There are 4 distinct personality types that show up in job interviews and sales calls. Here’s how to make the most out of your engagement:
Understanding their different styles can spell the difference between moving forward or stopping dead in our tracks.
The Director
We’ve all run into them. The Director is always looking to get this most out of time and is focused on producing results. They would prefer to do away with frivolities and get right to the point. When you sit down with a Director, be prepared for someone who will look at their watch. Of course, it is always good to ask a director,
“How much time do we have for our conversation?”
“What do you want to accomplish in today’s meeting?”
Usually, the director will tell you exactly what they want to learn. Give it to him or her. As you ask additional questions, center your energy on providing substantive insights. Directors aren’t particularly interested in getting warmed-up or breaking bread for lengthy periods of time.
Directors want measurable and straight-forward value. When one of your questions identifies a new or unusual need and expectation, describe how you are going to fulfill it.
Remember, directors want results, don’t waste time on side-bars, stick to straightforward narratives.
The Dreamer
You will know this one quickly because she or he is a visionary. Dreamers talk about all they want to accomplish, the ideal future, they dwell on creativity, vision, innovation, making-a-difference, and innovation. Elon Musk is a great example of a highly visible dreamer.
Much of the initial conversation with a dreamer ought to be driven by questions that help define the manager’s vision, mission, and purpose. In some cases, helping a dreamer become even more defined tends to be viewed as a valuable breakthrough. But, at a certain point, it is equally important to define how the dream is going to be fulfilled.
The Dolphin
Meet the diplomat. Where a Director wants to get straight to the point, a Dolphin finds that rather untoward. They are all about relationships. They want to observe your social skills, your willingness to put everyone at ease, and your insistence on some sort of decorum. Your knowledge about all the people you meet will be helpful in shaping your interviews. Dolphins want and expect respect and kindness towards everyone. Give that up front and you will get it in return throughout the interview.
In discussing the needs and expectations of the role, always look at your responses from a relational point-of-view. Dolphins tend to be the ultimate team players and they back off from narcissism, especially in organizational settings. That said, at some point, after developing the requisite rapport, getting to clearly fulfilled needs and expectations are just as important here as with any other personality type.
The Doer
Your meeting is one of 60 tasks sitting on the Doers daily grind. Don’t take it personally. Doers are constantly working, tend to always feel behind, are the workhorses of the organization, and often don’t feel especially well-recognized for all of their efforts.
Give them recognition and ask them clearly, how you can help take the pressure off of their shoulders? Make their job easier? And, increase the probability of everyone’s success? The Doer is the most common personality type in mid-management. Much of this “check-list” mentality comes out of the structure of mid-management positions, which is all about doing and very little about engagement.
Throughout the interview, the more that you can define exactly what the manager wants you to do and how you articulate the outcome, the better. However, this particular type responds really well to genuine compassion, just like the rest of us.
Next: Finding Your Dream Job – Part 4 – Question Your Way to Success!
Brought to you by David Harder, President & Founder – Inspired Work
(c) Copyright, Inspired Work, Inc. (2019) – All Rights Reserved
P: (310) 277-4850 / david@inspiredworkservices.com