Leading the Way - Personality & Performance

Leading the Way

How leadership works on the ranch.

Contributed article by B. Lynn Gordon

Leader Consulting - leaderconsulting.biz

PERSONALITY & PERFORMANCE

You know your cattle’s DNA, but what about yours?

Earlier in the summer, I had the opportunity to attend the Beef Improvement Federation Conference in South Dakota. Listening to the presentations, it was evident the strides the beef cattle industry has made in the field of genetics. I’ve attended this event nearly a dozen times over the years and watched the progression from improving and expanding performance data collection to the focus on the adoption and collection of DNA samples resulting in geneomically-enhanced EPDs.

As I reflect on how the industry is working towards gathering as much data as possible to make valuable and informed decisions to advance the genetic merit of breeding stock, I think about how important it is we also learn more about ourselves and those we work with to make the most of our business relationships. One of the most effective ways to achieve this goal is to gain knowledge about yourself from a personality type assessment. With these insights you will also learn more about interacting with others.

ASSESSMENT ACTION

My personality assessment tool of preference is Core Strengths.

Although, there are many effective and popular measurement tools available, I particularly like Core Strengths, for its unique application to human resource management and its focus on what drives and motivates people. It digs deeper than most assessment tools going beyond one’s behaviors into underlying motivations and values that influence those behaviors.

By gaining insight about what motivates us and those around us, we have a greater ability to enhance interpersonal communication, teamwork, productivity and effectively manage ways to leverage across relationships — all valuable and useful tools for farm and ranch family relationships.

Table 1 is a summary of the Core Strengths assessment tool. Take a moment to read through the table and try to determine which color best describes you.

In the study of personality styles, colors are often used in assessment results to signify the diverse personality types people may possess. Technical information about one’s behavior, motivation, and values are corresponded to a color, which becomes a simple and effective way for individuals to grasp and remember their own personality style and those of others.

What color best fit you? What color best represents your co-workers, your boss, or family members? The most important element is not what color you are but that you learn about the motives and purposes that drive your behavior, the insight you gain into how you perceive things, and how you can connect with those who are representative of a different color than you.

Here is an example. If you determine someone you work with is a “Red – Directive” personality, what are some tips to consider when interacting with them? Ideally, your goal is to understand the environment which encourages them to be engaged in conversation, an environment that appeals to their motivations and strengths. Your ability to bridge the gap from the characteristics of your personality, to those more reflective of the other individual will create a more effective relationship. More specifically Blue, Green, or Silver personality types should strive to be clear, concise and confident when interacting with a “Red” person. Focusing on the facts, being prepared to back up your thoughts with supportive material and presenting your ideas in a succinct fashion will result in greater effectiveness in the relationship.

On the other hand, if you determine you are the individual that is more closely associated with the characteristics of a “Red” personality style, your focus is to appeal to what is representative of a Blue, Green or Silver style to enhance communication. For example, you would aim to be more considerate of their feelings, more open-minded to their ideas, and present your ideas with clarity.

Everyone can have motivations that fit in each of these main areas of interpersonal style, but the motives are present at different frequencies in different people. Thus, be cautious about categorizing individuals into a specific label. Keep in mind, this only a brief and over-simplified introduction to a vast topic where further information can be gained by going through the process of completing an assessment, studying the results and discussing it with a trained professional.

Color Interpersonal Style Major Focus Characteristics Engaging Environment

Red

Interpersonal Style - Directive (concern for performance)

Major Focus - People who are motivated by task accomplishment and achieving results.

Characteristics - Striving for immediate action, accepting challenge, competing for authority and responsibility.

Engaging Environment - Progressive, innovative, challenging, fast-moving, competitive, creative

Blue

Interpersonal Style - Supportive (concern for people)

Major Focus - People who are motivated by the protection, growth and welfare of others.

Characteristics - Seeking ways to bring help to others, open and response to needs of others.

Engaging Environment - Friendly, helpful, loyal, respectful, receptive, compassionate, trusting

Green

Interpersonal Style - Analytic (concern for the process)

Major Focus - People who are motivated by meaningful order and thinking things through.

Characteristics - Seeking clarity, accuracy and correctness, cautious and thorough, planning ahead and follow the plan

Engaging Environment - Clarity, logic, efficiency, reliability, organization, organized, precision.

Silver

Interpersonal Style - Adaptive

Major Focus - People who are motivated by flexibility and adapting to others or situations.

Characteristics - Open-minded and willing to adapt, bring people together, making connections.

Engaging Environment - Cooperative, interactive, sociable, flexibility, consensus building.

Table 1 is a condensed summary of the Core Strengths assessment tool. Read through to determine which color best describes you.

INSIGHTS IN-ACTION

It is easier to communicate with and influence someone when what’s important to them is clearly understood. Having this insight about your personality style, helps you choose the most appropriate approach for engaging with people whose thinking and behavior are much different from your own. For those considering or currently going through the process of succession planning, communication and relationship awareness are critical to the success of the planning process.

I’ve been fortunate to see how effective personality assessment tools are from both my role as a participant completing an assessment and as a certified instructor. I’ve seen positive outcomes firsthand, watching individuals learn more about themselves and then putting into practice what they learned.

I received this comment from a ranching wife about four weeks after she participated in a training I led: “This is the first time in 30 years working alongside my husband in our business that we truly understand each other and work together better.” For this couple, learning their personality styles, has made an impact on their daily routine around their beef cattle operation, and I would forecast with a statement like this, the work setting is less stressful and more productive. The opportunity for them to gain greater self and other awareness, lead to a greater understanding of each other’s working style and behaviors.

To help build a solid team and enhance communication for your farm or ranch, I encourage you to seek out a trained personality assessment professional in your geographical region or for more information on this topic or about Core Strengths, please contact me.

B. Lynn Gordon, Ph.D., Leader Consulting, LLC. Sioux Falls, SD. Lynn is an agricultural freelance writer and leadership consultant with an extensive background in the livestock industry. She can be reached at lynn@ leaderconsulting.biz or through her blog at http://www.leaderconsulting.biz

August 2019

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