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TRAINING & CONSULTING PUBLICATIONS

PERSONALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

We frequently get asked to help managers, supervisors, executives, board members and front-line workers to understand personality differences. As a starting point, we begin with one of the many typologies that owe their origins to the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. This particular approach was developed by Nisberg, Reimer, and Trump. It is based on research into a group of individuals who were the subject of Studs Terkel's book simply titled, 'WORKING'. We like this typology because it focuses on people at work. This typology features four basic types; THE THINKER, THE DOER, THE FEELER AND THE INTUITOR. The centrefold provides a great deal of information about each of the four types. Michael Maccoby, the author of "Why Work?" added to our understanding. His research taught us what type of work environment each personality type is likely to find most appealing; what type of leadership each is likely to best respond to; and what type of leader each is likely to be. STRESS AND NON-STRESS The research behind the concepts introduced in this reading has revealed that, while we each of us has a fairly definite personality profile that is enduring and predictable, that profile may change considerably with the amount of stress we experience. It may change as we move from conditions in which we have a great deal of control and freedom to choose how we behave such as may occur during a quiet evening at home (non-stress), to conditions in which we have little control and our choices are severely constrained by circumstance such as may occur at work (stress). USING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TYPES Once you begin to understand personality types this knowledge can be used 1. To diagnose the personality type of the people we work with or the people that we would like to influence. 2. To understand our own personality and how others perceive it, and 3. To deal with others more effectively. There are many specific applications of the theory in the workplace, among them are.. PARALLELING In paralleling, you try to interact with others in the type that they exhibit, rather than your own preference. COMPLEMENTING One is 'complementing' when one deliberately adopts a type different from that of another to add a new perspective to an issue. PERSONALITY TYPE AND INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT It is particularly useful to understand the differences between people when they encounter disagreement and conflict. While there are obviously some differences that are based on content, many interpersonal conflicts come from clashes of personality types. One type simply does not perceive an external event the same way another type does. Look at the table on the backpage to see how one personality type can perceive another. TEAM BUILDING Strong work teams are built around the strengths of each of the four types. The best teams are those with the greatest amount of tolerance for and acceptance of the diversity of human personality. TIME & STRESS MANAGEMENT Short training programs in Time or Stress Management often fail because they do not take into account the unique way in which each type views time or experiences stress. LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT People who assume responsibility for the work of others have a great need to understand personality differences. Whether hiring, assigning, monitoring, directing, supporting, counseling or delegating, they need to know how to respond to Feelers, Thinkers, Doers, Intuitors appropriately. WRITING & SPEAKING We have all been taught that we should write or speak with the audience in mind but Personality Typing allows us to take this lesson beyond the usual. SELLING Sales professionals are learning how important personality is to sales. Different types respond differently to the same sales approach. Tailoring the sales approach to the personality of the buyer pays off. The list of possibilities is endless..

THE BASICS OF PERSONALITY TYPES TYPE BEST EFFECTIVE Data oriented, Deliberative, Weighs alternatives, Consistent, Objective, Rational, Analytical, Exact & precise, Well organized, Steady, Consistent producer, Cool under pressure OPERATING AT BEST: Consistent force for progress. Cuts through untested ideas and emotional fervor. Highly effective in organizing research and planning. EFFECTIVE Action-oriented, Practical, Assertive, Skillful, Objective, Decisive, Resourceful Achievement oriented, Assessment in measurable terms

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WORST INEFFECTIVE Indecisive, Over-cautious, Too serious, Unemotional, Non-dynamic, Controlling, Nit-picking, Inflexible, Rigid, Insecure, Disinterested in human feelings OPERATING AT WORST: Overly cautious and conservative. Indecisive. Stumbling b lock to actions that depart from tradition. Rigid and dogmatic.

