Tips on managing stress levels in dealing with your staff members
Let’s face it running a business can be stressful! As business owners we often wear several hats negotiating different roles within business. Just the other day I was talking with my brother who runs a successful company in Sydney. We were having a conversation in relation to when a prospect or client calls, and the way he makes dealing with them his priority. Anything else he’s been working on in that moment, falls to the way side until that very special prospect or client is taken care of. You can probably already tell that he is not only the company owner but also the main salesperson. He chatted on about his staff and how it stresses them out when he calls on them when a prospect or client makes contact because most times they are working on other projects within the business. Believe me my brother is one of the most organized people I know, not only in his business but also his personal and family life, however when that prospect phones they get his full attention no matter what!
Part of the stress my brother faces is that he is an A personality style and his staff members are a B and C type. He is a high achiever and has been ever since I’ve known him. He’s always had a sense of urgency about whatever he is doing. This trait is thought to have come from a time in life when A types felt insecure and made the decision to fight against the insecurity by taking consistent action and achieving. You will not find an A personality type procrastinating; their moto is DO IT NOW! A types are mostly likely highly successful in any field. The saying ‘the universe rewards action’ comes to mind. I have heard one of my brother’s children say, ‘do what you have to do first, so you can do what you want later’. Certainly, a chip of the old block!
One staff member is a B personality. This member is relaxed and not easily stressed. In fact, the B is total opposite to the A. B’s can certainly be achievers like the A’s however they are more prone to procrastination which can drive the A crazy! B types can be in the moment and are generally wonderful listeners, you feel relaxed in their presence. B can help A being a sounding board for the high-level communication that A requires. A can be helpful to B by gently steering them to the projects that matter most to them. A can acknowledge the great job the B is doing, set timelines, goals and KPI’s for the B to work to using a calm voice. This will help B respond and act instead of procrastinating.
Another staff member is a C personality style. C’s are concerned with details and are champions at working out technical details and how things work. C types can be quite passive and have been known to suppress their own needs and what they really want. This lack of assertiveness at times can create stress for C types. A type help C by asking them in a non-confronting manner about what they need together with praising their technical understanding of how something is working or not working and asking for solution-based outcomes. Receiving praise helps build confidence in the C and helps lower stress. The C helps A by implementing easy to use back end systems in the business thereby assisting A to feel a continual sense of being effective and organized.
A’s can do well by understanding whilst it’s great to run by the seat of your pants and constantly act, it’s equally important to have strong back end systems to create leverage in time and income. This is where the B & C personality styles can be helpful to the success of any business.
Working relationships are bound to cause some levels of stress purely because we all operate differently. Learning how to ‘relate’ and understand those that you work with will help in lowering stress. It’s about working together and looking at different skill sets each bring to the business and how to best mine those skill sets. It’s learning to love the differences between us and what makes us unique. A great leader will always take time to understand personality types, so they can get the best out of each of their staff members to ensure productivity remains as high as possible. Learning about coworker’s styles also encourages a positive flowing understanding company culture.
I love the old saying ‘the fish always stinks at the head first’. The leader is the leader for many reasons due to strong skills at commanding others, getting the job done and taking responsibility for outcomes. The leader that works at getting to know how his or her team members tick will certainly be rewarded with less stress, a better culture and a better bottom line!
How often are you reflecting on your staff member’s different personality types and how you might work with them to improve relationships thereby potentially increasing productivity and improving your company culture?