In past blogs we’ve talked about some of the similarities and differences between groups of people on their Style and Versatility. One finding we noticed is that many women are Amiable and Expressive (60% combined), while more men tend to be Analytical and Driving (57% combined). So this begs the question, since many women are more comfortable showing their emotions, does this make them more effective communicators? After all, we tend to describe impassioned leaders as more charismatic communicators than leaders who are less emotional in their behavior.

So at the risk of fanning the flames for a new gender war, we decided to stop pondering and let the data speak for itself. To answer our question we analyzed people’s Feedback profiles. Feedback is the component of Versatility that indicates how effectively a person communicates in one-on-one situations.

What we found is that women have higher Feedback skills than men. The difference is not overwhelming, but it is noticeable. I’m sure many of you, especially the women, are saying, “Duh, I could’ve told you that!” But it’s always nice when hard data confirms our impressions.

So what does this mean for how we communicate with others in our daily lives? Realistically, it means that we still have to approach one another as individuals, and pay attention to one another’s Styles more so than our genders. Like all statistics, the difference in Feedback between men and women is at a group level, and interpersonal skills are, well, interpersonal. So all of us, regardless of our chromosomes, should pay attention to our communication skills and keep working to improve.

A recent AP story on MSNBC discusses new research that shows that older people are wiser.  This is consisent with TRACOM's own research on age and Versatility.  Here is an excerpt and link for the MSNBC story:

For resolving conflicts, go to grandma

Social wisdom increases with age, study shows

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

AP Science Writer

updated 7:22 a.m. MT, Tues., April 6, 2010

WASHINGTON - It turns out grandma was right: Listen to your elders. New research indicates they are indeed wise — in knowing how to deal with conflicts and accepting life's uncertainties and change.

It isn't a question of how many facts someone knows, or being able to operate a TV remote, but rather how to handle disagreements — social wisdom.

And researchers led by Richard E. Nisbett of the University of Michigan found that older people were more likely than younger or middle-aged ones to recognize that values differ, to acknowledge uncertainties, to accept that things change over time and to acknowledge others' points of view.

"Age effects on wisdom hold at every level of social class, education, and IQ," they report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In modern America, older people generally don't have greater knowledge about computers and other technology, Nisbett acknowledged, "but our results do indicate that the elderly have some advantages for analysis of social problems."

"I hope our results will encourage people to assume that older people may have something to contribute for thinking about social problems," Nisbett said.

In one part of the study the researchers recruited 247 people in Michigan, divided into groups aged 25-to-40, 41-to-59 and 60 plus.

Participants were given fictitious reports about conflict between groups in a foreign country and asked what they thought the outcome would be.

For example, one of the reports said that because of the economic growth of Tajikistan, many people from Kyrgyzstan moved to that country. While Kyrgyz people tried to preserve their customs, Tajiks wanted them to assimilate fully and abandon their customs.

The responses were then rated by researchers who did not know which individual or age group a response came from. Ratings were based on things like searching for compromise, flexibility, taking others' perspective and searching for conflict resolution.

About 200 of the participants joined in a second session, and a third section was conducted using 141 scholars, psychotherapists, clergy and consulting professionals.

The study concluded that economic status, education and IQ also were significantly related to increased wisdom, but they found that "academics were no wiser than nonacademics" with similar education levels.

The full story is available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36191339/ns/health-behavior/from/ET

English may be the international language of business, but TRACOM has found that allowing participants to learn in their native language makes training more effective.  As a result TRACOM currently offers up to 19 different language options for the SOCIAL STYLE Profile. 

International language support is available for both the initial Profile Questionnaire and the completed SOCIAL STYLE Profile Report.   Available languages include common languages such as German, French and Spanish as well as less-frequently occurring ones such as Bulgarian, Korean and Turkish.

Participants and their raters can choose any available language.  And each person can choose whichever language they prefer, independent of the language chosen by others.  So a training participant might conduct their own profile in Spanish and have others rate her in Japanese, Greek and Chinese.  The SOCIAL STYLE Profile she receives in this case would be in Spanish as that is her language choice.

In addition to offering so many language options, TRACOM offers more than 20 country and regional norms.  So a person working in Italy can be profiled against others in that country, while an Italian working in New York, can be profiled against a North American norm.   Country-specific and regional norms provide the most accurate look at a person’s SOCIAL STYLE and behavioral preferences. 

The availability of so many languages makes it easier on everyone involved and increases the reliability of the data because the questions are better understood and thus the responses more accurate.  This approach best addresses both the cultural variances of international business and the individual behavioral preferences that are the foundation of the SOCIAL STYLE Model.

Click here to learn more about international languages and norms.

And let us know about your experiences in conducting business internationally.  Have language and culture affected your work?  Comment below.   

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a concept focused on how effectively people work with others. EQ skills are unique from a person’s technical skills and cognitive abilities. Multiple studies have shown that EQ competencies often account for the difference between star performers and average performers, particularly in positions of leadership.  A 2009 study conducted by Colorado State University compared TRACOM’s SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility Model with multiple well-known instruments for measuring Emotional Intelligence. The study found that Versatility was in fact closely related to EQ

Daniel Goleman is a leading researcher and author on EQ. He identifies four components of emotional intelligence:

• Self Awareness
• Self Management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Management

Self Awareness means having a clear understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives and capabilities. On the surface there’s really nothing new about this concept, but it’s a critical skill and it’s overlooked by many people. 

