Has your team got you scratching your head and wondering….mmmmmmmmm……sometimes? A message from Sandy, let’s continue with more enlightenment about the possible  behaviors of individuals on your team.

Performers: Flamboyant and loud, jovial and entertaining, performers are often the favorite personality in the workplace. They make us laugh; they seem to roll with the punches, finding humor even in bad news.

In fact performers are actually self-promoting , they can create a false impression of their status and importance by always seeming to be in a hurry and talking about their high-profile projects. In fact the reason performers are in such a hurry is that they have been so busy promoting themselves that their workload has really backed up. The motivator for a performer is the need for recognition. Always the first to volunteer, they will over-promise to look good. Performers need to be monitored to ensure they deliver what they promised. If they don’t reach their goals they can deny responsibility, blame others, or rationalize away their failure to produce.

The greatest strength of performers is their ability to establish–not necessarily maintain —relationships. Their wit and mental quickness equip them to charm and delight others with ambassadorial sophistication.

In giving feedback to a performer, try telling a story in which the undesirable behavior is assigned to someone you worked with at another time. The indirect approach allows the performer to get the message later. Performers can be poor with administrative details, either shore up this weakness with strong support personnel, or build incentives into the review system to ensure compliance with administrative expectations. Value and validate their ability to establish new relationships.

Avoiders: Avoiders are the stereotypical wallflowers of the world. Quiet and reserved, they create warm, cozy, nest-like environments and prefer to work alone. Fear is almost always a factor for avoiders. If forced to work on a team or committee, they will speak only in superficial terms, cliches, or to validate what someone else has already said.

Fear also prevents them from taking initiative. They shun both recognition and increased responsibility because both impose undesirable levels of visibility and accountability. Avoiders will sacrifice money, position, growth, and new opportunities for safety.

The greatest strength of avoiders is their commitment to doing the job right the first time, every time. They can be relied upon to do exactly what they are told–no more, but no less.

When giving feedback to an avoider, it’s important not to threaten them. What motivates their behavior is the need for security, so fear is disabling to them. Be sure they are aware that their job is not at risk and they will need reassurance at the conclusion of your conversation. Always provide detailed instructions in writing. Value and validate your avoiders for their meticulous attention to instructions.

Analyticals: Cautious, precise, and diligent, analyticals proofread photocopies as they come out of the copier. They are the personification of procrastination, checking everything two and three times, over-analyzing it. It is near obsession with detail that incapacitates them in times of urgency.

It seems that no matter what new idea anyone has, analyticals have a reason why is shouldn’t be done. Analyticals prefer data to people. People have emotions, and emotions are not logical; data on the other hand, has no emotions, data is logical. The motivator for analytical behavior is the need for certainty, which is why it can take them hours to answer a question. They have to be certain that they have responded fully to every part of your question.

The greatest strength of an analytical is their ability to see several steps ahead and to anticipate the various potential risks. If there is a downside, they can be relied upon to reveal it far enough in advance to avoid it.

To have a good working relationship with your analytical, show respect for details. When a project is submitted, be sure to go through and highlight sections, asking meaningful questions, appreciating that you can rely on them for any other explanations needed. Help them meet deadlines more comfortably by breaking projects down into interim steps. Value and validate the analyticals commitment to providing accurate information.

Achievers: Content, peaceful, and pleasant to be around,achievers are self-confident without being arrogant. Unlike other personalities who must exact something from others to establish their sense of self, achievers develop their sense of self through inner directedness ad self-discipline.

Achievers exude a serenity and authenticity that illuminates the absence of hidden agendas, and they hold themselves accountable for their results. Genuinely interested in the opinions of others, achievers actively seek feedback, listening carefully for the value provided in criticism. They find humor in their shortcomings and make appropriate adjustments.

Their greatest strength is their ability to positively influence others.

Achievers don’t run around moralizing, philosophizing and admonishing others. Achiever subordinates are very low-maintenance individuals. They adhere to their own performance standards, which are likely to be considerably higher than most. Achievers are not driven by personal gain, and they can be relied upon to focus consistently on what’s best for the organization. Value and validate the achiever’s objectivity and their ability to interact effectively with all behavioral styles.

No absolutes—-there aren’t any when working with human behavior, but this may shine a light and help you to understand your employees better. Some team members may seem to fit a particular profile exactly, while others may reflect a combination of several styles. This is what keeps things interesting!