There are four types of worker productivity styles:
Prioritizer:
Likes to think logically, analytically, and factually.
planner:
Organized, methodical, planned, and detailed thinking is preferred.
Arranger:
It focuses on supportive, expressive, and emotional thinking.
Visualizer:
Holistic, intuitive, and integrated thinking is key.
There are definitely a lot of buzzwords above, but the four listed probably don’t quite capture the different productivity styles in your office. (I would argue that most places I’ve worked have a much larger range.)
If I had to fit any of them, I’d probably be an arranger. (Again, this is not a fixed 4-letter combination he gets like Meyers-Briggs. I’m sure everyone combines these in different projects.)
Whether or not you believe the four categories above, you see where it leads, right? Basically, people have different aspects of the above in different projects. So if you are a “prioritizer” and you work in a team with many “visualizers”, this can lead to frustration.
In short, that’s why it’s hard to get things done at work. This aligns a bit with the “maximizer vs. satifier” debate, but this is usually more true at the executive level. (So is the “orthopedic versus orthodox” debate.)
This Fast Company article recommends discussing the ‘what’ with a priority teaser, the ‘how’ with a planner, the ‘who’ with an arranger, and the ‘why’ with a visualizer. This almost directly contradicts Simon Sinek and his sort of leadership that most discussions should start with the “why”. It claims that it depends on the type of opponent, which has its advantages. Thought leadership as a concept is all about finding something that resonates broadly so that you can easily expand your audience. This will allow you to appear at conferences and sell books. If it’s too narrow (“Most of the time you should start with the why, but that can vary by audience and team…”), you won’t get many of those opportunities.
I think this idea of ”how to work in different styles” stems from some other core principles of work in general.
First and foremost, your goal should be to gain influence in the field in which you work, regardless of your formal status within the organization. increase the likelihood and opportunity to exercise Most of the ways to gain that influence (see the link just before this sentence) are by listening to others and being present in their shoes. Similarly, you also give an effective presentation.
If you want people to listen to you, here’s what you need.
Yes, you can join a work team with people who are very different from you in terms of how they focus to get things done.In fact, most work teams I’ve ever worked with are like this . So instead of worrying about “Well, this person is a planner, which means I have to…” (which can go down the rabbit hole), think simpler: please give me.
Humans are social beings. They want to know that their needs and concerns are being heard and addressed, and they want to believe that some of what they say has an impact.
Rather than narrowly defining your work style, think in terms of listening and influencing.