Occasionally I use these to help me out to figure how to approach someone. It’s sometimes useful and kinda fun to think about, especially when your friends know about them too.

Focus is their overall goal. Strength is self explanatory. Needs is what a person of that type needs from someone else or in a situation. Do’s are what you should do when interacting with a person of that type. Do Nots are what you should try to avoid doing when interacting with them.

Controller

• Focus: Achieving results
• Greatest Strength: Uses conflict
• Needs: To be in control; options; action; to win
• Do: Be direct and to the point; give the “Bottom Line”; talk faster and stronger; link to objective for buy-in
• Do Not: Chit-chat or over-socializer; ramble; provide detail unless requested; be ambiguous

Analyzer

• Focus:: Achieving quality / accuracy / perfection
• Greatest Strength: Uses facts, data, history
• Needs: To be right; to understand “why”; detailed explanations; time to process and decide
• Do: Be organized and task-focused; talk softer and slower; give information in writing; ask questions if you disagree
• Do Not: Expect quick changes or decisions; be overly emotional; tell them they are wrong; challenge without clarifying “why”

Persuader

• Focus: Interacting with people
• Greatest Strength: Uses verbal skills
• Needs: To be liked; recognition; praise; verbal jousting; to touch; incentives
• Do: Take time to socialize; talk faster and stronger; share your feelings; make things fun
• Do Not: Expect a strict task-focus; overload with facts and data; display impatience; indicate or imply personal rejection

Stabilizer

• Focus: Making relationships work
• Greatest Strength: Maintaining harmony
• Needs: Security; appreciation; gurantees; freedom from conflict
• Do: Talk softer and slower; ask questions to draw them out; be patient with them; allow them time for personal interaction
• Do Not: Expect them to make quick decisions; assume silence means agreement; use aggressive behavior; generate or provoke personal conflict

Most people aren’t just one and this is somewhat generalized.. but interesting anyways.

If I remember right… Controllers can’t be Stablizers, Persuaders can’t be Analyzers… but the other combinations seem possible Can you guess what I am? Stabilizer.. duh! Of course, I think I posted that before…

Oh yeah.. special thanks to The Effectiveness Institute, Inc.