Ever wondered why working with some people feels a bit like rowing with the current when others can feel like rowing upstream? Had communication that crossed like two ships passing in the night? Kristi is passionate about culture, communication and helping people reach their fullest potential. Having spent the past 15 years leading NYC tech companies, she's excited to share some frameworks to help you spot individual workstyles, develop adaptability and create a more productive work environment for everyone.
4. When diverse teams made a
business decision, they
outperformed individual
decision-makers up to 87% of the
time.
01 - REVENUE
4 |
Diversity leads to better built companies
Companies that have more
diverse management teams have
19% higher revenue.
02 - INNOVATION
Inclusive companies are 1.7 times
more likely to be innovation
leaders in their market.
3 - DECISION MAKING 04 - TALENT
67% of job seekers said a diverse
workforce is important when
considering job offers.
WORKSTYLES |
Source
5. 5 |
COLLISION COLLABORATION
WORKSTYLES |
“I’m not heard”
“I don’t understand why we are still focused on this
issue.”
“I feel exhausted every time we meet on this”.
“I understand why my idea isn’t the priority
right now.”
“I need to evaluate the impact of this more
closely.”
“I’m energized by this challenge.”
Cognitive diversity requires different ways of working
6. 6 |
Our IDENTITY affects the way
we think, feel, act,
approach problems & communicate.
WORKSTYLES |
7. 7 | WORKSTYLES |
Think
What is a WorkStyle?
It’s the way we deal with the
world and other people.
Style emerges in the way
we...
Feel & Act
Communicate
Plan, approach
problems, make
decisions
8. 8 |
YOUR OWN STYLE YOUR TEAM & COMPANY
WORKSTYLES |
Why care about workstyles?
➢ Self awareness
➢ Natural tendencies
➢ Strengths
➢ Overuses
➢ Awareness of others
➢ Opportunity to adjust management style
➢ Opportunity to shape culture
➢ Key to helping team achieve potential
9. 9 |
As Leaders, we must create
a culture that cherishes
diversity
01 Self-Aware
02 Team & Org-Aware
03 Coaches
04 Problem Solvers
05 Collaborators
WORKSTYLES |
10. 10 WORKSTYLES ||
Workstyle feels intangible,
but there are frameworks
we can use
It is the pattern of how we’ve learned to
deal with people,problems &
opportunities over time
11. 11 |
Workstyle Emerges in
Communication
| How do you typically communicate &
assign tasks?
WORKSTYLES |
| How do you build relationships?
| How do you typically send messages
and prefer to receive them?
12. 12
Four common work styles
WORKSTYLES ||
FORECASTER
Loves concepts, ideas,
innovation.
Long term & future
oriented.
Enjoys theories & ok
with tangents
ASSOCIATOR
Perceptive, insightful
and sensitive.
Builds teams through
strong collaborations.
Draws others out.
SYSTEMIZER
Methodical, thoughtful
& careful.
Creates systems and
processes
Analytical & rational
ENERGIZER
Bias for action and
wants to see results.
Optimizes for speed
Confident in instincts.
13. Leaders need to
recognize &
nurture all
styles
13 |
01
Workstyles should be fluid
Preferred style
WORKSTYLES |
02 Reserved style
03 Least preferred style
04 Anti style
14. 14 | WORKSTYLES |
FORECASTER ASSOCIATOR SYSTEMIZER ENERGIZER
Concerns Concepts,
ideas,
innovation
People, feelings,
connections
Fact,
organization,
accuracy
Results, action,
speed
Questions What if?
What are the
possibilities?
How does it feel?
How does this
work for
everyone?
What are the
alternatives?
How does it
work?
What can I
expect? How
fast can we see
results? What is
the outcome?
