You've already been introduced to Drew ("I'm in charge!") the driver and Ann ("let me think") the analytical. There are still two more people you need to meet. The first is Andrew the amiable. As his name suggests, Andrew is a very nice person who is easy to get along with. That's because relationships are very important to him. Even when he was a little boy, Andrew enjoyed being with his parents (he was always asking to be picked up and held), siblings (he loved tagging along with his big brothers), and friends from school (he joined many clubs). He always had to be involved in what was going on. And if his big brothers would start fighting, he would intervene and settle the dispute. Andrew seemed to always have a knack for calming down excited people, and it has always been important to him that everyone get along.
That's why Andrew does so well in his job in the human resources department. He likes being able to help the disgruntled employees who come to see him. And after he helps them and cheers them up, he tells them what a great place it is to work and wishes them a nice day. Maybe not everyone believes Andrew when he tells them that, but the company is grateful that he does instill loyalty in many employees.
Like Ann, Andrew is not an aggressive individual who makes decisions easily. If Andrew had a desire to become CEO of his company, he would have to overcome his desire to avoid conflict at all costs. It would also be best for the company to have someone like Ann as the financial planner and someone like Drew in charge of strategic planning. But Andrew does have great people skills and is liked by everyone. Making sure you have an Andrew on your team will help the company's vision become reality.
Away from the office, Andrew is happily married. (Surprised?) He devotes a lot of time and effort to his marriage and is extremely supportive of his wife, Erin, whom we'll meet next time. He has two kids whom he dotes on. Yes, he spoils them a little, but he just wants them to be happy, that's all. Andrew the amiable wants everyone to be happy.
Taking Personality Into Account
You know who you are...don't you? Personality types affect every aspect of life. Involvement with people means having to learn how to successfully communicate based on individual personalities. When you understand an individual's personality, your relationship with him will improve dramatically.
There are specific ways to handle and approach every personality. Successful communication is essential to productivity in any industry, regardless of the complexity level. You can know (or have a pretty good idea) how individuals will respond to certain business and personal situations by identifying their personality type.
The four major personality types are driver, analytical, amiable, and expressive. An individual can possess characteristics of two types, but there is usually only one primary personality type.
Drivers are results-oriented individuals. Impatience and high energy are hallmarks of their being. Expressives love being the center of attention and enjoy talking. They are often very creative. Individuals with an amiable personality tend to be good listeners. They have a more relaxed posture and are likely to give in to pressure. The orderly and ceremonious analyticals tend to be very efficient. One indicator of an analytical personality type
is the overall conservativeness of his dress.
You can learn what makes people tick. It is a worthwhile investment to find out who you're really working with and who you really are.
Understanding Personality Styles
Customers should beware...but not of you. Are you a people person, always concerned about what others feel and think? Or perhaps getting the job done without regard to feelings is more your forte. Do you like to know every last detail before reaching a decision? Is having fun in everything you choose to do important to you?
Every aspect of society is ruled by the various personality types— well almost— but everything is influenced by the personalities of the people involved. Working with account
holders, suppliers, customers in any industry means that you have to learn how to successfully communicate with people based on their individual personality style. Your
relationship with them will improve dramatically by understanding their personality style.
That is not to say that most of your customers have a difficult personality. There are specific ways to handle and approach each personality style that addresses their communication needs. Successful communication is essential to productivity in any industry regardless of the complexity level. You can predict (or have a pretty good idea) how individuals will respond to certain business and personal situations by identifying their personality type. Each serves its unique purpose in life. No one personality is better than another; it is only that they are different from one other.
In dealing with personality types, there are no set norms, but there are communication styles that can be used with each personality to make communication with them more successful. Training on personality and style will improve your effectiveness and your ability to help as a customer service representative who has to deal with irate and/or dissatisfied account holders as many of us do. There are four major personality types: driver, analytical, amiable, and expressive. An individual can possess two types but there generally is one primary and one secondary personality type. The primary type is biological in origin while the secondary is usually picked up through life experiences.
Drivers are results-oriented individuals. Impatience and high energy are hallmarks of their temperament.
Expressives don't mind at all letting the representative "have it." Since you don't want to lose their business (or any other business), you have to know how to effectively handle an incident with them. Individuals with an amiable personality tend to be good listeners. They have a more relaxed posture and are likely to "give-in" to pressure. The orderly and ceremonious analytical tends to be very efficient in what they do. If an individual with an analytical personality comes in to open an account of any type, be prepared to give statistics (probably beyond the standard ones posted) and to provide an accurate, full disclosure of what is involved. An indicator of an analytical personality type is an overall picture of being
conservative.
There are many natural indicators of personality types. You may exhibit the behavior of a certain type without giving it a technical name. Would you be more likely to say, "close the window!" or "can you please close the window?" Would you say that you move "more rigidly?" or "more freely?" These everyday responses give clues about the type of personality of the individual. How freely or rigidly you move about can say a lot about how responsive you are to situations, business and otherwise. If you tend to give specific orders that you expect to be completed (like a driver) instead of asking for them to be done (like an expressive ), this will indicate how forceful your personality is. The colors you wear and like as part of your decor are expressions of your personality.
Turning a negative situation into a positive one seems less farfetched once you identify the personality types involved. What draws people to you or pushes them away from you? The answer lies in your personality. By tuning into an individual's personality type, you know how to more effectively control the way you talk with that client. Finding the "right way" to deal with customers involves studying, identifying, and accepting their personality type. We've all heard the saying that "money makes the world go around," haven't we? People make the money go around, so it is only natural that financial success and strong "people skills" go hand-in-hand. It is a worthwhile investment to equip yourself and your co- workers to handle all kinds of people based on identifying their personality type. If you are not in a position to ensure that employees receive appropriate training, appeal to your department heads.
