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Have you ever been annoyed by a colleague with a big new idea who hadn’t thought about the implementation details? Or in a work meeting and wanted to be sure every detail is perfect before pitching an idea, but the rest of your team wants you to get on with it? What we’re talking about here is a clash of different working styles.
What is a work style?
A work style is the approach a person takes to tackle work based on their personality, view of the world, skills, and personal preferences. Different working styles dictate how you problem-solve, build work relationships, and manage conflict. It’s important to remember that there isn’t a “correct” work style – the style that works best depends on the individual.
So, what are the types of work styles? Five of the most common are independent/logical, supportive, detail-oriented, idea-oriented, and innovative. Not everybody falls into a single category, and depending on the situation, you might find yourself spread over a few categories. That said, these 5 working styles cover a lot of ground.
A healthy workplace needs team members who approach problems from all angles. However, balancing the needs of varying work styles can be a challenge. That’s why it’s important to understand the work styles of everyone on your team. If you can meet the needs of multiple working styles, they will collaborate, play off each other’s strengths, and develop a sense of belonging in the workplace.
To make this useful, we’ll need to get specific. Let’s look at working style characteristics, examples of work styles, and what you can do to build a workplace that meets their needs and the needs of your business.
1. Independent/logical work style
Generally speaking, an independent/logical work style thrives on clear, data-driven guidelines and measurable outcomes. Often, they prefer to work alone and find distractions and interruptions very frustrating. They don’t dislike other people, but it does mean they need their space to focus. A downside is that they sometimes come off as a bit reserved or aloof and can hesitate to express their thoughts or feelings.
Strengths and weaknesses of the independent/logical work style
On the positive side, independent/logical workers tend to be very self-reliant and can tackle big problems without much supervision. They are also often strong problem solvers with great critical thinking skills.
As for weaknesses, their independence means they can struggle when they have to work in groups or collaborate on large-scale projects. Since they are so logical, sometimes they get caught up in thinking multiple steps ahead which leads to analysis paralysis.
Examples of the independent/logical work style
Depending on the industry, you can find these types of workers in many positions. For example, an engineer who prefers working on complex technical problems independently, or a writer who cloisters in a quiet environment to edit their work.
Tips for working with the independent/logical work style
First, independent/logical workers value clear expectations, so be specific with what you’re asking them to do. Then, give them the space to do it – an independent worker wants you to trust them with the task you give them. Micromanaging is the kiss of death when working with this style.
When you need to work in a group, encourage structured communication by using project management software and technology that keeps meetings organized. A logical worker will have a much better experience in a collaborative meeting if they go in with a clear roadmap of what to expect. On a logistical level, you also need to provide workers with a quiet space where they can feel independent. This might mean flexible work arrangements depending on your office facilities.
2. Supportive work style
The supportive work style is all about building close relationships. Workers in this style tend to be empathetic and understanding and can easily relate to the feelings of their co-workers. Because of this, they prioritize harmony and teamwork over individual achievement and tend to play a supportive role. While just as important as leaders, team assessments sometimes overlook the contributions of this style since they don’t stand out as much.
Strengths and weaknesses of the supportive work style
This style embodies the quintessential team player, so their collaboration skills are second to none. Supportive style workers also have a deep well of empathy and highly developed conflict-resolution skills that make them invaluable in most workplaces.
But, that empathy can also lead to people-pleasing and difficulty in saying no – issues that can negatively impact them and the business. Since they are so in tune with coworkers, they also tend to be very sensitive to criticism and can take feedback personally.
Examples of the supportive work style
Often, people with a supportive working style tend to gravitate towards positions like human resource professionals, customer service representatives, teachers, and counselors. The commonality here is the importance of close personal relationships with other people – be it students, potential customers, or fellow employees.
