Understanding the Animal Temperaments

The last post (Personality Types: Lion, Otter, Golden Retriever, and Beaver) examined the strengths and weaknesses of each temperament and asked to look at which applied to you personally. Which of the animals did you see the most of in you? Which ones did you see the least of in you? From experience, I have seen this exercise as beneficial to creating successful teamwork, communication, and harmony in the work place and home. This time lets talk about understanding the unique needs and desires of each temperament.

Lions – “Do it now!”, “What’s the point?”

Their Environment: lots of projects, awards on the wall, large calendar, office furniture arranged in a formal way

They Gain Security by: control

Their Pace: fast and decisive

Their Needs: a climate that responds

They’re Irritated by: wasted time, unpreparedness, arguing, blocking results

For Growth They Need to: appear less critical, respect people’s personal worth, develop tolerance for conflict, pace themselves

Avoid With Them: attacking his/her character, telling them what to do, presenting win-lose scenarios

Otters – “Trust me!”, “Lighten up!”

Their Environment: cluttered, awards and slogans on the wall, personal pictures, friendly

They Gain Security by: flexibility

Their Pace: fast and spontaneous

Their Needs: a climate that collaborates

They’re Irritated by: too many facts, too much logic, boring tasks, same old approach, routine, being alone, ignoring their opinions

For Growth They Need to: respect priorities, more logical approach, follow through, get better organized, concentrate on the task at hand

Avoid With Them: negativism, rejection, arguing

Golden Retrievers – “Why change?”, “Let’s work together!”

Their Environment: family pictures, slogans on the wall, personal items, relaxed friendly decorations

They Gain Security by: close relationships

Their Pace: slow and easy

Their Needs: a climate that processes

They’re Irritated by: pushy and aggressive behavior, insincerity, being put on the spot, disrupting the status quo

For Growth They Need to: take risks, delegate to others, confront, develop confidence in others, learn to change and adapt

Avoid With Them: conflict, sudden unplanned risky changes, overloading, confusing

Beavers – “Do it right!”, “Prove it!”

Their Environment: structured and organized, charts and graphs, functional decor, formal seating arrangement

They Gain Security by: preparation

Their Pace: slow and systematic

Their Needs: a climate that describes

They’re Irritated by: people who do not know what they are talking about, lack of attention to detail, surprises, unpredictability

For Growth They Need to: make faster decisions, tolerate conflict, learn to compromise, adjust to change and disorganization

Avoid With Them:criticizing, blunt personal questions, incomplete or inaccurate recommendations

Next time we’ll discuss how best to communicate with and amongst the animal temperaments.

Related Links
- How to communicate amongst the Animal Temperaments
- Leadership Styles: Dictatorial, Authoritative, Consultative, Participative
- Leadership Styles: When To Use Them
- How Leadership Styles Affect Productivity
- You Might Be A Micromanager If…

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