Mpole, the production manager, is
perfectionist by nature. He is considered one of the most serious members of
staff.
He likes to think things over and
tends to ask a lot of questions before coming to a decision.
His keen attention to detail often
drive the staff under him mad because he always finds fault with their work and
makes sarcastic, negative comments about them.
He finds himself assigning a lot of
work to Kidole, one of his most reliable officers.
He prefers Kidole because she is known
to work tirelessly for hours in order to get an assignment done, and has little
time for socialisation.
Those who have worked with her know
her to be committed, efficient and conscientious in her work. She is also known
for her hot temper. She complains a lot, but still completes her assignments.
The one person Mpole avoids giving
assignments to unless it is absolutely necessary is Jacinta.
She is the office chatterbox who is
always getting into trouble because of the controversial and often exaggerated
statements she makes about her colleagues.
Jacinta craves attention and is fond
of gossip about others. She often gets emotional and upset whenever challenged
to substantiate some of the stories she has peddled around the office about
others.
One of the few people who can tolerate
Jacinta’s gossip is Susan. The latter is a good listener and is very patient
with Jacinta and finds her many stories entertaining.
Susan is also loyal to Jacinta and
avoids confrontations. It is her need for security that first drew her to
Jacinta.
As a worker, Susan prefers assignments
that do not require her to make decisions or take risks. She does not like
conflicts and is often indecisive.
According to David Merrill and Roger
Reid in their book, Personal
Styles and Effective Performance, everyone has a social style based
on their degree of assertiveness and responsiveness.
There are four categories of social
styles, namely, analytical, amiable, driver and expressive.
Drivers like Kidole are
action-oriented individuals who tend to focus on the present, seek power and
want autonomy in making decisions.
They prefer to base their decisions on
facts and have little time for individuals with the expressive social style.
An example of an expressive is
Jacinta. Expressive workers tend to make decisions based on personal opinions.
They are communicative and tend to be impulsive.
They make good followers and
supporters but they are often undisciplined. Even though, they may have a vivid
imagination and can be creative.
Susan has an amiable social style.
Such people tend to place a lot of importance on good relationships and
interpret the workplace from a personal point of view.
Because of this, they prefer to forge
relationships than use force to achieve objectives. As a result, they may put
off action because of fear of confrontation with colleagues and tend not to
take risks.
Because of their need for security,
they approach new situations with caution.
Merrill and Reid refer to analytical
workers as those who are driven by the need to be logical and factual in their
undertakings.
They focus on detail and need time to
ponder on issues. For this reason they are slow in making decisions and
cautious in forming friendships. They do not rush things.
If you are dealing with a driver,
stick to the point and do your homework. When dealing with an expressive, don’t
put down their enthusiasm and excitement. Avoid being too detailed.
Amiable workers, on the other hand,
prefer that you are flexible and emphasise a team approach.
Don’t press too hard to change things
and do not ask them for too much detail. Allow time for bonding. Analytics will
appreciate your logical and well organised presentation. They will not want you
to rush things. Just don’t be too personal with them.
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Dr Kithinji is a
trainer, researcher and consultant at the Kenya School of Government
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