Workstyle preferences emerge in our daily interactions
15. 15 | WORKSTYLES |
FORECASTER ASSOCIATOR SYSTEMIZER ENERGIZER
Time sense Future Past Past, Present,
Future
Now
Information Wide ranging,
link thoughts
together
Personalized,
informal
Precision,
sequenced
Practical, results
over methods
Strengths Conceptual,
creative, sees
the broader
picture
Empathetic, team
player
Logical, detailed,
methodical
Practical,
functional,
action-oriented
Enabling workstyle diversity brings depth to our
organizations
16. 16 | WORKSTYLES |
FORECASTER ASSOCIATOR SYSTEMIZER ENERGIZER
Idealistic,
impractical,
procrastinator,
evasive
Subjective,
sentimental, soft,
indecisive
Rigid, cautious,
indecisive,
impersonal
Impulsive,
short-sighted,
impatient, thinking
follows actions
Strengths can be overused & need to be balanced out
17. 17
Adjusting your approach to someone else’s style
| WORKSTYLES |
FORECASTER
● Emphasize future opportunities
● Apply interesting concepts to the job
● Appeal to person’s principles & values
● Offer to brainstorm
● Work iteratively
SYSTEMIZER:
● Be analytical & systematic
● Tie the past into the present
● Create structure in plans & ideas
● Appear organized, present alternatives
● Present ideas as “low risk”
ENERGIZER:
● Emphasize actions taken, tangible results
● Position ideas as ‘opportunities’ for impact
● Stress ‘risk & reward’ scenarios
● Offer “challenges”
● Be clear about who are the decision makers &
how to influence
ASSOCIATOR:
● Be friendly & informal
● Stress ideas that key people are comfortable
with / support
● Allow people time to express their ideas
● Ask for feedback
● Show flexibility - how can we change things if
people are uncomfortable
18. 18
4 Challenges for Leaders
| WORKSTYLES |
Unleash
potential
01 Know your own Workstyle
02 Know the Workstyles of your Direct Reports
03 Choose one relationship that you want to improve
04 Identify one way in which you will create the space for different styles to thrive
21. 21 |
Workshop Agenda
10-15 Introduce concept of workstyles
10 Learn your style - take quiz
10 Pair workshop (in twos)
10 Group reflection (all)
10 Homework & Wrap Up
Supplemental materials included in appendix
WORKSTYLES | WORKSHOP
Minutes
22. 22
Workshop with your team
Learn & Interpret your style
| WORKSTYLES |
10
minute
quiz
COPY ABOVE LINK
Take this 10 minute quiz to
learn your workstyle
preferences
➢ PREFERRED STYLE: your highest score &
preference to use whenever possible
➢ RESERVED STYLE: your second highest score &
what you reach for when you feel the need to switch
styles. Must be <= 5 points of your prefered score
➢ SINGLE STYLE: if your two top scores are > 5
points apart, you may not have a reserve style
➢ LEAST PREFERRED STYLE: your lowest score.
You probably have difficulty using this style
➢ ANTI STYLE: a score of < = 12 on a style. You
probably tend to stay away from problems or
opportunities that lend themselves to this
approach. You might also have difficulty with
people whose Preferred Style is your Anti Style.
23. REVIEW
QUESTIONS
IN
PAIRS
23 |
01
How does your workstyle impact your
work with others?
What is your preferred style during “normal” situations? How does this impact
how you communicate with others? Especially someone problematic - superior,
direct report or peer?
WORKSTYLES |
02 What is your preferred style under “stress”? How do your communication skills
change?
03 How/when does this work for you or against you? What could you do differently?
How does it affect your ability to effectively manage 360 degrees?
04 How do you think others perceive your work style?
24. REVIEW
QUESTIONS
AS A
TEAM
24 |
01
How does your workstyle impact your
work with others?
What is our team WorkStyle profile? How does this work for/against us?
Especially under pressure?
WORKSTYLES |
02 What were some surprises re: Workstyle for yourself? The Group?
03 How might our team Workstyle profile relate to how we communicate with other
teams? Where might we be able to improve?
25. 25
Adjusting your Workstyle
| WORKSTYLES |
with
key
relationships
01 Think about someone you want to improve your relationship with to enhance your
effectiveness in your current role
02 What do they expect of you? What do you expect from them?
03 What do you hypothesize their Workstyle to be?
04 How does your Workstyle interact effectively with theirs or not?
05 How can you be more adaptive in your Workstyle with this person?
26. 26
Homework
| WORKSTYLES |
Applied
Learning
01 Choose a 360 degree relationship with a different WorkStyle than yours that you
would like to improve
02 Think about how to adjust your Workstyle to be more effective with that person.
Prepare for these exchanges in advance.