Tips for working with the supportive work style
When working with a supportive work style, you need to provide opportunities for social interaction. That can be something as simple as taking the time to have a conversation and ask how they’re doing or as elaborate as organized workplace events. The key is creating a collaborative environment to keep employees engaged. Pitting a supportive worker against another employee will only demoralize them. Unless it’s part of an office game of charades, avoid competition. Also, aim to create collaborative workspaces where team members can share ideas easily.
3. Detail-oriented work style
This is the kind of person you want to proofread everything you write. They can be slow, but they don’t miss a thing. A detail-oriented worker enjoys meticulous tasks. For them, it’s not about quantity or speed but quality. Because of this, they sometimes clash with more objective-driven work styles. However, detail-oriented workers are integral to producing quality work.
Strengths and weaknesses of the detail-oriented work style
Detail-oriented workers are generally accurate and organized, putting a lot of effort into avoiding any mistakes. Because of their focus on minutiae, they also tend to be very dependable and trustworthy in all of their work.
A downside is that they are often extremely focused on detail which leads to long delays. Also, delegation and changing procedures can be real challenges for detail-oriented workers.
Examples of the detail-oriented work style
It’s common to find a detail-oriented work style in editors, accountants, proofreaders, and data entry specialists. That said, detail-oriented workers often thrive in any industry. Projects in any business need to have quality checks throughout the process, which is where the true strength of the detail-oriented work style shines.
Tips for working with the detail-oriented work style
Just like the independent/logical worker, detail-oriented workers need clear guidelines and expectations. When they are neck-deep in minutiae, they need to know exactly what you’re looking for so they can make sure everything is perfect. A good template goes a long way towards streamlining this process.
Because detail-oriented workers tend to see their work as a reflection of their skills and competence, it’s extremely important to recognize their attention to detail. In large-scale projects, it can be easy to dismiss the “small stuff” even though it’s incredibly important. Take the time to highlight their work. Collaboration is also a big part of detail-oriented work because often this work style thrives on taking other’s work and making it better. Provide technology like interactive displays and project management platforms so detail-oriented workers can easily collaborate with others.
4. Idea-oriented work style
These are your big-picture people. They love generating creative ideas, starting projects, brainstorming, and problem-solving. By themselves, they might never get a project fully done. But in conjunction with the other work styles, they are integral to getting things off the ground. While their skills are very important, they can sometimes be hard to work with. They don’t tend to be very detail-oriented and are often not concerned with deadlines or practicalities. This often leads to friction with people of other work styles, which is why it’s important to create the right environment for ideal people to thrive.
Strengths and weaknesses of the idea-oriented work style
These are some of the most creative, enthusiastic, big-picture thinkers you’ll have in any company. Because of this, they are a go-to source for innovative ideas, and inspiring your team to boldly reach for lofty goals.
That said, idea-oriented workers don’t always grasp the practicality of their ideas and can waste a lot of time on concepts that aren’t feasible for your company. They can also be disorganized and miss important details since they are so focused on the big picture.
Examples of the idea-oriented work style
Usually, you’ll find idea-oriented workers in roles like creative director, market strategist, writer, artist, or product designer. Essentially, any place where you are creating something from nothing.
Tips for working with the idea-oriented work style
To get your idea people working in harmony with the other styles, you need to be open to their Innovative suggestions and provide opportunities for experimentation. You also need to make it clear to the other styles of workers that listening to ideas is not the same thing as implementing them. In other words, don’t let the detail-oriented workers panic over all the details of a big idea pitch. Instead, use brainstorming software and collaboration tools to let idea-oriented workers get all of their thoughts in front of the rest of the team. Then, you can analyze concepts with tools like an impact effort matrix to choose the right path.
5. Innovative work style
Employees with an innovative work style seek new approaches and new challenges. They love pushing boundaries and often embrace change, thriving in dynamic environments. In a sense, their fondness for unpredictability makes them the antithesis of logical and detail-oriented workers. Like idea-oriented workers, they often want to experiment and embrace unconventional ideas. That said, a unique characteristic is their constant quest to improve already existing processes and systems.
