Last week I hopped on a call with a client and we were discussing the different dynamics of a board and people in general. What happens when you get a group of diverse, different-thinking, multi-experienced people together? “Well, usually it falls apart!” we said. Do you ever feel like you’re in a team or on a board where you’re mixing water and oil? Some people go hard right, while others go hard left? Even their approach to a topic or challenge is, well, different!
This was a great opportunity to share with the client what I call the “Get Family” or what is probably better known as the Lens of Understanding by Dr. Rick Brinkman and Dr. Rick Kirschner. As we examine their insights, it’s also important to include the caveat that these are generalities and not meant to “box” people in - more of a diagnostic tool to help leaders quickly adapt their style to help the team progress.
What they discovered in a very neat and compact way is that there are four general types of personalities that we interact with in any given group. These personalities are on two axises. The horizontal axis represents the degree of assertiveness an individual demonstrates and ranges from passive to aggressive. Passive reactions to a given situation can be submissive, yielding, and even withdrawing completely; aggressive reactions to situations can range from bold determination to domination, belligerence, and attacks.
The vertical axis represents where individuals place their emphasis or focus. When you look through the Lens of Understanding, you can observe that there are patterns to what people focus their attention on in any given situation. Some people focus more on “tasks,” while others focus on “people” and relationships.
In group settings like team meetings or board retreats and especially during times of challenge, difficulty or stress, most people tend to focus with greater exclusiveness on either the “what” and the task, or the “who” and the people/relationships of the situation. When someone is task-focused, their word choices reflect where their attention is: "Did you bring the report?" "Did you finish your homework and chores?" "Do you have those figures?" "How close is that project to completion?" On the other side of the axis, when someone is people-focused, their word choices reflect that. "Hey, how was your weekend?" “I’m concerned about how people will react to this idea.” “I feel anxious about the amount of work we’re taking on?” “Does anybody care about this anyway?”
These two axises (vertical and horizontal) create a 4 block diagram and create what I call The Get Family. The upper left hand corner, where passive on our horizontal axis converges with task-focused on the vertical axis, we have the “Get It Right” personality. Just as the name suggests, these people like to get things right first and foremost. We often can see these people as the “brakes” in any team dynamic; they tend to slow down a process. They like to think and ruminate on all the possibilities and consequences. These people are great at research and bringing different details together. They often can detail the downside of doing an initiative. They also tend to be detached from making decisions based on emotion and rely more on facts and data. Their slow and deliberate approach can frustrate team members who are focused on meeting deadlines.
In the upper right hand corner, where aggressive (horizontal) meets task (vertical), we have our “Get It Done” personalities. These people tend to take a practical approach on our teams and boards. They are the ones with the checklists, dividing up the tasks and asking when someone will get something done. They are good at setting up processes to make things happen and remind team members of deadlines. They also tend to focus on time and speed as a core function of success. These people are good at seeing the immediate picture and knowing generally how to get there. Their focus on deliverables can come across as aggressive and dominating to other team members.
In the lower left hand corner, where passive (horizontal) meets people focus (vertical), we have our “Get Along” personalities. These people are all about relationships, emotions and being a team player. They generate enthusiasm and can often anticipate the reaction of others. They’re good at swooping other team members in and surfacing opposing viewpoints. These people are often the first to flex their own opinion or style for others (in order to keep the relationship strong). They can also add drama (both good and bad) to the team dynamic. Other team members often see these people as irrelevant because they are not contributing facts or deliverables.
Finally, in the lower right hand corner, where aggressive (horizontal) meets people focused (vertical) we have our “Get Appreciated” personalities. These people tend to have great brainstorming abilities and hold onto the big picture. They are visionary, bold and charismatic. They can also forecast the future and tend to rally the team around guiding principles and values. They are a motivating force for the board or team, however they also have a tendency to “hog the spotlight” and want recognition that they originated an idea.
We often use the illustration of a roadtrip to really showcase these personalities. The Get It Done person is the driver and they probably already filled up with gas before the day even started (they’ve also sent everyone a checklist of what to bring). The Get It Right is the one with the Google Map pulled up and has been plotting the course and shortened routes before the day even began. The Get Along person has the Spotify playlist cued up and of course, brought snacks for everyone. The Get Recognized person was the one that originally mentioned we should all go on a roadtrip in the first place!
Research has shown that we often have two dominant or preferred personality types and two less preferred types. For example, some of us are Get It Done and Get It Right people, while others are Get It Done and Get Appreciation. After reading through these, which are you? If you work on a board or in a team, can you identify which teammates are which?
The real importance of this diagnostic tool is to demonstrate that on any board, team, department or organization, we are an eclectic group of various personalities. More importantly, the most successful teams and organizations admire, utilize and manage a mixture of all four types. The greatest leaders have learned how to appreciate these various styles and create environments that draw out and strengthen these various personalities.
Next time you’re leading a team meeting or board meeting, take a moment to recognize your Get It Right people, your Get It Done people, your Get Along people and your Get Appreciated people and see where you can flex your style to draw out their strengths.
