How Personality Types
Impact Communication
and Leadership
Five Principles of
Interpersonal Communication
• We cannot not communicate.
• Communication is irreversible.
• Interpersonal communication involves ethical
choices.
• Meanings are constructed in interpersonal
communication.
• Metacommunication (everything) affects meaning.
Communication models
• Linear
• Interactive
• Transactional
• Continuum
Linear Model of Communication
Information Message Transmitter Signal Received Receiver Message Destination
Source Signal
Noise
Source
Sender Message Receiver
Linear Model Shortcomings
• They portray communication as flowing in
only one direction from sender to receiver.
• They suggest that listeners passively absorb
senders’ messages and do not respond.
• They represent communication as a
sequential set of actions in which one step
(listening) follows an earlier step (talking).
Interactive Model of Communication
Message
Encoder
Source
Decoder
Decoder
Receiver
Encoder
Feedback
Field
of
Experience
Communication Continuum
Impersonal Interpersonal
It You Thou
In I-Thou
Communication
each person
affirms the In I-You
other as Communication
cherished and people
unique. acknowledge
one another as
Highest more than
form of objects, but
communicatio
n
they don’t fully I-It
engage each Communication
other. doesn’t
acknowledges
the humanity of
Martin Buber, 1970
other persons.
JoHari Window
JoHari Window
Pitfalls in relationship communications
• Four Horseman (Gottman)
• Criticism
• Move from criticizing the situation to the person; Kitchen-sinking
• Contempt
• Intent to insult and psychological harm
• Defensiveness
• Deny responsibility or making excuses
• Stonewalling
Five Communication Styles
• Assertive
• Aggressive
• Passive-Aggressive
• Submissive
• Manipulative
Assertive
• high self-esteem
• most effective style of communication
• confidence to communicate without
resorting to games or manipulation.
• style most people use least
Aggressive
• This style is about winning – often at someone else's expense.
• their needs are the most important
• have more rights
• have more to contribute than other people
• It is an ineffective communication style as the content of the
message may get lost because people are too busy reacting to the
way it's delivered
Passive-Aggressive
• style in which people appear passive on the surface, but are actually
acting out their anger in indirect or behind-the-scenes ways.
• helps to deal with an overwhelming lack of power
• people who behave in this manner usually feel powerless and
resentful
• express their feelings by subtly undermining the object (real or
imagined) of their resentments – even if this ends up sabotaging
themselves. The expression "Cut off your nose to spite your face" is a
perfect description of passive-aggressive behavior.
Submissive
• This style is about pleasing other people and avoiding conflict. A
submissive person behaves as if other peoples' needs are more
important, and other people have more rights and more to
contribute.
Manipulative
• This style is scheming, calculating and shrewd.
Manipulative communicators are skilled at influencing or
controlling others to their own advantage.
• Their spoken words hide an underlying message, of which
the other person may be totally unaware.
• Often, the difference between this style and Passive-
Aggressive is the underlying message
In reality…
• We all use most, if not all of these communication styles.
• As managers, supervisors, and leaders – need to learn to
recognize how we communicate.
• When dealing with employees and customers we really
need to focus on using the assertive style of
communication
In reality….
• Most disagreements and misunderstandings start with the phrase
“but you said…” (or something similar)
• Using the assertive style of communication puts the emphasis on
you, the speaker, rather than on the listener which may make
them defensive. This is in terms of requests not achievements!!!
• “I felt bad when I heard that I might have hurt your feelings”
rather than “you hurt my feelings”
• Give the listener room to walk something back. Yes, it was said
but context is important.
Assessments
• There are many assessments available commercially.
• They are all excellent
• Which to choose?
• Find one that matches your intended culture
• Find one that is easy to administer
• Who to administer? – most, if not all, require some sort of certification
• What to do with the results
Red/Blue
• Originally part of the R.S.A.P. Instrument (Runner Studies of
Attitude Patterns) by Kenyon Runner
• Used in textbook by Marcic, Seltzer and Vaill (no longer in print)
• Puts individuals in one of three categories by their perception of
time (time ignorers, clock-watchers and striped).
• Look at similarities and differences – usually just a difference in
viewpoint rather than the word (both groups like and dislike many
of the same things just view them differently)
Personality Puzzle
• Based on the work of Littauer and Littauer (similar to LaHaye’s work)
• Groups people into overall groups of 4
• Perfect Melancholy, Powerful Choleric, Popular Sanguine, Peaceful Phlegmatic (Greek
bodily humors)
• One plus is that it is the only assessment that encourages the taker to solicit information
from others if needed
• Gives exact word definitons
• Another plus - Spanish language version as well
• Groups in Strengths and Weaknesses
• Provides excellent communications overview
• Negative – not validated (but still a very good instrument)
Gregorc Style Delineator
• Based on the work of Anthony Gregorc
• Groups of 4 (should start to see a pattern)
• Perceptual Quality (Concrete or Abstract) and Ordering Ability
(Sequential or Random)
• CS, CR, AS, or AR
• Easy to use, quick and timed (10 minutes)
• Well validated
• Good materials
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• Based on the original work of Carl Jung (grouped in 4)
• Added extra dimensions to give one of sixteen types
• Tons of material available
• Most are somewhat familiar with the instrument
• Long version is more accurate than the short instrument
• Can take some time to get results back – depends upon mode of
delivery and contractor used
• “Here’s to type” and other computer based programs can give
individualized “feel” back to the participant
DiSC
• Work of Marsten (yes – he of Wonder Woman fame) and Clarke
• Marsten’s idea and Clarke worked it into an assessment
• Groups people into 4 main groups - Dominance (D), Influence (I),
Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C) that are influenced by the
other groups
• Certification nice but not required!
