REPORT PREPARED FOR: Roger Plate
REPORT DATE: November 05, 2009
This personalized report has been prepared for you based on your responses to the “What’s My Style?”assessment.
Inside this report you will discover your preference for using one of four styles: Direct, Spirited, Considerate and
Systematic. You will also gain insight into the unique characteristics of each style, and learn ways to adapt or “flex”
your style to improve interactions with others.
Contents
1
Why Be Concerned About Style?
2
Understanding Your Style
2
Understanding Personal Style
3
Assertiveness
3
Expressiveness
3
Your Style Profile
4
Your Style Strengths
5
Your Style Trouble Spots
6
Flexing Your Personal Style
7
Recognizing Others' Dominant Style
8
Applying What You've Learned
9
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Why Be Concerned About Style?
Personality style is important in several aspects of organizational and personal life. Style affects our interaction with
others (Hunsaker & Alessandra, 1980) - people with different styles have different priorities and work or function at
different paces. These differences can create problems if they remain under the surface. If Joe likes to be slow and
thorough and Jane likes to be fast and decisive, their working relationship will be stressful unless they are aware of
each other’s preferences. Knowledge of styles prevents misinterpretations and frustrations.
Knowledge of style helps people to interpret others’ actions (Snavely, 1981). If people are aware of another person’s
typical behaviors, they will take these behaviors into account when interpreting the other person’s actions. For
example, if Fred is generally a friendly and out­going person, the fact that he gives you an enthusiastic hello should
not be interpreted as a sign of deep friendship. Fred probably gives an enthusiastic hello to most co-workers. If, on the
other hand, Fred is a private person and gives you an enthusiastic hello, that might be taken correctly as a sign of
friendship. Knowledge of style sets up expectations of certain behaviors. When the unexpected occurs, people can
more accurately attach meaning to it.
How people handle their styles determines their success. People who prefer logical, straight­forward assignments
should try to work in such an environment. Those who thrive on work­ing with people might want to work in a field in
which they deal with the public. Being aware of one’s own style allows a person to choose the right situation for himor herself and to be aware of how best to use his or her behavioral tendencies in any situation.
Understanding Your Style
If you had complete freedom to act any way you wanted to, how would you behave? Would you work alone or with
others? How much personal information would you share? How much time would you spend talking and how much
time reading? Your answers to these questions will be determined by your preferred style(s) of behavior. A style can be
defined as “the way we act when we are able to do things our own way.”
Because we have preferred styles, over time we develop patterns of behavior that allow us to anticipate our own
actions. Understanding behavior patterns also makes it possible for us to interpret the actions of others. For example,
if you were in a situation in which you had to give critical feedback to a colleague, you and others who know you
could probably predict how you would react. This does not mean that you are completely predictable or that you react
exactly according to your style 100% of the time, but your preferred style does affect your daily behav­ior. What’s My
Style? will help you understand your style and learn how to capitalize on your strengths in both your work and in your
interactions with others.
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2
Understanding Personal Style
Personal Style can best be understood by measuring the extent to which a person’s preferred behavior demonstrates
assertiveness and expressiveness. We call these broad categories of behavior dimensions. The combination of high/low
on the assertiveness dimension and high/low on the expressiveness dimension results in four possible Personal styles:
Direct, Spirited, Systematic, and Considerate (Table 1).
Style
Assertiveness
Expressiveness
Direct
High
Low
Spirited
High
High
Considerate
Low
High
Systematic
Low
Low
Table 1: Leadership Style-Assertiveness and Expressiveness Dimensions
Assertiveness
The assertiveness dimension measures the degree to which a person’s behavior is forceful or directive. Highly assertive
people like to take control of situations while people with low assertiveness may be more comfortable in less visible
roles.
Expressiveness
The expressiveness dimension measures the degree to which a person’s behavior is emotionally responsive or
demonstrative. Highly expressive people like to show their emotions and form interpersonal relationships while less
expressive people tend to keep to themselves.
The expressiveness dimension measures the
degree to which a person’s behavior is
emotionally responsive or demonstrative.
Highly expressive people like to show their
emotions and form interpersonal
relationships while less expressive people
tend to keep to themselves.
Figure 1: The HRDQ Style Model
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Your Style Profile
DIRECT
16
16
15
SPIRITED
15
CONSIDERATE
14
45
14
SYSTEMATIC
45
Figure 2: Your Personal Style Profile
Each person generally has a style that he or she is most comfortable using. This is their dominant style. Some people
may even combine styles that appear contradictory. Conceivably, one person might be a results-driven “people person”
combining the Direct and Considerate styles, while another person might be a charismatic number-cruncher,
combining the Spirited and Systematic styles. Yet, when they are able to choose, most people consistently favor one
style. For the purpose of this assessment, a high score is one that falls above 25, and a low score falls below 18.
Based on your responses to this assessment you have the highest preference for the SYSTEMATIC style. This is the
style you are most comfortable using, and so we call this your DOMINANT style.
Your preference for the SYSTEMATIC style shows that you are organized and objective in your approach to life. Others
see you as an analytical problem-solver.
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4
Your Style Strengths
STRENGTHS
STYLE
The Direct Style
People with the DIRECT style tend to
maintain a fast pace and work
single-mindedly towards goals.
The Spirited Style
People with the Spirited style thrive in the
spotlight and do well in high-profile
positions.
The Considerate Style
People with the Considerate Style are
reliable and considerate, making them
great team members.
