This is Part 2 of 5 in a series that will break down the presentation I gave at #heweb10 in Cincinnati on October 12, 2010. You can download the full slidedeck on slideshare.
Previous Post: Change Your Questions
At the beginning of September, I asked on Twitter how people manage to get things done at their college, considering all the road block in their way. And I wasn’t at all surprised by the answers I got:
Forgiveness comes easier than permission has practically become a mantra of this community in the past few years. And there is certainly a place for this type of thing, particularly with smaller projects. But when you’re going after larger things, eventually, you’re going to have to start working with people! And if you use this tactic too many times, you’re going to start burning bridges. Already with this mentality, it’s like you’re preparing to do battle.
Think of how many times you’ve made one of these statements:
“I’m fighting this battle”
“I’ve fought that battle before”
A better approach than preparing for battle every day is to learn to recognize the different personality types that you work with, and then adjust your communications with them so that they will be more likely to respond to what you need.
One tool I really like for this exercise is the Peoplemap. Think of it sort of like Myers Briggs, except there are only four different personality types that you have to remember: Leader, People, Task and Free Spirit. Let’s go through each, discuss how you can identify them, and then talk about how best to work with them:
A person who is a leader type likes being in control. They are big picture people – visionaries – and tend to gravitate to management roles in organizations because of that (though that’s not to say that every manager is a leader personality type). They like having the authority that comes with leadership positions – they like to tell people what to do. They also care about image – they want the corner office and the expensive suit and the fancy car and the trophy wife.
How do you work with a Leader type?
First off, when you’re meeting with them, just focus on the big picture. They are not going to be responsive if you go into every little detail. Don’t approach them with emotion – you have to be rational. You also have to give them opportunities to be in control. Ladies, it’s like when you have to let your husband think something was his idea – same with Leader types. They need things to be their idea, so let them think that. Finally, they are going to judge you based on the results you produce – not what you intended to do, but what you actually did. So meet or exceed their expectations.
The People type is exactly the opposite of Leader – they are interested in creating an emotional bond with people, and really want/need people to like them. They tend to be very friendly and extroverted, and are the best natural communicators of all the personality types.
How do you work with a People type?
First off, you have to make that bond with them first. Chat them up. Ask them about their families, what they like to do on the weekends. Make them comfortable. Unlike Leaders, don’t be afraid to share your feelings with them – they respond to that level of emotion. If you want to sell them on an idea, don’t tell them how it will benefit the bottom like of the organization. Tell them how it will benefit people. That is the argument they are going to be most responsive to.
The next type is the Task type. These are your worker bees. They are the most self-disciplined of the bunch. They like checklists and really enjoy trying to bring order out of chaos. Unlike the Leader type, the task type is very interested in very little detail of how something is accomplished.
How do you work with a Task type?
First off, you have to be on time when you’re meeting with them. This is very important – be late and it will bother them more than the other personality types and immediately get you started off on the wrong foot. Next, describe things to them in detail. You need to do that to make them comfortable with the plan. Most importantly, you need to give them time to think things over – do not expect a decision right away. Task types need to be able to process the information on their own before they come to a decision.
The final type is the Free Spirit. This is the type that will say to their boss “Tell me what you want done, and when you want it done by…then let me figure it out. Don’t micromanage me.” Free Spirits are motivated by challenge, fun and adventure. They tend to be outside the box thinkers and rebel against the typical 9-5 job.
How do you work with a Free Spirit?
First off, you have to relax. Loosen your tie. They aren’t as comfortable dealing with “suits.” Next, don’t try to control them – they are going to rebel against that almost immediately and you’ve just set yourself up for a battle. Next, be prepared for unique solutions to problems – these are outside the box thinkers. Finally, if you want to sell them on an idea, sell them on the novelty of it – Free Spirits are types that are very excited about a project at the beginning but fizzle out half way through because they’ve already moved on to other things in their heads. If you want to get them excited about something, sell them on it’s innovation.
Next Post: Tips and Tricks for Managing Projects
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