for the near future. For example: you want them to improve their listening skills. That means they shouldn't turn and walk away from you when you are giving them instructions. It means that they should repeat back what they just heard you say, etc. Fourth, set a follow up meeting to revisit and review their progress. It's not fair to swoop in and coach them on their behavior without caring enough to circle back around and either compliment them on their progress or discuss how to adjust the rudder. Too many times, we let this last step go which ends up demoralizing the folks who work so hard to show us they've worked to make improvements.
You will find that these strategies help you cope with an employee with an attitude far better than going home at night and reaching for the aspirin!
Resource: http://www.laurabenjamin.com/articles/DealingWithAnEmployeeWithAnAttitude.htm
Friday, March 6, 2009
Personality Differences in Teams
Here is a good, short article on personality differences within teams. http://www.sideroad.com/Team_Building/conflict-resolution-in-team-work.html
As you know, we all have our unique personalities. The different personalities on teams make them exciting, in my opinion. If you think about it, how boring would it be if everyone had the same personality? EXACTLY!! Sometimes conflict can be a good thing...really. It's important for people to express their feelings, as long as it's done in a tactful, professional way in the workplace. There are 21 people on my team and there are a variety of personalities...from the go-getter, to the intravert, but the diversity keeps it alive. What about your team?
As you know, we all have our unique personalities. The different personalities on teams make them exciting, in my opinion. If you think about it, how boring would it be if everyone had the same personality? EXACTLY!! Sometimes conflict can be a good thing...really. It's important for people to express their feelings, as long as it's done in a tactful, professional way in the workplace. There are 21 people on my team and there are a variety of personalities...from the go-getter, to the intravert, but the diversity keeps it alive. What about your team?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Personalities at Work
I would like you to think about the various places you've worked, and the different personalities your co-workers had. Did you find that you changed how you acted because of a particular person's personality? Or, did you remain consistent and true to who you are? How did the leaders in the company deal with the multiple personalities in the workplace? At a previous place of employment, I was the President's Executive Assistant. His girlfriend, the VP, was constantly in my face, even though I was punctual and did all my work correctly. She was quite sarcastic and thought she was better than everyone. At first, she intimidated me. As time went on, I learned to stand up for myself. I no longer remained shy and told her what I really thought. I think she valued that from me because from then on, we had a more open, friendly relationship. I'm sure you have encountered something similar, so let's hear about it!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
This blog will discuss the various personality types people have, and how a leader must adapt to them in order to be successful.
I am currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Strategic Leaderhsip program, and creating a blog regarding leadership in one form or another is a requirement. I believe this blog will be beneficial to me, as it is the first one I ever created. I am interested to see what you all have to say!!
For starters, why don't you take a few minutes and take this color quiz. I will periodically post random test links so you can figure out what your personality really is!
http://www.colorquiz.com/
I am currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Strategic Leaderhsip program, and creating a blog regarding leadership in one form or another is a requirement. I believe this blog will be beneficial to me, as it is the first one I ever created. I am interested to see what you all have to say!!
For starters, why don't you take a few minutes and take this color quiz. I will periodically post random test links so you can figure out what your personality really is!
http://www.colorquiz.com/
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