What About the Detailed Blue Person?

Please refer to the assessment questions from March 17th. Fill out this quick 5 minute assessment prior to reading this blog.

If you had a high number of words circled in the blue section, or if this came into a close 2nd then please read carefully through this blog. If this is not your style, it is still important to understand the “blue” people that you interact with each day. You need to be able to modify your way of speaking to ensure you are meeting their communication needs.

These Concientious employees are excited to get a difficult challenge. They are designated problem solvers and will ensure that every area is thoroughly researched and correct before presenting the final results. They are also typically very careful listeners and will questions ideas that do not seem right. The employees in this category are so methodical and thorough that they may need a little push to make a final decision. Give them a deadline and then follow-up at that time.

The employees that show mostly blue behaviors are uncomfortable with changes and not tolerant of intuition. They need the information rather than the feeling. Therefore, if you are a higher yellow person, then you need to be sure you are prepared with the facts rather than your feeling when you have a discussion with a person in this category.

When approaching a person in the blue category, be more focused on the task that needs to be completed rather than building a strong interpersonal relationship. According to the folks in this category, there is a time and place for interpersonal relationships, and work is not the appropriate place. Also, bring the data – show them the reason that your specific idea needs to be implemented. Then give them time to go off and do their own research on your information.

Know your style, and know the style of others around you. It will make you the most influential person in your company!

Jessica M. Pierce
480-284-5284
jessica@atdsuccess.com

Maybe You are an Easy-Going “Green” Person

Please refer to the assessment questions from March 17th. Fill out this quick 5 minute assessment prior to reading this blog.

If you had a high number of words circled in the green section, or if this came into a close 2nd then please read carefully through this blog. If this is not your style, it is still important to understand the “green” people that you interact with each day. You need to be able to modify your way of speaking to ensure you are meeting their communication needs.

The folks that fall into this area are typically the glue that holds the team or company together. They are steady, which means they probably won’t have high emotional swings (at least in front of people). They tend to have a knack for building and keeping strong relationships and have a built in high quality of trust. The people that are in this area are typically great listenings, and they are very patient. This leads to a strong tolerance for differences. They may ask a lot of questions, but this is only because they are curious and want more information, not usually because they don’t believe what someone is telling them.

Because of the emphasis on personal relationships, this person might take a much longer time to make a decision. Since they avoid conflicts and risks, they want everyone to agree on the idea, which in turn takes a much longer time to make a deciaion.

There are many specific ideas to keep in mind when approaching someone who falls into this communication area. First, show them you are genuinely interested in the conversation. Dare I say it… This means turn off your cell phone, don’t send text message in the middle of the discussion, turn away from your computer and give them undivided attention. Be patient and listen to them during the entire discussion, and do your best to not interrupt them. These ideas may be difficult for a person in the red area as the red and green are complete opposites. The red person likes a quick response and answer while the green person takes a slower decision-making style and needs time to process. The best idea is to ask this steady green person what is a good deadline for a decision to be made, and then follow-up with them on that day.

Since each of us is a complete mix of all four styles, this review is general. Have a great week!

Did you Circle mostly Yellow Words?

Did you take the assessment from the March 17th blog? If not, scroll down and take that 5 minute assessment before reading this post.

Today our discussion falls along the very expressive yellow folks. If you were tied with another color and yellow, then this posting also applies to you. Even if you had no or very few words circled in the yellow category, please continue to read on. It is important to understand the communication style of people that are different than you to ensure you are speaking to them in a fashion that they understand.

Those of you that are in the mostly yellow category are probably the most influencial employees in your company. These are typically your speakers and presenters with a great ability to be flexible and open minded. Many times the people that fall in this category will make decisions based on their “gut” feel rather than cold, hard facts. As they will probably tell you, this has made them the hero at times and then on the flip side also made them look a little silly (even though they probably talked through it so they didn’t look too ridiculous). These folks love a challenge, are almost always optimistic that it will all work out and are ready for change at anytime. They are risk takers, and this can sometimes get them in a bit of trouble because they can be impulsive and take unnecessary risks. They don’t like to focus on the details and would rather look at the high level strategy or “big picture”!

When communicating with these expressive folks that tend to talk with their hands, be sure to have some visual aids to explain your idea. Tell them a story and make it relavent to how the idea or vision will affect them. Please don’t bore them with details, you will lose them within 2 minutes of starting. Also, inspire them – that will get their attention!