Strengths and weaknesses of the innovative work style
Innovative workers are willing to take big risks and adapt to new ways of doing things quickly. They are visionaries who can shake up your company’s way of doing things in a good way.
However, because of their excitement about new ideas, they can often be impatient and get frustrated with bureaucracy or slow progress. They also are not the people you want working on repetitive tasks since they can become bored easily.
Examples of the innovative work style
You’ll usually spot people with an innovative work style as product managers, entrepreneurs, and creative directors. Their driving force is finding new approaches to challenges. But, the value of an innovative work style isn’t only in traditionally creative industries. Research scientists are constantly researching to discover new knowledge, while systems analysts thrive on implementing new approaches to problems.
Tips for working with the innovative work style
The innovative work style is all about the new. If you can keep your workers gaining new skills through learning and development opportunities and encourage experimentation with new ideas, you’ll play to their strengths. Another way to implement newness is by encouraging cross-functional teams that bring together different parts of your company. Someone working in an entirely different position can bring in new ways of seeing problems that an innovative worker can spot. It’s also important to offer flexible work arrangements so that there’s always an outlet for innovation.
What is your working style?
Now that we’ve covered the five work styles, you might start to see yourself in some of these descriptions. Knowing your style is important because it lets you identify what you need from your co-workers to thrive. Don’t feel like you have to fit entirely into one category – most people don’t. Instead, think about which of the individual characteristics we’ve described are the most relatable to you and how that might impact the way you work with others. To tackle this in a more organized way, consider these steps.
Self-reflection
Take a few minutes to write down your personal preferences. Do you like working alone? What are tasks you love doing? What do you hate working on? Once you get this done, look for patterns in your preferences. You can also approach this from a psychological perspective by using a personality test like the Myers-Briggs indicator or DiSC assessment.
Feedback
Sometimes, we have trouble seeing things about ourselves. Talk to people you work closely with daily and ask them what they think you’re good at and areas of weakness that you might not be aware of. In practice, you may have a different work style than you were expecting.
Observation
Instead of looking at how you feel about types of work, observation focuses on what you accomplish. How do you work under different conditions with different tasks? Which ones are objectively more successful? Sometimes, you might be able to use a particular work style that doesn’t entirely fit your personality. That doesn’t mean you should ignore your preferences, but it does mean you might have some skills in your back pocket to pull out when you need them.
Quick tips on leveraging work styles
They say you can’t please all the people all the time. That’s true in some cases, but if you put in the effort you can get your team running like a well-oiled machine. Try a few of these tips to optimize your office.
Appreciate diversity
Make it clear to everyone that each work style is important and valuable. Sure, the ideal person or innovator might be in the spotlight more often, but without the detail-oriented folks, nothing gets done. make sure there is open communication and respect between everyone regardless of how they tackle problems.
Align tasks with styles
The last thing you want is an idea-oriented person panicking over highly detailed work or an Innovator bored out of their mind with repetitive tasks. When dividing work, don’t just look at skill sets and personalities, but work styles. This might mean hiring a few new people or just moving current workers around. Whatever the case, you must ask your workers where they find satisfaction in their jobs.
Effective communication
When you communicate with employees, be sure to consider their work style. For example, if you’re talking to a detail-oriented worker, focus on the nitty gritty and don’t go into big-picture stuff. Save that for the innovators and idea people.
Targeted training
Sometimes, workers will need to push themselves to stretch outside of their work style. Targeted training can help a lot with this. For instance, training on dealing with bureaucracy can help innovators, and detail-oriented workers may benefit from time management training.
Get started on harmonizing your work styles
A well-designed workspace can help build a team where everyone thrives in their work style. If you’d like to learn more about technology that can give collaborative space for supportive work styles, brainstorming space for idea-oriented and innovative workers, and streamlined meetings for the logical and detail-oriented work style, set up a free demo with Promethean.
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