The Systematic Style
People with the Systematic Style tend to
be objective, thorough, and accurate,
making them excellent problem-solvers.
·
·
·
·
·
·
Works Independently
Takes charge
Likes control
Gets results
Is pragmatic
Likes competition
·
·
·
·
·
·
Generates excitement
Is outgoing
Gets caught up in dreams
Is spontaneous
Seeks personal recognition
Has good persuasive skills
·
·
·
·
·
·
Listens actively
Works cohesively with others
Considers others’ feelings
Is patient
Values personal relationships
Has good counseling skills
·
·
·
·
·
·
Makes decisions based on facts
Asks for specific details
Is analytical
Likes a task-oriented environment
Stays calm and rational
Is disciplined with time
Chart 2: Style Strengths
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Your Style Trouble Spots
STYLE
The Direct Style
When stressed, DIRECT people may cross
the line from controlling to overbearing.
The Spirited Style
When stressed, SPIRITED people tend to
intensify their verbal behavior.
The Considerate Style
When stressed, CONSIDERATE people may
try to reassure themselves by sticking with
what is comfortable and avoiding change.
The Systematic Style
People with the Systematic Style tend to
be objective, thorough, and accurate,
making them excellent problem-solvers.
STRENGTHS
·
·
·
·
Puts results ahead of feelings
Is in too much of a hurry
Personal reasons unclear to others
Overemphasizes competition
·
·
·
·
Is blindly enthusiastic
Tends to exaggerate
Doesn’t actively listen
Is undisciplined in use of time
·
·
·
·
Others take advantage of loyalty
Won’t push for what he or she wants
Trusts others who may not deserve trust
Is afraid to change what is comfortable
·
·
·
·
Spends too much time making decisions
Can seem impersonal
Puts right vs. wrong ahead of feelings
Avoids taking risks
Chart 3: Style Trouble Spots
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6
Flexing Your Personal Style
Making use of styles other than your Dominant style is called “flexing” and is central to achieving success in life.
Effective people understand where their natural Personal style is likely to be effectual, and where it might work
against them, Figure 3. You can learn to flex your style by consciously stepping outside of your com­fort zone. For
example: Spirited and Systematic people can have unproductive interactions because of the different speeds at which
they make decisions. The Spirited person (who is more comfortable talking about concepts or ideas) can improve
interactions with a Systematic person (who prefers concrete facts) if he or she provides data and supportive evidence
in their discussions.
DIRECT
Most Effective in competition
where they maintain a fast pace
and work single-mindedly towards
a goal.
Least Effective in situations
requiring careful sensitivity to
others’ feelings or where close
attention to detail is urgent.
SYSTEMATIC
Most Effective in competition
where they maintain a fast pace
and work single-mindedly towards
a goal.
Least Effective in situations
requiring careful sensitivity to
others’ feelings or where close
attention to detail is urgent.
SPIRITED
Most Effective in competition
where they maintain a fast pace
and work single-mindedly towards
a goal.
Least Effective in situations
requiring careful sensitivity to
others’ feelings or where close
attention to detail is urgent.
CONSIDERATE
Most Effective in competition
where they maintain a fast pace
and work single-mindedly towards
a goal.
Least Effective in situations
requiring careful sensitivity to
others’ feelings or where close
attention to detail is urgent.
Figure 3: Flexing Your Style
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Recognizing Others' Dominant Style
People with different styles often develop misunderstandings that result more from their style differences than from
real differences in their beliefs or opinions. For example, a fast-paced Spirited person and a slow-paced Systematic
person may have tense interactions because of the different speeds at which they make decisions.
Although each of us has a predominant style, a certain amount of flexibility is necessary to communicate with people
who have different styles. Recognizing another’s style allows us to make adjustments to our own behavior to
accommodate that person’s style. This in turn makes that person feel more at ease and helps us to achieve our goals
more readily.
Chart 4 highlights some of the behaviors that will help you to enhance your interactions
with those of another style.
STYLE
The Direct Style
The Spirited Style
The Considerate Style
The Systematic Style
BEHAVIORS TO ENHANCE INTERACTION
·
·
·
·
·
·
Focus on their goals and objectives
Keep your relationship businesslike
Argue facts, not personal feelings
Be well-organized in your presentations
Ask questions directly
Speak at a relatively fast pace
·
·
·
·
·
·
Focus on opinions and inspiring ideas
Be supportive of their ideas
Don’t hurry the discussion
Engage in brainstorming
Be entertaining and fast-moving
Allow them to share their ideas freely
·
·
·
·
·
·
Focus on your relationship
Be supportive of their feelings
Make sure you understand their needs
Be informal
Maintain a relaxed pace
Give them time to build trust in you
·
·
·
·
·
·
Focus on facts, not opinions
Be thorough and organized
Provide written evidence when possible
Be systematic in your presentations
Avoid gimmicks
Allow time for analysis
Chart 4: Interacting with Different Styles
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8
Applying What You've Learned
Now that you have identified your own Personal style, how can you put this knowledge to work? We suggest you spend
some time reflecting on the feedback in this report. The following questions will help guide your thinking:
1. What are the positive behaviors that you exhibit in your style(s)?
2. How have these behaviors been useful in your work life?
3. What can you do to strengthen your positive behaviors?
4. What trouble spots are caused by your style(s)?
5. In what situations do you exhibit these behaviors?
6. What can you do to limit those behaviors?
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