This is the high level overview on the influencial communication style. Just give me a ring if you’d like to understand your full behavior style because we are all actually a mix of all 4 styles.

Jessica M. Pierce
480-284-5284
jessica@atdsuccess.com

Were your Answers mostly Red?

Did you take the assessment in the previous blog post?  If not, scroll down and take that 5 minute assessment before reading this post.

Today we are going to tackle the people that had mostly red circled words.  If you were tied with another color and red, then this posting also applies to you.  Even if you had no or very few words circled in the red category, please continue to read on.  It is important to understand the communication style of people that are different than you to ensure you are speaking to them in a fashion that they understand.

The folks that are in the primarily red section are typically drivers in companies.  These are the quick decision makers that are focused on task results.  They want things done fast and don’t like to slow down the process very often.  They have a strong drive and desire to carry things out.  They are also practical, quick, efficient and primarily focused on results. 

When having conversations with someone that you may identify as a driver, keep a couple things in mind.

1. Don’t spend time in theory, get to the point.
2. Be brief and don’t provide a lot of details.
3. Give them the high-level decision (or bullet points only in an email).

This is the high level overview (perfect for the drivers) on their communication style.  Just give me a ring if you’d like to understand your full behavior style because we are all actually a mix of all 4 styles.

Have a blessed day,
Jessica M. Pierce
www.atdsuccess.com
480-284-5284
jessica@atdsuccess.com

Your Communication Style

Knowing your communication style and then utilizing it to modify your discussions with other people can strongly enhance your personal and professional relationships.  Take a moment to circle all the words that explain you in the four boxes below to identify your communication style. 

Demanding, Decision Maker, Competitive, Ambitious, Determined, Assertive, Decisive, Takes Charge, Bold, Purposeful, Leader, Quick Decisions, Goal Driven, Enjoys Challenges, Firm          

Inspiring, People Oriented, Visionary, Avoids Details, Likes Recognition, Optimistic, Emotional, Expressive, Approachable, Motivator, Takes Risks, Creative, Energetic, Very Verbal, Likes Variety

Relaxed, Amiable, Dislikes Change, Patient, Loyal, Adaptable, Deep Relationships, Good Listener, Nurturing, Team Player, Consistent, Avoids Conflict, Stability, Thoughtful, Enjoys Routine

Evasive, Cautious, Precise, Practical, Persistent, Detailed, Diplomatic, Accurate, Reserved, Factual, Deliberate, Inquisitive, Controlled, Analytical, Quality     

Count how many words you circled in each box.

Mostly red, then you have a direct communication style.

Mostly yellow, then have an influential communication style.

Mostly green, then you have a steady communication style.

Mostly blue, then you have a conscientious communication style.

If you have a fairly even number of words circled in multiple boxes, then you are a mix of 2 or more styles. 

This is a basic behavior assessment, watch the next 4 posts as I go into detail on what this all means!

Have a blessed day,

Jessica Pierce

www.atdsuccess.com

jessica@atdsuccess.com

Hello – Accelerated Team Dynamics Launch Blog!

Hello everyone,

This is my first post for Accelerated Team Dynamics.  I’m the owner of ATD:  www.atdsuccess.com.  It launched in May 2007 when I took the dive and left corporate America!  I know there are many out there that have taken the leap of faith and left the “golden handcuffs” as I like to call it.  Corporate America was wonderful to me, but it was time for me to take a risk and do something that I love every day of my life.  As much as I enjoyed my positions, working 60 hours a week in a small, gray cubicle with a headset on just wasn’t cutting it anymore. 

My passion is around developing strong teams and groups in companies.  For those that like the corporate structure and/or need to be there, I’m the one that will help you get the most out of what you are doing.  I like to sit down with the group manager or business owner and understand where they want their teams to be in 1-5-10 years.  Once we have a clear understanding of that (and sometimes that piece alone takes a while to develop), then that is when the magic begins.  You have to know who the people are the make up your team, and then you start to ensure they are doing the right pieces of the work in which they are naturally gifted. 

In my next blog, I’ll start to discuss a short, easy way to identify initial styles.  You can make immediate changes in how you manage a small or large staff.  Therefore, you’ll see great results without having to go through many cycles of theory and education.

 Have a blessed day – talk to you soon!