This document describes different personality styles and provides tips for how each style can maximize their strengths and work effectively with others. It identifies four main personality types: Otter, Lion, Beaver, and Golden Retriever. It provides an overview of each type's best skills and strengths. It also lists potential weaknesses to watch out for. Finally, it gives communication tips for how each type can effectively interact with the other types, including dos and don'ts. The overall purpose is to help people with different personality styles understand and appreciate their differences to improve workplace collaboration.

1. Your Personality Style

2. Which statement would
you find yourself thinking
the most?
1. I sure wish this would be more organized.
2. They just need to relax; everything is fine.
3. This is not fun; I’m bored.
4. They need to make a decision…and NOW.

4. for Bringing Out the Plus
in Your Personality
Quick Tips

6.  Face reality; life isn’t always a party
 Get a personal calendar & keep an updated
schedule
 Make easy-to-follow schedules
 Learn to make lists
 Find someone who will hold you accountable
 Get to the point; in conversation, limit details
 Plan variety in each day
 Be on time; aim to be early
Otter
Quick Tips

7.  Finish what you start or delegate
so you can keep commitments
 Listen more; talk less
 Draw others out with questions
 Put things back in the same
place every time
 Tone down your volume of
speech and laughter
Otter
Quick Tips

8. Otter
Interrupt nor add
to others’ stories
 Laugh everything off
 Walk into a room
talking
 Overcommit yourself
to too many projects
Do Not

10.  Be first to apologize
 Lead, don’t push
 Develop a plan of encouraging others
(verbally or written)
 Admit existence of own faults & weaknesses
 Issue a request instead of an order
 Greet people with a warm smile
 If it’s not your problem,
stay out of it
Lion
Quick Tips

11.  Let people offer opinions without cutting them
off or putting them down
 Realize others may be right
 Listen to what people are saying to you,
then allow your heart to open
 Allow others to be who they are
 Look for ways to validate the creativity of others
 Learn to compromise and cooperate with others
 Learn to relax so you won’t become
a workaholic

12. lion
 Expect everyone to
want to do it your way
 Assume you know
everything
 Be so bossy that you
intimidate others
 Expect everyone to
produce as you do
 Assume everyone
wants your advice
Do Not

14.  Speak up and enter the conversation
 Move into action with enthusiasm
 Be willing to take a risk
 Involve yourself in others’ lives
 Trust your own abilities
 Recognize your tendency toward laziness and realize
how it affects others
 Model a winner’s attitude
 Finish three projects you have
started and set dates for
others Golden Retriever
Quick Tips

15.  Learn some phrases to encourage others
 Show you really heard and do care
 Develop a plan to keep heading toward growth
 Communicate your feelings so people will
relate to you
 Love yourself for who you are
 Focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses
 Remember it is only the first time you do something
new that is frightening; next time will be easier
Golden RetrieverQuick Tips

16.  Let resentment
build. It comes out
as sarcasm in your
“one-liner” humor.
 Procrastinate and
expect others to do
your work
 Always say
“I don’t care”
Be a wet blanket
on others’ ideas
Do Not
Golden
Retriever

18.  Realize life may not be quite as bad as it
seems at the moment
 Cheer up; smile more
 Realize that perfectionism can cause
procrastination
 Ease up on your standards for yourself
and others
 Be less sensitive
 Learn to meet others’ needs &
appreciate their differences
Beaver
Quick Tips

19.  Lower standards slightly to be more realistic
 Allow people room to be themselves
 Speak up more
 Believe in people
 Develop acceptance of others who aren’t perfect
 Express your feelings instead of closing
down emotionally
 Communicate needs and talk
things over rather than
withdrawing Beaver
Quick Tips

20. Beaver
 Allow your unforgiving
spirit to alienate those who
deeply care for you
 Take everything personally
and get hurt
 Make everyone play 20
questions to get an answer
 Take life so seriously
 Expect everyone else to
have lists and schedules
 Let your schedule keep you
from seeing and meeting
others’ needs
Do Not

21. the Personalities in
Your Workplace
Piecing
Together

22. • Making initial contact with people
• Creating enthusiasm and excitement
• Encouraging and uplifting others
• Insuring that the group has fun
• Motivates others to joins
(look for those who need
to be included)
• Recruiter and a Creative Person
• Brings energy and excitement
Otter
yellowPlace in the Puzzle
Best At

23.  Can come on too
happy or cute
 Not considered
serious or believable
 Considered flighty
Encouragement
and praise
Listen through
my emotions
Otter
yellow
REALIZE THEY NEED FUN &ENTERTAINMENT
Motivate Me
Warning

24. • Leading people to action
• Managing the plans and productivity
• Giving quick and clear instructions
• Making decisions quickly with confidence
• Leadership (Take Charge)
• Results
• Good Decision Maker Lion
red
Place in the Puzzle
Best At

25.  May come on too
overpowering, often
intimidates less confident people
Tell me how much I have done
Respect my quick decisions
REALIZE THEY
NEED ACTION
AND SOME
CONTROL
Lion
red
Motivate Me
Warning

