Course Purpose The purpose of this course is to learn tips for effectively working with people with different and challenging behaviors. Flexing Your Behavior Problem Solution doing the same things regardless of situation and person flexing your behavior to match the behavior of others Vignette 1 1. Demanding Typical Behaviors: opinionated, assertive and driven focused on bottom-line results not interested in details time sensitive vocal about needs & expectations Tips for Working with the Demanding Person: 1. Be and direct 2. Respond quickly and avoid details 3. Focus on the desired 4. Provide alternatives to demands 5. Agree on and meet 6. Ask open-ended questions and outline next steps Quick Exercise: think of a colleague or customer who exhibits demanding behaviors and Vignette 2 Anheuser-Busch Training & Development Group Page 1
2. Sociable friendly and out-going talkative, easily gets off topic people/relationship focused likes to try new things doesn t voice complaints Tips for Working with the Sociable Person: 1. Be friendly, relaxed, and make 2. Transition conversation to business 3. Share ideas/products 4. Use forced choice questions 5. Ask about 6. Summarize needs and next steps Quick Exercise: think of a colleague or customer who exhibits sociable behaviors and Vignette 3 Anheuser-Busch Training & Development Group Page 2
3. Thinking internal, thinks through decisions speaks slower, deliberately likes data, detail-oriented cautious, doesn t like change organized and systematic Tips for Working with the Thinking Person: 1. Be patient, speak calmly 2. Be friendly, but 3. Provide detailed data and alternatives 4. Present information in a manner 5. Introduce change slowly and justify it 6. Use and open ended questions Quick Exercise: think of a colleague or customer who exhibits thinking behaviors and jot down ways to better interact with him or her. Vignette 4 4. Perfectionist follows the rules high standards focuses on quality and accuracy strong work ethic skeptical of others Anheuser-Busch Training & Development Group Page 3
Tips for Working with the Perfectionist Person: 1. Be confident and controlled 2. Provide information 3. Come over-prepared 4. Emphasize, both style and substance 5. Provide written verification of actions and deadlines 6. Keep your word Quick Exercise: think of a colleague or customer who exhibits perfectionist behaviors and Vignette 5 5. Negative grumpy mood, frequently complains highly critical of others perceives a hectic schedule disregards the positive problem-focused orientation Tips for Working with the Negative Person: 1. Be conservatively 2. Listen, but do not agree with negativity 3. Display, but don t belabor it 4. Transition conversation to business needs 5. subjective, open-ended questions 6. Provide easy to implement solutions Quick Exercise: think of a colleague or customer who exhibits negative behaviors and Anheuser-Busch Training & Development Group Page 4
Matching Exercise: Test Your Knowledge 1. Demanding 2. Sociable 3. Thinking 4. Perfectionist 5. Negative a. Be friendly, relaxed, and make small talk b. Provide easy to implement solutions c. Respond quickly and avoid details d. Emphasize quality, both style and substance e. Introduce change slowly and justify it Action Plan Identify a colleague or customer who exhibits one of the five categories of behavior discussed in this VOD. (It may be someone who you identified in the previous exercises.) This should be someone with whom you will interact within the next 14 days. Develop a plan for more effectively interacting with this person. Which of the following best fits this person s behavior? Demanding Sociable Thinking Perfectionist Negative Describe the challenges in communicating and working with this person. Describe 3 ways in which you can modify your behavior to better fit his/her behavior. (See the Tips for suggestions.) 1. 2. 3. Anheuser-Busch Training & Development Group Page 5