Next time you are waiting for an elevator, have a look at how the people around you are behaving.
Chances are you will see the following behaviours.
The Repeat Button Pusher
- This behavioural profile is always in a rush.
They are impatient and task orientated.
Their biggest fear is not winning/failure.
They well be foot tapping and on mobile while someone is talking to them.
They will be very direct and fast when walking
The Chatter
- They strike up a joke or small talk while waiting.
Once in the lift, they are excited, because now they have a captive audience.
Their biggest fear is not looking good.
They also will be looking at their phone while someone is talking to them.
They are a bit clumsy.
The Martyr
- Are there too many people in the lift?
It’s alright; I will step out and catch the next one.
They are also the quiet nice ones that seek to diffuse arguments.
They love to help, and many times at their own detriment.
Their biggest fear is change.
The Worrier
- They are counting the number of people in the lift, sizing up their weights, and comparing to the lifts maximum capacity.
They are the compliance officers, they seem somewhat pessimistic.
Everything is black and white, and can be measured.
Their biggest fear is making a mistake.
They hate being touched unless they know the person very well.
True, throughout the day we all may take on all of these behaviours as we adapt to circumstances.
One feels most comfortable, and it’s the one that we tend to repeat more often, without even realising.
Knowing the main fear of others gives you the power to set the conversation up so that it addresses this fear head on.
Is your boss in a rush trying to complete projects? AKA “The Repeat Button Pusher”
“I require 2 minutes and a decision from you, your decision now will save us more time in the future.” OR
“I’m trying to get your job done, I know what to do, it will take me 1 hour, I’ll let you know once done.” OR
“I’m sorry, I stuffed up. I am going to fix it and it will not happen again.”
Addressing their biggest fear head on means that you respect their time, and more importantly you head off stimulating them.
Telling a worrier not to worry, but not why, doesn’t help them.
It just leaves them in mystery and confusion.
They start to suspect that you do not have a grasp of the issue at hand.
Perform Zone runs leadership workshops that teach you how to spot different types of natural behavioural profiles and how to tailor your communication style to get the best from them and minimise arguments.
Sit our free DISC questionnaire to see what the DISC model tells you about your behavioural profile.
