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. 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…
