2nd installment of a 5 part series:
The Dominant under stress can trigger problems on a team. They can make for a not-so-happy work environment on a normal day, much less under the type of stress caused by the pandemic. We’re coming out of that fog and moving toward a new normal, but there are still many stressors at play. Whether you’re working in the office, at home, or some mixture of the two, how you show up under stress matters. We believe it’s always better to be part of the solution rather than the problem. However, to do that, you need to understand the different personality types. Let’s jump into how the Dominant personality type can show up under stress.
Cal Under Stress
Cal is a natural born leader with lots of stellar qualities that make him an awesome guy to have on your team. He’s performance-oriented and self-motivated, and always looking for opportunities to win. And he has strong people skills, easily engaging and inspiring people to action. Cal’s “can do” attitude is also admired and appreciated by his peers. He’s the guy who steps up, leads the charge and gets things done. Plus, Cal is great in a crisis. He’s not easily dissuaded once he’s got his mindset in “fixer” mode.
However, a downside to Cal’s dominant, action-oriented personality is that he can turn into Controlling Cal when under stress. And when this happens, he has a low tolerance for mistakes. Cal moves quickly and he takes no prisoners. If you can’t keep up, get out of the way. If he feels that a project that he’s working on is in jeopardy, he will take over. This is because he thinks that if he hadn’t had to delegate tasks to others, the project wouldn’t be in danger. And he’ll do whatever he feels is necessary to see it succeed.
This manifestation of a Dominant can be difficult to collaborate with and even harder to take direction from. The result? The team dynamic suffers. When teammates feel as if they’re being treated like children, it causes hurt feelings. And negativity can breed gossip and disengagement.
From Controlling to Collaborative
At Brilliant People, we see another path for Cal. Stress is an inevitable aspect of most jobs, so preparing for it can be beneficial. One way to do this is to recognize that most teams have a mix of personality types within them. Each of the different personality types have unique strengths, and when they’re emotional needs are met, they perform optimally. It’s important to all personality types to be treated as if they matter, and to be listened to. So Cal should build this into his daily interactions with his teammates. He’ll be building trust and creating cohesion on the team.
If you work with a Controlling Cal, help him show up differently under stress. First, Cal likes to move fast, so be prepared and organized as well as clear and to the point in meetings with him. When Cal is irritable he can be dismissive of others ideas. So come to him prepared.
Cal expects everyone to operate at his level, but the reality is that we’re all different. Those differences create strong teams, so help him understand how you work best. Then, learn to speak up and hold your ground when it matters. Cal may not like it in the moment, but he’ll respect you for it. You’ll be helping him to learn to be a Collaborative Cal.
So whether you’re a Controlling Cal or you work with one, it’s crucial to learn to work with other personality types. You can do it by learning to observe each other’s differences and seeing the possibilities there for better teamwork. And if you’d like your team to engage in personality development, get in touch with us today. After all, the culture (r)evolution starts with you!
Up Next: The Influencer Under Stress
This post was originally posted April 26, 2020.
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