Original Post by Paul Hamilton:
I was really amazed at how quickly Scott Schwefel’s examples validated my opinion that I am of the fiery red style. I actually raised my hand high when he asked if I was a lion. When he told the audience to tell your neighbor which style you are all I said was “red” and that was how he depicted red style would perform the task. I can identify with strong willed, purposeful and determined. (Schwefel n.d.)
I write in my notes each day what I am trying to complete for the day. I check off what has been completed and if not the task is moved to the next days to do list. I work with tools that list items that need to be completed on schedule and that works for me. I can see where these when not balanced with other personal skills come across as aggressive, controlling and overbearing to others.
I will give an example of how my style conflicts with others that happens more often then I would like. Each morning there is a meeting for all the leaders to get together and review the status of actions, address immediate needs and create actions to address them. There are five of us that rotate as the facilitator of the meeting and mine is Wednesday. There is a scheduled agenda that we all follow and it the meeting is only to last 30 minutes. I like short concise reports that get to the point. I dislike what I perceive as no value added comments or distractions that lead to tangents that waste time of the meeting. The Blues really are the ones that anger me because they have to be so formal and questioning until they have all the answers and often not all the answers are there and they slow down the pace because they need to feel comfortable they understand it to move on. I have several options, I can allow them to get to a conclusion, I can shorten the discussion after it goes on stating it that it will have to be taken offline, or I can relax and sip my tea, coffee, Red Bull or what ever I bring in there to distract me from getting angry at someone who is just trying to understand the situation. My Myers-Briggs type is ENTP. I tap into my perceiving trait that allows me to be flexible and allow the spontaneity.
The team I lead is a collage of different colors. The trainer is a yellow, the nurse a green, my environmental tech is a blue and one of my other techs is the another red. There are a few more blues that round out the team. I have to remember to not be overbearing. Each day I have 15 minute meeting with them. I report any important information they need to know, and the things we need to focus on, but other then that I let them talk. I go around the room allowing each of them to talk. I have never developed a formal requirement of what they are to say, but they follow along what they did that day, the challenges they have and the help they need. They hold each other accountable they are contributing to the team goals and they provide me with information that can help keep things moving. I step back from being in control the entire time and let them each lead. I do interject comments from time to time and overall its an effective meeting. I feel my approach is effective because they are happy to relate to the team what they have done and they feel they can ask for help and get it from me.
Schwefel, Scott. Year (n.d.) “Your Personality and Your Brain.” TEDxBrookings. YouTube. Dec 15, 2014. Video, 15:53. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pq_tCgDkT4
My Comment:
Hi Paul,
Great job of writing down your daily goals, as it brings out the potential of someone who is determined. It makes sense that it works well with your style because drivers thrive with tangible evidence of progress and accomplishing tasks (EBS University 2018). The driver part of me loves checking things off a list after I complete them. I am glad you’re aware of the traits that Schwefel (n.d.) listed as red on bad days. I can see the fast-paced trait of drivers (EBS University 2018) being brought out during the morning meeting. Sometimes slowing down is exactly what a driver needs to do in order to take care of not coming off as aggressive, controlling, and overbearing to others. Perhaps, seeing the analytical as a needed element to achieving the end goal will help you have patience with them when they are questioning every little thing. Recognizing while, often not all the answers are there, rarely the answers will be there. That said, their thoroughness will be worth slowing down in those rare times when the answers are there. Also, slowing downtime pace is a great opportunity to enhance having care as a leader because you’re seeing that it is essentially coming from a need for them to feel comfortable. It is awesome that you’re even noticing a circumstance where there’s a need to give up control, relax, and sit back. Perhaps, you can see it as a way to gain control of the self, as EBS University (2018) mentioned that drivers need that in stressful situations. It’s amazing that you’re already allocating a lot of time to letting them talk. The amiable nurse probably appreciates that established rule that you’re going around the room allowing each person to talk because rules in a social situation is so helpful to amiable people. Since, they’re already holding each other accountable, I can see them as not thinking that you’re being overbearing. It is amazing that you’re able to be a driver and are approachable. I look forward to learning more about this team throughout the quarter.
Reference:
EBS University. 2018. “SELF‐ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL STYLES.” https://www.ebsuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SocialStyles-Assessment.pdf
Schwefel, Scott. Year (n.d.) “Your Personality and Your Brain.” TEDxBrookings. YouTube. Dec 15, 2014. Video, 15:53. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pq_tCgDkT4
Reply by Paul Hamilton:
Mary,
Thank you for the feedback. Oddly enough the second trait of mine that is also very dominate is the analytical trait. I think it balances and compliments my driver. It helps me list things out and keeps me focused. Analyticals are also unassertive and while I would say that its not a larger part of how I interact it does help me in the moments I need to take a deep breath.
Slowing down is not a bad thing. I can tell you there are times that I moved to fast and had to stop because I missed something. The resulting rework or error costs me time and sometimes credibility.
My position requires me to approachable. I have heard others state that sometimes I am too approachable and that is why I become frustrated when I get derailed on my desired tasks. The lists then become helpful because they put me back on track. There is a balance that I continue to work to create and I have not perfected it yet. I hope as we go through this course I will find more techniques to help me.