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Take Into Account Personality Styles When Communicating - Analytic, Amiable, Expressive, Driver

by Larry and Rebecca Lacy

“We shall never understand one another until we reduce the language to seven words.” —Kahil Gilbran

As we travel throughout the country training organizations of all sizes and descriptions, there is one constant that we find repeated in all of them: Communication is the No. 1 problem. Indeed, in any group of two or more people, there is a possibility of faulty communication. This is the largest threat to the success of any organization. What we have found is that one of the key differentiators between a successful organization and one that is on the path to failure is the willingness of the leaders to recognize communication problems and to do something about it.

It’s a funny thing that we humans are so unprepared to go out into the world and communicate with each other effectively. It is the one activity that we all must do to survive in the world, but we are given little instruction about how to do it well. It is just something that everyone is expected to know once we have been taught basic grammar as children. Too bad that no one ever told us that every time we open our mouths, or keep silent, it is an opportunity to make or break a relationship.

One of the ways that many managers attempt to prevent communication issues is to hire “in their own image.” This means that they surround themselves with people who think and act much like they do. While this has its merits, the downside is much more detrimental. The manager creates an unbalanced workforce with little creativity, and no one to raise the flag when something does not make sense.

Effective leaders will employ another tactic. They will analyze the current team’s strengths and weaknesses, and hire accordingly. Sometimes this means leaving their comfort zone because the new team members quite possibly will have very different ways of thinking. This, in turn, may mean that the team’s cohesiveness is threatened. So, what precautions can a leader take to ensure that as the team grows and diversity of personality types is achieved, the team will remain a strong cohesive unit? The first step is to consciously decide that this is the desired outcome. Do you really want a team that represents different thought processes and works to maintain a productive environment? If so, this must be clearly conveyed to the rest of the team through words and actions. It must also be conveyed to candidates you are interviewing since many people really don’t want to work in such an environment, as surprising as that may seem.

The next step is for the entire team to develop an understanding of what makes people tick—specifically to understand the four personality styles and how they each react to various stimuli.

The Greek physician Hippocrates is credited with discovering, in the year 400 B.C., that behavior can be divided into various styles. Today, it is widely held that there are four primary types. Although there are a myriad of labels, the descriptions are essentially the same.

About 70% of individuals will possess two or more of the traits. Additionally, many people will demonstrate a different primary trait depending upon the setting. For example, we work with a doctor who is a driver at work, and is amiable at home. Below are brief descriptions of the four types.

Analytic Amiable

Thinking-oriented Relationship-oriented
Wants to know “why” Loves harmony
Lives according to facts, principles, and logic Unifier
Needs space Hates conflict
Solo operator Needs to feel safe in decision-making process

Expressive* Driver

Intuition-oriented Action-oriented
Influential Likes to be in control
Future focused Present focused
Not interested in routine More interested in getting
things done than pleasing
people
Lots of hand/body motion
May seem impulsive

*It should be noted that Expressives are often called the chameleon personality because they can assume any of the other traits as needed. Perhaps this is why so many actors are Expressives.

As you can see, each has a place within an organization. Each brings both strengths and weaknesses with them. Understanding what motivates them and how they make the other types react is key to attaining a truly cohesive team. Listed below are perceived productive behaviors and counter-productive behaviors for each type.

Productive Behaviors Counter-Productive

Analytic

Help people to learn and grow Causes trouble
Assists people to work together Acts separately
Builds trust Criticizes
Provides tools to help the team Back-stabs

Amiable

Creates harmony Creates confusion
Helps to unify the team Goes passive
Provides a steadying influence Is complacent
Insures that everyone is working cohesively May seem lazy or indifferent

Expressive

Helps to “sell” objectives of the team Manipulates
Mutually benefiting Self-serving
Everyone winning Takes advantage
Honesty and truthfulness Not good with routines

Driver

Inspiring Wants to be in CONTROL Guiding
Wants results at all costs

Builds self-esteem in others Demanding
Shows the team the way to success Pushy

In stressful situations, it is natural for people to go to their counter-productive behaviors unless they understand the triggers and decide not to fall into the trap. As an example, if a Driver is pushing an Analytic for a quick decision, the result will be just the opposite. The harder an Analytic is pushed, the more she/he is likely to retreat into the “cave.” If the Driver pushes an Amiable, a possible result is that the Amiable will go passive. In both examples, the Driver gets the exact opposite of the desired results.

How can this information help you in leading your team? Once you understand the basic traits and how they react to various stimuli, you can ensure that you are providing your staff with what they need to succeed. You can also help others to understand that they will have a much better chance of getting what they want by staying productive.

Second Part of this article is here

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