THINKER
ALSO KNOWN AS EXPERT, JUDGE, ANALYTICAL, ADMINISTRATOR

DESCRIPTION: Places high value on logic, ideas and systematic inquiry. Useful at problem identification, developing alternative solutions, weighing, testing. TIME ORIENTATION: Linear from past to present to future. STEREOTYPES Introvert: Researcher Extrovert: Middle Manager/Consultant

DOER
ALSO KNOWN AS SENSOR, DEFENDER ,WARRIOR PRODUCER

DESCRIPTION: Places high value on action, results and practicality. Useful at translating ideas into something practical and workable. TIME ORIENTATION: Present STEREOTYPES Introvert: Rugged Individualist Small Business Owner Extrovert: Coach

INEFFECTIVE Short sighted, Cannot handle ideas, Overbearing, Self-seeking, Poor planner, Does not trust others, Impulsive, Dogmatic, Biased, Opinionated, Anti-intellectual OPERATING AT BEST: Dynamo, OPERATING AT WORST: Fails committed, growth oriented, to consider long-range resourceful, pragmatic, well consequences. "Short circuits" organized, hard driving. significant steps in planning Constructively impatient. Works process. Imposes expectations tirelessly to coach less skillful. on others. Over emphasizes short-term results. Acts impulsively. EFFECTIVE: Effective with people, Spontaneous, Persuasive, Emphatic, Values people, Warm and reasonable, Loyal, Informal, Politically aware Perceptive, Anticipates responses, Sensitive to needs OPERATING AT BEST: Skilled in communication. Patient, practical listener and observer. Accurate assessor of organizational politics. Reduces resisting forces. EFFECTIVE Ideological, Conceptual, Innovative, Imaginative, Creative. Broad perspective, Intellectually persistent, Insightful, Sees relationships between abstract parts OPERATING AT BEST: Leader and visionary. Focuses on crux of situation. Cuts through smoke screen of tradition. Brings up fresh, novel approaches and ideas. INEFFECTIVE Too soft, Manipulative, Over-personalizes, Sentimental, Guilt-ridden, Probing, Subjective, Too casual, Thin skinned, Over reactive OPERATING AT WORST: More concerned with process than content. Less on logic and more on "gut reaction". Concerned with emotional impact only. Defensive and over-reactive. INEFFECTIVE Wordy, Too abstract, Unrealistic, "Pie-in-the-sky", Not relevant, Out-of-touch, Vague, Pipe dreaming, Not practical, Hard to "pin down", too unstructured OPERATING AT WORST: Long on vision: short on action. Avoids tedious nitty-gritty details. Does not see necessity of documenting. Impatient with those who demand detailed evidence.

FEELER
ALSO KNOWN AS HELPER, FACILITATOR,

DESCRIPTION: Places high value on human interaction. Useful in social, interpersonal setting, and assisting others with problems. TIME ORIENTATION: Past STEREOTYPES Introvert: Counsellor, Helper Extrovert: Sales, Life of the party

INTUITOR
ALSO KNOWN AS ARTIST, INNOVATOR, ENTREPRENEUR

DESCRIPTION: Places high value on ideas, innovation, concepts, theory, long-range thinking. Useful at problem identification, policy making, priorizing long-term development. TIME ORIENTATION: Future STEREOTYPES Introvert: Absent-minded professor Extrovert: Futurist

PERSONALITY TYPES AT WORK How to quickly Diagnose types... THINKER Work environment: Neat/sterile, Technical books, Landscape paintings, Conservative Dress:: Neatly dressed, Coordinated clothes and accessories, Conservative Reading: Technical books, "'How to" books, Detective stories, Mechanical books Recreation and Hobbies: Building, Woodwork, Handicrafts, Puzzles, Games (bridge), Gardening Body Language: Gives impression of sitting back, May count on fingers when dealing with points, Hides emotions, Little facial expression DOER Work environment: Cluttered and disorderly, Action pictures, trophies Dress: Functional and simple, Jacket off, Sleeves rolled up Reading: Does' t read much, Action books, Sports, Spy stories, Westerns Recreation and Hobbies: Participative, Sports, Gambling, Competitive situations Body Language: Often demon-strative, Indications of being active, harried and impatient, Uses him/herself physically to dominate environment (e.g. may violate personal space of others). FEELER Work environment: Comfortable surroundings, Personal mementos, Colourful, Traditional Dress: Casual but appropriate, Colourful, Dresses for impression Reading: People oriented, Psychology, Autobiographical, Historical novels, Love Recreation and Hobbies: Camping, Collecting antiques, Community work, People oriented activity, Traveling Body Language: Uses active listening behaviours, Tends to touch people, Shows emotions INTUITOR Work environment: Relatively messy, Lots of books (theoretical), Modern furniture, Abstract paintings Dress: Introvert-not fashion minded, Extrovert-modern and out of ordinary Reading: Philosophy, theory, concepts, Science fiction, New ideas and concepts Recreation and Hobbies: Creative activities, Arts and crafts, Music, New, Complicated board games, Designing Body Language: Often takes reflective pose. Can be dynamic when dealing with ideas

