August 7, 2008

My Behavioral Style and How It Relates to the Workplace

I took a 5 minute questionnaire for a behavioral styles class that my company set up for us yesterday. Based on my responses, a report of selected general statements provided a broader understanding of my work style and how it relates to others. The following statements identify the basic natural behavior that I bring to my job. It was very interesting and eerie how dead on it was. 

Penny wants to be seen as a winner and has an inherent dislike for losing or failing. She tends to work hard and long to be successful. She tends to have a "short fuse" and can display anger or displeasure when she feels that people are taking advantage of her. She is a self-starter who likes new projects and is most comfortable when involved with a wide scope of activities. She can be aggressive and direct, but still be considerate of people. Other people realize that directness is one of her great strengths. Penny displays a high energy factor and is optimistic about the results she can achieve. The word "can't" is not in her vocabulary. She has the ability to question people's basic assumptions about things. She prides herself on her creativity, incisiveness and cleverness. She may be so self-confident that others see her as arrogant. This confidence may be something others wish they had. She is a goal-oriented individual who believes in harnessing people to help her achieve her goals. She needs people with other strengths on her team. Penny is often considered daring, bold and gutsy. She is a risk taker who likes to be seen as an individualist. She likes to be forceful and direct when dealing with others. Her desire for results is readily apparent to the people with whom she works. 

Penny finds it easy to share her opinions on solving work-related problems. She prefers authority equal to responsibility. Sometimes she becomes emotionally involved in the decision-making process. Sometimes she may be so opinionated about a particular problem that she has difficulty letting others participate in the process. Penny will work long hours until a tough problem is solved. After it is solved, Penny may become bored with any routine work that follows. She likes to make decisions quickly. She is decisive and prefers to work for a decisive manager. She can experience stress if her manager does not possess similar traits. Many people see her decisions as high-risk decisions. However, after the decision is made, she tends to work hard for a successful outcome. 

Penny may lose interest in what others are saying if they ramble or don't speak to the point. Her active mind is already moving ahead. Her creative and active mind may hinder her ability to communicate to others effectively. She may present the information in a form that cannot be easily understood by some people. She tends to influence people by being direct, friendly and results-oriented. She challenges people who volunteer their opinions. Penny should exhibit more patience and ask questions to make sure that others have understood what she has said. She tends to be intolerant of people who seem ambiguous or think too slowly. She likes people who give her options as compared to their opinions. The options may help her make decisions, and she values her own opinion over that of others! She may sometimes mask her feelings in friendly terms. If pressured, Penny's true feelings may emerge.

True dat!