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 Why Be Concerned About Style? Understanding Your Style Understanding Personal Style Assertiveness Expressiveness Your Style Profile Your Style Strengths Your Style Trouble Spots Flexing Your Personal Style Recognizing Others' Dominant Style Applying What You've Learned 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com
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 out going 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, straight forward assignments should try to work in such an environment. Those who thrive on work ing 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 behav ior. 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. Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com 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 Spirited Considerate Systematic High High Low Low Low High High 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 3 Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com
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. Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com 4
Your Style Strengths STYLE STRENGTHS The Direct Style People with the DIRECT style tend to maintain a fast pace and work single-mindedly towards goals. Works Independently Takes charge Likes control Gets results Is pragmatic Likes competition The Spirited Style People with the Spirited style thrive in the spotlight and do well in high-profile positions. Generates excitement Is outgoing Gets caught up in dreams Is spontaneous Seeks personal recognition Has good persuasive skills The Considerate Style People with the Considerate Style are reliable and considerate, making them great team members. Listens actively Works cohesively with others Considers others feelings Is patient Values personal relationships Has good counseling skills The Systematic Style People with the Systematic Style tend to be objective, thorough, and accurate, making them excellent problem-solvers. 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 5 Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com
Your Style Trouble Spots STYLE STRENGTHS The Direct Style When stressed, DIRECT people may cross the line from controlling to overbearing. Puts results ahead of feelings Is in too much of a hurry Personal reasons unclear to others Overemphasizes competition The Spirited Style When stressed, SPIRITED people tend to intensify their verbal behavior. Is blindly enthusiastic Tends to exaggerate Doesn t actively listen Is undisciplined in use of time The Considerate Style When stressed, CONSIDERATE people may try to reassure themselves by sticking with what is comfortable and avoiding change. 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 The Systematic Style People with the Systematic Style tend to be objective, thorough, and accurate, making them excellent problem-solvers. Spends too much time making decisions Can seem impersonal Puts right vs. wrong ahead of feelings Avoids taking risks Chart 3: Style Trouble Spots Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com 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 com fort 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. 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. 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. 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 7 Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com
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 BEHAVIORS TO ENHANCE INTERACTION The Direct Style 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 The Spirited Style 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 The Considerate Style 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 The Systematic Style 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 Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com 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? 9 Copyright 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2009 HRDQ. All rights reserved. www.hrdq.com
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