Lesson 1: Roles and Group Influences

18 - Winning with People

People can benefit directly by having some insight into human behaviour and how to deal with people who have different perspectives on life. That will make our relationships more productive. In any kind of business or group situation, “people problems” are most prevalent. We can reduce tension and increase cooperation and harmony by developing an understanding of how other people feel comfortable and how they approach daily tasks.

Suppose all types of people in the world fit into a circle. Then, we divide the circle into four equal parts; each sector contains people with similar perspectives and personality characteristics. One line divides people who like to be active in doing things versus people who like to stand on the sidelines and watch. The second line divides people who feel most comfortable relating to other people versus people who prefer working with tasks.

Each of the sections then forms a quadrant. The people in each quadrant are a blend of the two intersecting lines that form their boundaries. Starting with the quadrant on the upper right are people who emphasize harmony—they are passive and like relating to people (counsellors, therapists). In the lower right, we have people who are thinkers and analysts— they are passive and enjoy tasks (scientists, computer programmers). In the lower left are people who like managing for the sake of being productive and efficient—they operate aggressively and prefer tasks to people (supervisors, production managers). In the upper left are people who are socializers and the “life of the party”—they are outgoing and like relating to people (sales people, television hosts).

Here is what the description looks like in diagram form.

Where are you in the diagram? What about your family members, friends, colleagues, and the people in some of your small groups? People tend to feel most comfortable with people from the same group who have the same perspective on life. People will also feel relatively comfortable with people in the adjoining quadrants. However, if you think about where you fit and where some of your strongest adversaries fit, you will realize that most often you are at odds with the people from the opposite side of the quadrant. For example, people in #2 and #4 tend to have the most conflicts. People from #1 and #3 are also opposites.

Is it most productive to have a mixture of people in a small group or to have like-minded individuals working together? You might think about these questions as you consider the characteristics of each group in more detail.

The People Puzzle offers some interesting insights into the way people perceive life and their most comfortable style of approach for work, social, leisure, and family situations. The boundary lines are not absolute, which means you are not exclusively one type of person. If you think about it carefully, one of the four quadrants is your most comfortable style for a majority of the time. When you feel a distinct uneasiness about someone you know, check to see if he or she is in the opposite quadrant. Look at the qualities of your opposite. Try to be objective and unbiased. What are their strengths? What qualities do you admire? Which of their qualities would be especially helpful to you if the two of you had to work together as a team?