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Communications, Decisions, Service... COMMUNICATIONS: Precise, Develops thoughts in logical patterns and talks the same way. Thinks before speaking, unless dealing with familiar topic. Tends to debate. Listens well. DECISION-MAKING: Must have a lot of data. Must have alternatives. Needs time to make decisions. APPROACH TO SERVICE: Service is performance, achievement, meeting a standard of excellence. They give advice as opposed to helping, or solving client problems. They see Feelers as too involved and Doers as too emotional and irrational. COMMUNICATIONS: Doesn't waste words. Confrontative. Not too concerned with the meaning of words. Says what pops into his head. Pushes into conversations. Listens poorly. DECISION-MAKING: Very decisive. Jumps to conclusions. Wants to know the results.. APPROACH TO SERVICE: Service is either advocacy for clients or customers against the "system", or defense of the "system" against cheats, subversives, abusers, wasters, etc. They are often angry, confrontative defenders against injustice. They see "Thinkers" as bureaucrats and "Feelers" as weak. They thrive in internal or external control roles such as auditing, police work, or taxation depts. COMMUNICATIONS: Spontaneous speech, Backtracks if feels he is being misunderstood or if he/she misread the situation. Connects himself with others (name dropper). May say what he/she thinks you want to hear. Humorous. Listens well DECISION-MAKING: Needs to understand effect on others. Consideration of who else has done something. Needs low threat environment. APPROACH TO SERVICE: For Feelers, service is care for the client or customer, or care for the person they serve internally. They see the "Thinkers" as impersonal and the "Doers" as conflict producing. COMMUNICATIONS: Pedantic, Broad topics, Sometimes disoriented (jumps all over the place), References to recent readings and new ideas, Self-centered re communication, Listens poorly unless she is really interested in topic. DECISION-MAKING: Hard to pin down details. Must understand overall implications APPROACH TO SERVICE: Service means building a system that can meet client and customer needs and wants in new and exciting ways. Clients are pieces in a giant puzzle. They are seen in terms of roles, relationships, and structure rather than as individuals. At their best, they will design the new service organizations of the future; at their worst they are "pie-in-the-sky" dreamers and tinkerers.

WANTS FROM WORK, WANTS FROM 'BOSS', AS A 'BOSS'...

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notes

THINKERS: Ideal job offers independent judgment and personal control. They want external recognition and inner satisfaction. Payment and promotion are their highest form of recognition. They want respect as professionals. They want a challenge that they can master and be left alone to do it. They like to see the finished job and know they did well. IDEAL BOSS: They want a boss with clear goals, high standards, who delegates, gives freedom, respects, listens, helps if needed, recognizes them but isn't around too much (but they can rarely be that way themselves). They don't like loose, uncertain bosses nor do they want participation in every decision. "Tell me what to do but not how!" AS A BOSS: They believe that their effectiveness as a boss depends upon controlling their subordinates. They pick other Thinkers to work for them. They have a hard time giving praise. They write off poor performers and don't waste time developing them. They are sticklers for rules, want to know everything and second-guess their staff. At their best they "take-charge", set clear goals, delegate and follow up to make sure plans are carried out. Some learn to provide needed recognition.. DOERS thrive on results, making a difference and achieving a sense of justice and triumph over enemies. To do this they need power. Money and promotion are seen as rights not rewards. If they don't get them, they become angry and feel exploited. They want to be treated with dignity and be heard. IDEAL BOSS: They want bosses they can trust to defend principles and a sense of dignity. When they stick their neck out they want a boss who will back them. They dislike bosses who play favourites, who tolerate "apple polishers", or who withhold the truth or lie. At their worst, Doers divide organizations, are bullies and tyrants whose anger, suspicion and self-righteousness isolate them. AS A BOSS: Doers become bosses in disproportionate numbers. They are effective fighters, build loyal teams, and protect their staff. They are particularly successful in organizations where there is little trust. They want to maintain power at all cost and often support loyal incompetents. The desire for power coupled with an idealistic zeal for a "cause" can attract others as "soldiers". They are tough and demand openness from staff. FEELERS seek good relationships, the opportunity to see people benefit and grow. Their rewards are being needed and appreciated. They need to be able to help and to be rewarded for helping. IDEAL BOSS: They want bosses who care, listen and help. They want to be part of a team in which member's support and care for each other. Their idealism and desire to make a difference in the lives of others is often nave. Lack of impact can lead to personal problems that are best handled in a caring, supportive environment. AS A BOSS: Feelers often do not want to be the boss but when they are, they enjoy developing others and building teams. They work hard to develop those without skills and to understand those who are not motivated. They often foster dependency, over-involve, and avoid tough decisions. They work hard to humanize bureaucracies but can get frustrated and burnout easily especially in an "expert" dominated system. INTUITORS thrive on opportunities to explore, invent, experiment, play and make changes, if they don't find it, they move on or set up outside ventures in their free time. They value freedom, independence, teamwork, flexibility, and fun at work. They get extremely committed and work can become their life. IDEAL BOSS: They want bosses who are intellectually bright and who give them a great deal of freedom to make changes and to innovate. They particularly dislike the bureaucracies created by "experts". They prefer to work for other innovators but can tolerate and thrive under bosses who let them do their thing with a minimum of interference. AS A BOSS: Intuitors are often charismatic, visionary leaders who inspire others with their enthusiasm and commitment to their dreams. They dislike bureaucracy and create new organizational designs that others often find liberating and exciting. At their worst, they are seen as egotists and manipulators, all hype, no substance dreamers. They have little tolerance for those who refuse to accept their vision. People become "chess pieces".