• 20 – 30 minutes
• Available in Spanish
• Scarily accurate
SAL
• Self-Assessment Library
• Supplement to Organizational Behavior textbook by Stephen Robbins
• Collection of several self-assessments used to guide the student to
better self-awareness
• Owned by Pearson Publishing (they own most assessments used in
Counseling)
• Computer based
• Immediate personalized feedback and grouped together – just a
really good overview of where you are as a person and employee
Use of Personality Assessments in HR
• Be CAREFUL
• You cannot base promotions or job assignments on these
assessments
• You can use them as team builders or professional development
• Be careful with the results
• Excellent tools to give supervisors and managers
• Excellent tools to give ALL employees
Use of Personality Assessments in HR
• Be aware of the propensity for participant bias
• These are mostly self reflections – hard to see the “real me”
• Be aware of observer bias as well – we see what we want to see as
well in employees
• Do not use in performance appraisals
• Use as a tool of reference NOT as a tool for improvement
• This may really be a case that the “Expert” is from outside
• Not any more “expert” just will not be seen as being manipulative
Leadership Styles
• Leaders are born, created, taught and mentored
• Anyone can lead if they truly desire
• Leaders are not always supervisors, managers and executives
• Not all supervisors, managers and executives are leaders
• Leadership, at times, is an ambiguous concept
Leadership Styles
• Transformational (Downton) very intrinsic process
• Transactional (Kuhnert; Hersey and Blanchard)
• Theory X and Theory Y (MacGregor)
• Situational Leadership (Hersey and Blanchard)
• Many more – these are just the easiest to discuss
• Just as in communications – we use all of them
• Keep in mind the idea of Social Exchange Theory (Equity Theory)
How to coach and use
• First, you need to decide on what it is you want to accomplish
• You may want to get input from unbiased and unconcerned third parties –
MSU Small Business development.
• Management Professors, Counseling Professors or Psychology professors at
MSU. Several area consultants available
• Determine the amount of upper management support you have for the
project – is it redefining company culture (massive task) or just providing
some good feedback for a particular group (not as massive)
• Immediate results do not always translate into long term results
• Provide both group and individualized feedback and training sessions
Three Sad but true Case Studies
• I gave a presentation to a leadership group with all the warnings
• A manager decided to use the instrument at place of business
• Graded all employees not the same as the manager as “needs improvement” –
morale was low – went even lower
• Undergrad student gave classroom instruments to spouse. Told spouse this is what
you are doing wrong.
• Spouse was very upset. Spouse came to visit me.
• I worked in a high functioning, high performance work team. New member brought
in. High functioning went to non-functioning. Corporate I/O brought in to work out
issues.
• All members quit but one.
Wrap up
• Learning Objective 1
• The participant will be familiar with different personality types.
• Enabling Objective 1
• Presentation will cover basic personality assessments commercially available
• Red/Blue
• Personality puzzle
• MBTI
• Gregorc Style Delineator
• Enabling Objective 2
• Use of personality assessments in HR
•
Wrap up
• Learning Objective 2
• The participant will be familiar with different communication systems
• Enabling Objective 1
• Presentation will cover Principle of Interpersonal Communication
• Presentation will cover basic communication model theories
• Enabling Objective 2
• Presentation will cover pitfalls in communication
• Basic pitfalls
• JoHari Window
• Passive-Aggressive
Wrap up
• Learning Objective 3
• The participant will be familiar with basic Leadership styles
• Enabling Objective 1
• Presentation will cover basic leadership theories
Wrap up
• Learning Objective 4
• The participant will be familiar with the role of communication in leadership
• Enabling Objective 1
• Use of personality assessment results with individual members of management
• Use of case studies to aid in the implementation of various communication styles
• Enabling Objective 2
• When to use personality assessments
• How to coach employees on the use of assessment results
I am….
• Dr. Don Knox
• Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences; Education and
Management
• Wayland Baptist University
•
[email protected]• 806.292.7021
I was….
• Former HR Manager
• Former Production Line Supervisor
• Former Startup Engineer
• Former Vibration Analyst
• Former Power Plant Auxiliary Operator
• Former Staff Trainer and Leading Electrical Petty Officer - USN
• Former stocker of shelves, waxer of floors and cleaner of restrooms
• Former cleaner of tables and short order cook
