The 10 Wild Work Personalities

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Welcome to the Tuesday Trailblazer, my weekly newsletter delivering actionable advice from my personal experiences in 15+ years of people and business leadership.

Today at a glance:

• Why leaders need to adapt to the team

• How to better influence your team

• The animal kingdom strategy

• 4 Day Impact Challenge

2013-16 was both humbling and critical in my leadership journey.

I had just opened a new store, with a new brand (to NSW) and built a new team.

After running the #1 grossing store in the business before this appointment,
I had a bit of an ego about me, and thought this would be a walk in the park.

My priorities in leadership at this time were still aligned to pride in numbers (which also including the bragging about the number of 65+ hr weeks I could work) and not people.

You see, this team of 20+, was populated with people ranging from 15-35 years old.

And in the first 6-12 months, I delivered every message, directive, initiative in the same way to each and every single one of them.

This period equipped me with what I consider today, to be one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in leadership.

You can’t deliver just one message to your team.
Your team are unique, and their diversity is a gift.
They all possess different behaviours.

The learning…

Your role as a leader, is to adapt your communication, your approach to development and your leadership to each and every one of them.  

In a survey of 5,000 full time employees in nine different countries, 85% of employees dealt with conflict at work to some degree and 29% dealt with conflict frequently or always.

Another viewpoint focuses upon “toxic personalities” defined as “anyone who demonstrates a pattern of counterproductive work behaviors that debilitate individuals, teams, and even organizations over the long term.”

These statistics highlight the impact of when just 1 team member that may be rowing the boat in the opposite direction and just how important our role as leaders is when it comes to communicating with our teams.

When we communicate as if we’re talking to “one” person - it only takes one individual to receive that information differently (and as I learned, they will) in order to create movement in the opposite direction leading to tension within the team.

Many leaders struggle with addressing workplace conflict effectively.

Especially new leaders.

They either avoid confrontation or handle it in ways that can aggravate the situation.

This can lead to a toxic work environment, decreased morale, and reduced impact.

The key to helping your team thrive and not letting the range of different behaviours throw them (or yourself) off their A-game is to recognise these different behaviours within your team.

Understanding the different types of personalities, having a strategy to manage and ADAPT to them, can significantly improve workplace harmony and effectiveness.

Using the Animal Kingdom, let’s identify 10 Wild Work Personalities and how to help your team (or yourself) adapt to them:

1/ The Parrot (aka Gossiper)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Don’t contribute to gossip. 
↳ Steer conversations towards more impactful topics.

2/ The Golden Retriever (aka Suck Up)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Highlight others’ contributions in meetings or through work documentation without competing directly for attention. 
↳ Develop a distinct area of expertise to differentiate.

3/ The Lion (aka Monopoliser)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Have a meeting agenda. 
↳ Suggest time limits for contributions or speak up about keeping discussions on track.

4/ The Elephant (aka Nostalgic One)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Acknowledge the value of their experiences. 
↳ Introduce new ideas as enhancements rather than replacements.

5/ The Grumpy Cat (aka Fed-up One)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Find ways to constructively engage like involving them in problem-solving discussions to help shift their focus from problems to solutions.

6/ The Butterfly (aka Social Butterfly)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Set boundaries politely and create positive relationships, while keeping them brief and work appropriate.

7/ The Sloth (aka Slacker)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Assign clear responsibilities and hold them accountable or work independently.

8/ The Howler Monkey (aka Loud One)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Politely request to keep the noise down or use headphones. 
↳ If necessary, move to a quieter area for focused work.

9/ The Owl (aka Know-it-all)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Encourage evidence-based discussions and include multiple perspectives.

10/ The Beaver (aka Martyr)
How to Adapt: 
↳ Acknowledge their efforts and promote a fair workload distribution.

Implement this strategy…in just 4 days.

You up for the challenge?

• Day 1: Identify the Tricky Coworkers - Recognise and list down the tricky coworker behaviours in your team. Reflect on their impact on your team’s dynamics.

• Day 2: Plan Your Approach - Develop specific strategies to address each type of behaviour. Use the animal kingdom analogy as a guide.

• Day 3: Implement the Strategies - Start applying these strategies in your interactions and observe the changes.

• Day 4: Reflect and Adjust - Review the outcomes of your interventions. Make necessary adjustments and continue to refine your approach.

Empower your network to turn workplace challenges into opportunities for growth.

Mastering the art of navigating tricky personalities can create a healthier, more impactful environment.

Remember, addressing conflict effectively is not just about managing problems but about fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

P.S. Which tricky behaviours do you recognise?

Until next Tuesday,

I have built and led teams across 3 successful businesses and have over 15 years of people and business leadership experience.

Over the past 4 years, I have grown my business working with “busy” leaders across multiple industries (retail, hospitality, construction, mining, education) helping them igniting their impact and leadership both at work and at home.

Without abandoning their ambition.

Let me share my insights and help you:

• Reclaim your time

• Prioritise your wellbeing

• Achieve work/life harmony

• Improve customer centricity

• Connect & elevate team culture

• Develop beyond busy leadership skills

• Build your business bench and succession planning

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