26. • Making sure the group is comfortable
• Listening to others
• Being sensitive to the need of others
• Keeps everything steady
• Makes others feel like
they belong
• Support person
Golden
Retriever
greenPlace in the Puzzle
Best At

27.  May come across
as too low-key
or lazy
Appears too
unenthusiastic
or uninvolved
Recognize how calm
I am and level headed
Value who I am and
what I bring to the group
REALIZE THEY NEED REST &QUIET TIME
Golden
Retriever
green
Motivate Me
Warning

28. • Planning and explaining the details
• Keeping the financial records straight
• Staying calm and functional amidst chaos
• Critical thinker
• Systems for
accomplishing
the task
• Detail person
blue
Beaver
Place in the Puzzle
Best At

29.  Might come across
too intellectual and
remote
 May make others feel
less intelligent
 Can get lost
in the details
Invite me and welcome
me into your group
space
Validate my contribution
even though it may
seem negative
REALIZE THEY NEED ORDER &ENCOURAGEMENT
blue
Beaver
Motivate Me
Warning

30. Personalities at Work
GOLDEN
RETRIEVER
Job
Pluses
Environ-
Ment &
Meetings
Decisions
Are
Workspace
Simulative
Fast –Paced
Congenial
Spontaneous—
Heart
Casual,
Usually
Cluttered with
piles & sticky
notes
The Start,
The Challenge
Friendly
Casual
Open Door
Policy
Consultative—
Heart
Casual
Comfortable
with items
within reach
The
Involvement
Relationships
Efficient
Effective
Productive
Decisive—
Head
No Frills
Functional
with items in
the right
places
Accomplishing
the task and
winning
Organized
Functional
Practical
Calculated—
Head
Organized
Leaves
Workspace
Neat
The Process
Developing
Systems

31. Personalities at Work
GOLDEN
RETRIEVER
Struggles
with
People
Who Are
Likes
People
Who
Fears
Too Serious
Narrow-
Minded
Not Flexible
Enjoy Life
Love
Possibilities
Are Positive
Being Bored
Being Left-Out
Being
Unpopular
Too
Controlling
Pushy
Demanding
Are Supportive
Respect &
Value Them
Make Them
Laugh
Major Change
Being
Overwhelmed
Put In the
Spotlight
Lazy/
Incompetent
Not Productive
Weak
Perform Well
Are Self-
Assured
Like Action
Loss of
Control
Loss of
Respect
Being Wrong
Disorganized
Insincere
Superficial
Are Serious
Are
Dependable
Include Them
Making a
Mistake
Being
Misunderstood
Being
Dismissed

32. Personalities at Work
GOLDEN
RETRIEVER
Stressors
When
Stressed
Rigid
Situations
and People
Talks Loudly
With Emotion
Impulsive
Actions and
Talks A Lot
Fast-Paced
Disharmony
Conflict
Instability
Avoids/Isolate
s
Veges-Out
Becomes a
Couch Potato
Distractions
from Problem
TV/Books/Slee
p
Incompetent
People
Out of Control
Situations
Not Producing
Enough
Verbal
Aggression
Domineering
Assertive
Blunt
Pushes Harder
for Production
Change
Chaos
Sloppy Work
Irresponsibility
Withdraws
Disengages
Goes Back to
Facts & Data
For Answers
Indecisive:
Analysis
Paralysis

33. OTTER
Inspirational
Loud
With stories
A lot
Direct
Prefers verbal
LION
Authoritative
Loud
Logical
One way
Direct
To the point
BEAVER
Communication
Factual
Delivered perfectly
“Need to know”
Indirect
Prefers written
Softer & precise
Warm
Soft & collected
Two-way
Indirect
Prefers verbal
Hesitant to open up
GOLDEN
RETRIEVER

34. Otter to Lion Get to the bottom line quickly
Don’t start with stories & laughter
Give facts
Otter to Beaver Be sensitive to their schedule
Keep to the point
Watch for signs that they are done
Otter to Golden Retriever Slow down
Listen to them
Ask their opinion
Lion to Otter Be interested in their colorful stories
Don’t roll your eyes
Don’t try to always correct them
Lion to Beaver Allow them to share their ideas
Encourage & prompt them
Appreciate their research and details
Lion to Golden Retriever Be careful not to shut them out
Don’t be impatient
Value and ask for their opinion

35. Beaver
to Otter
Respond openly to their funny happenings
Compliment them frequently
Beaver
to Lion
Don’t drown them in details
Cut to the essentials
Be confident
Beaver
to Golden Retriever
Watch for positives and mention them
Offer them sincere praise
Golden Retriever
to Otter
Enter into conversation
Get excited about their ideas
Smile
Golden Retriever
to Beaver
Offer facts and back them up with
documentation
Value their time and schedule
Golden Retriever
to Lion
Speed up your speech
Get to the bottom line
Show energy

36. GOLDEN
RETRIEVER