03 After each interaction, give yourself a + / - feedback on how it worked and how you
could have been more effective.
04 Identify a peer resource with a different Workstyle than yours that you can work
with
05 Identify something that you want to work on & communicate it to someone (your
manager, a peer) to help hold you accountable. Check in on progress.
27. 27
Summary of Work Style Characteristics
| WORKSTYLES |
Effective application:
● Creative
● Cognitive
● Theoretical
● Inventive
● Sees the broad picture
● Ideological
● Strategizer
● Innovative
● Intellectually oriented
Effective application: Ineffective application:
Ineffective application:
ForecasterAssociator
● Collaborative / team player
● Spontaneous
● Convincing
● Empathetic / careful listener
● Grasps traditional values
● Thoughtful
● Draws out others’ feelings
● Informal
● People-oriented
● Unrealistic
● Procrastinator
● Dogmatic
● Dreamer
● Evasive
● Has an answer for everything
● Condescending
● Biased
● Apologetic
● Manipulative / vulnerable
● Over-sensitive
● Volatile emotions
● Stirs up conflicts
● Indecisive
● Too laid back
29. 29
Work Style: Possible Communication Missteps
| WORKSTYLES |
Overuse of tendencies. I may...
● Try to impress with too many ideas
● Give extensive concepts to support my
position
● Not consider the feelings of the receiver
● Go off on elaborate tangents of personal
interest
● Use technical explanations or vague
descriptions
● Come across as if I know all the answers
● Talk at, not with people
● Lead the discussion and discourage
questions, appear aloof or arrogant
● Ramble, sound evasive
Underuse of tendencies. I may:
Forecaster
● Avoid setting the context of the
presentation
● Minimize the importance of long-range
effects
● Be patient with elaborate
conceptualizations
● Prematurely push for decisions
● Cut short other’s information
30. 30
Work Style: Possible Communication Missteps
| WORKSTYLES |
Overuse of tendencies. I may...
● Want to befriend and please everyone
● Seek personal gratification at the
expense of business success
● Be impatient with impersonal details
● Appear soft-hearted, sentimental
● Use too many personal examples or
examples not directly relevant
● Be oversensitive
● Be indirect about goals and intent
● Be biased
● Seek assurances I am liked
Underuse of tendencies. I may:
Associater
● Be inconsiderate of feelings
● Avoid all personal statements
● Present myself as cold and detached
● Make people uncomfortable with my
abruptness
● Provide too few social amenities
● Not laugh at jokes
● Appear cold, calculating
31. 31
Work Style: Possible Communication Missteps
| WORKSTYLES |
Overuse of tendencies. I may...
● Be too detailed and specific, intimidate
with info
● Be too impersonal and insensitive
● Be narrow in presentation
● Not show how this info will translate into
the larger picture
● Be unresponsive and controlling
● Overdo with facts; be too pragmatic; too
serious
● Want more time to study the issues
● Delay actions, decisions
● Want everything perfect, unwilling to
compromise
Underuse of tendencies. I may:
Systemizer
● Miss the other person’s reliance on data
● Not support statements with relevant
facts
● Minimize the importance of supporting
information
● Expect that a personal relationship will
be sufficient
● Make decisions too rapidly
● Be too vague
● Be impatient with details
● Be too informal
32. 32
Work Style: Possible Communication Missteps
| WORKSTYLES |
Overuse of tendencies. I may...
● Be too much in a hurry to listen carefully
● Engage and disengage too rapidly
● Be overpowering and demanding,
command action
● Be impatient with questions
● Have no interest in small talk, seem
callous & unfeeling
● Be unaware of the personal needs of
others
● Expect others to ‘track with me’ even
without the facts
● Get excited before thinking
● Try to reach or read consensus
prematurely
Underuse of tendencies. I may:
Energizer
● Want more time to explain all the
necessary background and data
● Ask too many questions
● Sound unresponsive and / or
disinterested
● Need a great deal of direct feedback and
/ or encouragement
● Want more data
● Feel overwhelmed by hastiness
● Miss deadlines
