I attended a fascinating workshop at work this week called “Building Relationship Versatility”. Over the years, I’ve taken many personality tests and attended workshops on how to work with different personalities and difficult people. This class was by far the best class I’ve attended on this subject. What made it different from the others is that it came from the perspective of those who work with me. I did not complete any survey, but 5 coworkers I interact with daily did.

The results very closely align with my personality type of Analytical. My social style, the way I am perceived by coworkers, is indeed Analytical. More specifically it is Amiable Analytical. This description quite accurately defines how I work and interact with others. I’ll post 10 attributes below for those that know me. I think you will agree that it is quite accurate.

1. Perceived as being serious, disciplined and businesslike
2. Emphasizes data in problem solving and decision making
3. Keep risks at being wrong to a minimum
4. Focused and concerned about how people might feel
5. Supportive of others when they share their feelings
6. Willing to consider alternative ways to approach a problem
7. Approach a task with a focus on facts and logic
8. Accepts new ideas when their payoff has been identified
9. Makes use of existing ideas before going off to do something new
10. Approach people with caution and care

Some of the weaknesses of my social style…

1. My quiet businesslike approach may be considered as cool and unsociable
2. By not taking time to develop relationships, I may be seen as lacking interest in people
3. Emphasis on accuracy may be perceived as being too slow to act or being indecisive
4. Focusing on the task at hand may be perceived as lacking concern for others feelings.

The majority of this workshop focused on identifying others’ social styles. This is important since you can adapt your interactions with a person based on their style and how they perceive your style. This is the big payoff from the class. I am looking forward to employing these techniques. Now I am sorting and categorizing my coworkers, friends and family. It is quite an interesting exercise.