as viewed by a... THINKER DOER

Too research oriented, overly complicated, too analytical, too much red tape, a dog chasing his own tail. Not action oriented, geared to administrative needs rather than "bottom line", too slow thinking. Hedging can't make up mind, avoiding specific commitment re time, place, funds, etc., too concerned about eventualities and exceptions, lacking guts.

FEELER
Mechanistic, cut and dried, too much faith in numbers, too task-oriented, overly structured, insensitive . Too formal, lacking enthusiasm, lack of spontaneity, light touch missing, inconsiderate of feelings, no sense of humour. Tradition bound, playing it safe, fearful, defensive, more concerned about form and protecting own image rather than have something good happen for others.

INTUITOR
Pedantic, belaboring the obvious, repetitious, plodding, too concerned with minor details. Overly cautious, too concerned about present constraints of the system, locked in to way of thinking only willing to make minor adjustments, conservative. Locked into the past and tradition, lacking vision, unimaginative, lacking originality, too structured.

errors
Over explain. Be too non committal. Monotonic. Not express feelings enough-lack affect. Appear pedantic Asking too many fast questions. Present in too rigid a fashion.

THINKER

Generally, strong primary thinkers will relate well, though they may end up in long debates

Lacking in depth, piece meal, shrewd, lucky, and acting on untested assumptions and vague objectives. Making premature commitments; changeable, impulsive, ignoring past progress, short sighted, crisis oriented Lacking a systematic approach, not cooperating with others, too independent, rejecting the value of research and development, not using sound tested business approach. Too impulsive, relying too much on gut reaction, not thought through, swayed too easily by others, nave, too subjective. Lack of research, documentation and factual data, running with untested ideas, not appreciating established and sound methods, not objective. Failing to delineate and weigh alternatives, making commitments to people without considering available resources and other constraints, failing to forecast outcomes. Too general and abstract, with inadequate detail and documentation. Too radical a departure from the past, violating tradition. Pie-in-the sky, too "far out", untested.

Strong primary doers will relate well with each other. However, these people are often in conflict, as they believe they each have the solution to problems and try to force it on the other.
Impractical, nice guy, too soft, not realistic, immature, blowing things out of proportion. Thin skinned, too sensitive to feelings that may get in the way, inconsistent-changing your position with changing political winds, yielding too readily when the going gets tough, not hard nosed enough, wishy-washy, defensive. Not getting details specified. Not results oriented, too non-directive, leave things too open-ended, too much relating. Impractical, typical ivory tower stuff, "your head's in the clouds". Unproven, "why should I be your guinea pig?" approaches like this have got us into trouble in the past." Too wordy, "get to the point", too roundabout, wasting time talking in generalities.

