Behavioral Styles - What I've learned over the years that seems to work

The following chart shows the typical personality types and how leaders can influence them. People are more complex and these are just general tendencies that do not apply with every person. Also, depending on the person's life stage, they may have moved from their primary and backup type to develop their other two types (typically in middle age). This chart can provide ideas, but with people there are no formulas that work all the time.

Behavioral Style Summary

Labels	D (red)	I (yellow)	S (white)	C (blue)
Behavior	Direct and Self- Contained	Direct and Open	Indirect and Open	Indirect and Self- Contained
Emphasis	Dominance: Shaping the environment by overcoming opposition to get results	Influencing Others: Shaping the environment by forming alliances to get results	Steadiness: Cooperating with others to carry out the task	Compliance: Working with existing circumstances to promote quality in products or services
Theme	Notice My Accomplishments	Notice Me	Notice How Well Liked I Am	Notice My Efficiency
Pace	Fast	Fast	Slow and easy, relaxed	Slow, steady, methodical
Priority	The task	Relationships	Relationships	The task
Focus	Results	Interaction, Dynamics of relationships	Building trust and getting acquainted	The details, the process
Irritation	Wasting time, touchy-feely behavior that blocks action/results	Boring tasks, being alone	Pushy, aggressive behavior	Surprises, unpredictability
Behavior when Angry	Autocratic	Attacking	Acquiescing	Avoiding
Make effort to be:	Efficient	Interesting	Cooperative	Accurate
For Decisions	Give options and probabilities	Give incentives & testimonials	Give guarantees and reassurances	Give facts, details, & documentation
They Question	What it does & by when	Who else uses it	How it will affect personal circumstances	How it works, how you reach your conclusions
Specialty	Being in control	Socializing	Support	Processes, systems
For Security	Relies on being in control	Relies on flexibility	Relies on close relationships	Relies on preparation
Let them save	Time	Effort	Relationships	Face
For Acceptance	Depends on leadership skills, strives to be a winner	Depends on playfulness	Depends on conformity, loyalty and helpful nature ("to have friends, be a friend")	Openly show concern and appreciation of others
Needs climate that	Responds	Collaborates	Processes	Describes
Support their	Conclusions & Actions	Visions & Intuitions	Relationships & Feelings	Principles & Thinking
Measures personal worth by	Results, track record, power	Acknowledgement, recognition, applause	Attention from others	Precision, accuracy, and progress
Follow-up with	Results	Attention	Support	Service
For Growth needs to	Listen	Check	Initiate	Decide
To be more flexible, needs to	practice active-listening; pace self to project a more relaxed image; develop patience, humility, & sensitivity (concern for others' needs); use more caution; verbalize reasons for conclusions; identify with a group; be aware of existing sanctions	control time & emotions; develop an objective mindset; spend more time checking, verifying, specifying, organizing; Follow-thru; concentrate on the task; take a more logical approach	Say "no" occasionally; Attend to completion of tasks without oversensitivity to others feelings; Be willing to reach beyond their comfort zone; take risks; Delegate to others	Occasionally try shortcuts & time savers; Try to adjust more readily to change and disorganization; Work on timely decision-making and initiating new projects; Compromise with the opposition; State unpopular decisions; Use policies as guidelines only
Sign on Desk might read:	Do it now!	Why Not?	My space is your space!	Put it in Writing!
Environmental Clues	Decor suggests power and control; Seating arrangement is closed, formal, non-contact, positioned for power	Likes contact: may move to new seat when talking to you; Decor is open, airy, friendly	Seating is open, informal, conducive to building relationships; Decor is relaxed, open, soothing; Walls may contain personal slogans, serene pictures, or momentos	Decor is functional and working; Seating arrangement suggests formality and non-contact; Walls may contain charts, graphs, or pictures pertaining to job