Article

Understanding the Four Behavioral Styles

Topic: Management SkillsBy Susan CullenPublished Recently added

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Below you will learn more about the four behavioral styles: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Learn the goals and fears of each style, what they tend to overuse and how each style can be more effective. DOMINANCE – Focuses on Controlling the Environment Goals
  • Wants to get results
  • Likes “do it and do it now” approaches
  • Wants to be in charge
  • Likes new opportunities and challenges
  • Wants opportunity for advancement
  • Likes initiating change and taking risks
Fears/Avoids
  • Being taken advantage of
  • Losing control over the environment
  • Boredom
  • Being tied to routine
  • Appearing weak or soft
To Be More Effective
  • Develop more patience with other people
  • Learn to negotiate with others
  • Develop greater awareness of other people’s needs
  • Verbalize reasons for conclusions.
Overuses
  • Creating challenges
  • Moving people and situations around in his/her favor
  • Change for the sake of doing something new
INFLUENCING – Focuses Energies on Others Goals
  • Wants to be involved with people
  • Wants to have fun while getting things done
  • Likes to help people talk things out
  • Wants freedom from following through on details
  • Making a favorable impression
Fears/Avoids
  • Being blamed for things going wrong
  • Having people be upset with him/her
  • Not being liked
  • Public humiliation
To be More Effective
  • Become more objective in making decisions
  • Develop more organized, systematic approaches to tasks
  • Improve follow-through by paying attention to key details
  • Learn to be direct and firm when confronting others
  • Gain more control over use of time
Overuses
  • Emotional expressions or outbursts — others may feel attacked
  • Verbalizing thoughts and feelings
  • Humor, playfulness
  • Meetings, discussions
STEADINESS – Focuses on Cooperating with Others Goals
  • Likes to be involved with people
  • Wants everyone to do their share
  • Likes things to run smoothly
  • Wants stability and security
  • Wants conflict-free environment
  • Enjoys being a good listener
  • Calming excited people
Fears/Avoids
  • Situations where nobody knows what is happening
  • Confusion and instability
  • Lack of clarity on expectations
  • Situations requiring aggressive confrontations
To be More Effective
  • Learn to handle change better
  • Become more assertive
  • Increase his/her comfort with handling conflict
  • Vary routines occasionally
  • Become more receptive to short-cut methods
  • Speak up when conce ed or upset
Overuses
  • Modesty
  • Accommodation to others
  • Predictability
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS – Focuses on the “Right” or “Correct” Way Goals
  • Wants specific criteria for performance
  • Likes accuracy
  • Likes setting and meeting high standards
  • Wants opportunities to analyze and assess
  • Likes logical, systematic approaches to work
Fears/Avoids
  • Unjustified personal criticism
  • Criticism of what he/she has done
  • Changes and surprises that may affect his/her performance
  • Spontaneous displays of feelings
  • Situations that require talking about his/her personal life
To be More Effective
  • Develop more comfort with emotionally charged situations
  • Determine potential payoff before investing time analyzing a task
  • Learn to value informal interactions with others
  • Adjust his/her standards to the needs of the environment
  • Practice confronting directly rather than making indirect comments
Overuses
  • Analysis
  • Criticism of performance — both of self and others
  • Defensiveness when questioned about his/her performance
  • Logical approaches to people and situations

Article author

About the Author

Susan Cullen is President of Quantum Learning Solutions, Inc. She is considered an expert in the use of blended learning methodologies for lasting organizational change. Susan has a Master's Degree in Organizational Development and over 18 years experience in workforce development and learning. For more information, contact 1-800-683-0681 or http://www.quantumlearn.com

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