Strengths and Challenges of Different Styles
October 8, 2014 @ 8:35 pm by ACT
Differences in style can play out in relationships, and each style has its own set of strengths and challenges. People high in dominance need to watch being too directive, impatient, or insensitive, as they can sometimes steamroll over people in order to get the quick results they want. They may see themselves as effective and honest while others may view them as uncaring and pushy. People high in dominance are successful in getting along with styles when they develop greater patience and tone down the intensity of their directness. On the other hand, people high in dominance have great strengths, including honesty, effectiveness, and leadership. If you want to tackle a tough job then you will want someone high in dominance on your team. They can often be fearless in the face of conflict and, in fact, love the challenge. High dominance often brings with it great confidence and the ability to make things happen.
Individuals high in influence also have a specific set of strengths and weaknesses. These individuals need to be cautious that they do not try to gloss over tough problems with simple answers. They also have a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver (their excitement gets the best of them, and they have good intentions but may lack the discipline to follow through). High influence individuals also need to pay more attention to detail, since they often find the small details mundane and a nuisance. They are successful in getting along with others when they attend to true needs and issues, are specific in their approach, and improve their organizational skills. But let’s not forget the strengths shown by high influence individuals. They have great passion for life and relationships. They are excellent at persuading and motivating people. If you want someone to energize your team, then the high influence individual is a great asset. In conflict, they can be great at negotiating and keeping the process lively. High influence often brings with it much joy and energy for living.
High steadiness individuals are much more subtle in their challenges. They need to watch indecisiveness, being too indirect, and subconsciously discouraging others from change. High steadiness people need to learn to be more direct and honest with what they think and feel. They benefit from being willing to look at change and adapt more quickly to it. And they grow when they realize that conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. They may see themselves as easy-going, but others may view them as wimps. High steadiness individuals do well when they become more assertive and direct, cope better with change, and learn not to take on everyone else’s problems as their own. But again, let’s not focus on their challenges at the expense of overlooking their strengths. High steadiness people are kind, giving, and loyal. They are very focused on trying to help everyone be comfortable in difficult situations. If you are in conflict and you need someone as a listening ear and a loyal supporter, then you want someone high in steadiness. High steadiness brings with it great assistance and devotion.
High conscientiousness individuals sometimes suffer from being overly perfectionistic. Peers may misinterpret their analytical nature by perceiving them as aloof or disinterested. At times, they can discourage creativity in others. High conscientiousness people need to learn to be more accepting of differences and realize that their way is not always the right way. They do well when they take more time to build relationships and work at being more encouraging to others. One of the best thing individuals high in conscientiousness can do to minimize conflict is to increase their flexibility, since at times they are quite rigid in their view of the world. In terms of strength, high conscientiousness individuals have many. If you want someone on your team who will maintain top quality standards, then you know who to pick! They are fantastic at being alert to details others might miss, and they deeply care about doing work that will represent then well. In conflict, high conscientiousness individuals can do a great job at taking the dramatic emotions out of the discussion and focus on problem-solving the issue at hand.