Too task oriented rather than people oriented, only concerned with ends regardless of means or process. Ramrodding, overly stubborn, pushing people around rather than influencing them, dictator, too directive, old guard, authoritarian. Insensitive to feelings, not listening to other view points, suspicious, taking risks without concern that others may get hurt, using others for personal gain, no loyalty to others.

Too simplistic, bull-in-china-shop, shooting from the hip, and self-centered. Too concerned with immediate or short-term results with little concern for long-term direction, fundamental policies or long-term objectives. Opport-unistic, swayed too much by competitive pressures, too commercially oriented, insufficiently professional, putting the cart before the horse

FEELER

Generally strong primary style feelers relate well to one another

Try to close too fast. Not ask enough questions. Command. Jump in conversation and not let client finish. Tell too strong - put client on the defensive. Not take time to learn objections. Spend too Too concerned about much time feelings of others, talking about accepting ideas of others the past. without discretion, Forget to cite over-reactive, worrisome. facts. Over Superficial in approach, simplify. lacking vision, no Rely on your conceptual depth, lacking personality in overall perspective. and not on Too concerned with the data . Tell too politics of the situation, "short term" and "stop gap" many stories. in approach, opportunistic, Take too long too gimmicky. Avoid unpleasant facts. Jumping about. Too many issues. Appear ego - centered. Too lengthy dogmatic, judgmental condescendi ng. Too abstract. Too much concept , not enough "how". Never close.

DOER

INTUITOR

Too theoretical, bookish, unintelligible, too complex. Threatening, lacking structure, not respecting the past. Something "we're not ready for", lacking concern for people, insensitive to emotional reaction.

Generally strong primary style intuitors relate well to one another

back panel

fold-in panel

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS Your instructor will help you score the COMMON SENSE questionnaire. This process will produce two sets of four numbers between 9 and 36. The first set is for stress conditions (SC), and the second for favorable or non-stress conditions (FC). The letters, I, T, F, and D refer to Intuitor, Thinker, Feeler and Doer respectively. Transfer your questionnaire results to the grids to the right by circling the appropriate number or dot on the scales provided. Join the circles to create a profile. Scores from the questionnaire that range from 9 to 14 indicate that you are very much like the type; scores in the range 28 to 36 indicate that you are not at all like that type. For some, the profile may be balanced with most scores in the middle range and within 5 points of the lowest score; others may have a more distinct profile with one type clearly dominant and the others much less so. Your profile may change significantly from stress to non-stress or may simply be exaggerated. Share your profile with someone who knows you well. Ask for feedback. If the other person agrees with the test results, ask for examples of behaviour that fit the profile. If they disagree, ask why. (While the test is a reliable indicator, it doesn't work for everyone.) Your instructor will assist you to understand your profile better. Michael Maccoby reports that in large organizations, as many as 40-60% of persons tested were Thinkers. Feelers accounted for another 9 to 15%. Doers and Intuitors were less common in bureaucracies. He has also identified a new, emerging and significant fifth type, which he calls the SELF DEVELOPER and which is growing in numbers. While only 14% of the over forty crowd fell into this category, 30% of the 30 year olds did and the percentage grows as age declines! This new type sees work is a means to a self-fulfilling life. Work is building a resume. They want new learning, growth and development. Money is a means to become independent. They are natural team players but want a unique role. They want leaders to lead. They dont want to be the boss. They would rather be equals with other adults. When they do become the boss, they are not threatened by staff who know more. They like meetings, teams and fun. Others see them as not very caring, self-serving, and uncommitted.

Stress Conditions (SC) INTUITOR THINKER FEELER DOER 9 9 9 9 12 12 12 12 15 15 15 15 18 18 18 18 21 21 21 21 24 24 24 24 27 27 27 27 30 30 30 30 33 33 33 33 36 36 36 36 Favourable Conditions (FC) INTUITOR THINKER FEELER DOER 9 9 9 9 12 12 12 12 15 15 15 15 18 18 18 18 21 21 21 21 24 24 24 24 27 27 27 27 30 30 30 30 33 33 33 33 36 36 36 36

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TRAINING & CONSULTING PUBLICATIONS

Box 545 Winnipeg Beach, Man. Canada R0C 3G0. Phone (204) 992-2746 Fax 389-4798, e-Mail al_holmes@mts.net, web site www.sequus.org