 Knowing your Personality Dimensions means never having to say “I’m Sorry” at work, or in any interaction. Let’s face it communication at work (or anywhere for that matter) is a two way street. Often we are surprised at the messages we receive, or we can take offence. But, have you stopped to think how your receiver works? Ever been listening to the radio (I know ancient technology) – and you start to hear it crackle and fizz. The same thing applies when communication between two individuals occurs – our mental filters cram up the signals and trouble can occur. One of those mental filters (and there are many) is your hard wired personality type – layered on with life experience, we make mental judgments about others and their message as a result of these filters. Let’s look at the temperament model to see how this can play out. Sally (Authentic Blue) is a team leader at Crackle Call Centre – she has a team of 15 agents. Sally has an amazing ability to read people, at work, she can tell if someone is feeling down or unhappy. One day at work, Sally spots Carl (Inquiring Green), looking puzzled, he was trying to sort out a client issue, and it was affecting the team overall call times. Sally approached Carl to see what she could do to help. To her surprise, Carl said – “I don’t need any help, I can fix it myself.” Sally felt awful and asked herself. “Did I say something to offend him?” “ Why doesn’t he want my help?”, “Does he think I’m incompetent and can’t help him?” This is typical self talk that the Blue Personality Style will engage in. They will typically (if unaware) take the message personally, and in some cases stew about it and talk about it with others in order to validate their feelings. Carl on the other hand was simply stating that he did not need help. The Green Personality Type values competence, so Carl may think that Sally thought he could not handle the situation. If Sally were aware of Carl’s Style, she would know that Inquiring Greens have an independent work style- and could have changed her message slightly to . “I know you love a puzzle Carl, just let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”If Carl were aware of Sally’s Persoanlity Style he could temper his message by adapting to her Style, thanking her for help but politely refusing, thus preserving the relationship. Wow! Interesting how a simple daily interchange can escalate into a Work World War. These types of interchanges happen daily in the workplace. Some tips on how to avoid them:
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About IreneI love to help people become their best selves. transition and change is with us always, we are constantly re-inventing ourselves and that requires commitment and a process. Older Posts
January 2022
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