Do you ever walk into a room full of people and after only a few minutes you think to yourself, “I could never work with that person over there? “
Strangely even though you don’t know them, their behaviour, body language or even the way they talk just doesn’t float your boat and often you don’t know why.
Relax though; it’s not their fault or yours. It’s down to something very basic that has been with humankind since cave people started to talk. Behavioural styles.
The person that you find it difficult to get on with is probably as far away from your “behavioural style” as it’s possible to get. For example someone who loves facts and figures, detail and minutia may find it hard to communicate effectively with someone who is full of ideas, tries things without looking at the consequences and doesn’t like to read instruction manuals. Likewise someone who has a dominant style may struggle with someone who is easy going. It’s always easier to communicate if you have something in common or share some common ground.
In business, you need to communicate effectively with everyone that you come into contact with. So how can you work with someone with a different behavioural style to your own?
First of all, you need to identify your own style. Once you know this you can start to look at your strengths, weaknesses and traits. It’s about understanding your personal style and adapting to others to improve your own business performance.
At ActionCOACH, we look at four styles; Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. (DISC)
The next stage is for you to look at your business contacts, staff, customers, potential new team members etc. and see which behavioural style they fit into. Once you know what drives them, you can then figuratively start to talk their language and get better business results.
For example, you may like to react to situations as they happen but your customer may like to make detailed plans. A simple thing like you preparing a plan of action for your next project with your client could be the difference between success and failure.
Your personal DISC profile is generated from a simple questionnaire. To find out more about the different styles, simply click this link.
Until next time, Gareth