Self Management is what Goleman says frees us from being prisoners to our emotions. Without understanding what we’re feeling, we can’t control our feelings and this leaves us at the mercy of our emotions.

Social Awareness is mostly about empathy. It’s the ability to read another person’s facial expressions, voice and other non-verbal signals in order to understand that person’s emotions.

Relationship Management is where these three previous skills all come together. This is the most visible aspect of a person, and in particular leaders. This is where you see skills like conflict management, team building, and influencing others. 

One criticism of Emotional Intelligence is that it sounds good in theory but it is difficult to put into practice.  To address that concern, TRACOM’s SOCIAL STYLE resources and programs offer very specific guidance to deal with common workplace situations and challenges including the Enhancing Emotional Intelligence with Style guide. Whether addressing leadership, selling, teamwork or management issues, they offer relevant and easily understood Emotional Intelligence advice.

For more information about applying EQ in the workplace, download our EQ whitepaper.

Throughout TRACOM’s history, there has been a focus on research and a commitment to measuring the meaningful impact of SOCIAL STYLE. The SOCIAL STYLE Model was initially built based on research about how people behave at work and what distinguished high performers from others. Today we continue to research the Model and its impact on people’s work lives. TRACOM’s New SOCIAL STYLE & Versatility Technical Report provides the most up-to-date research on the reliability and validity of the SOCIAL STYLE Profile. It also looks at a variety of studies that look at the effectiveness of SOCIAL STYLE training.

 You can download the FREE SOCIAL STYLE & Versatility Technical Report as a PDF. In it you will find: 

• History and Development of SOCIAL STYLE Model and SOCIAL STYLE Profile

• Review of Reliability and Validity Factors

• SOCIAL STYLE Effectiveness Research

• Comparison to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and DiSC

• Discussion of Norms

 Download the FREE SOCIAL STYLE & Versatility Technical Report today.

We might not like growing older. Most of us would gladly trade our middle-aged eyes for the vision we had when we were younger. But there are some undeniable benefits of aging. Years of experience, and all the successes and mistakes along the way, can make us wiser and smarter.

Versatility is a measure of a person’s ability to work effectively with others. And when you think about it, Versatility is affected by our experiences. After all, so much of our workplace skills are learned and developed over years of experience. And if we’re fortunate, we learn about Versatility through a coordinated learning program and figure out how to consciously improve our skills. This means we can actively work on Versatility and see the effects of our improved behavior right away, as opposed to simply letting time take its course.

We decided to look at our extensive SOCIAL STYLE database to see if there are differences in Versatility across age groups. We found that Versatility does, in fact, increase with age.

On average, Versatility is lowest for the youngest group in our study – people aged 30 and younger. These are the people with the least experience, so they are still figuring out how to get by and work productively with others. When we looked at the next oldest group, those aged 31 to 40, we found a substantial increase in average Versatility scores. These individuals have learned from their experiences; they have started to understand what behaviors are valued in the workplace.

We found another moderate increase in Versatility for people who are aged 41 to 50. These people are established and well experienced in their work lives, so it’s not surprising that Versatility continues to increase, albeit modestly. From there it levels out, with only a minor increase for people who are aged 50 and older.

So when it comes to Versatility, growing older has its benefits. That is one more reason we should respect our elders, they really do know what’s best.

Dr. Casey Mulqueen, TRACOM Director of Research

In a previous blog we talked about Versatility as a choice; people can consciously decide to behave with Versatility towards others, or not. Most people would say that our behavior is within our control. But is this true all of the time? How much of an impact does the larger context in which we live and work impact our behavior and our Versatility? Does the specific culture of an organization affect the Versatility of the people who work there?

One way to answer this question is to look at differences in Versatility across industries. Although all companies are unique, there are some common aspects to companies within a given industry. For example, many companies in the retail industry have similar environments, structures, and challenges, and this could influence how people behave.

TRACOM examined Versatility across industries and we found some interesting results. Certain industries do, in fact, have higher Versatility than others. Healthcare and medical services, entertainment and leisure, and consulting services lead the pack with the highest average Versatility among employees in our database. These are followed closely by people who work in the pharmaceuticals industry. The average for all of these industries is “Y” Versatility, which is higher than over half of the general population.

On the other end of the spectrum, we found the lowest average Versatility in the energy, manufacturing, and computer services industries. The average for these industries was an “X” level of Versatility, well below half the general population.

 Average Versatility within Selected Industries

 Above Average

1. Healthcare/Medical Services

2. Entertainment/Leisure

3. Consulting Services

4. Pharmaceuticals

 Below Average

1. Manufacturing

2. Computers/Computer Services

3. Energy

We hasten to point out that these findings are based on averages, so any individual within these industries can have low or high Versatility.

Still, is it possible that the unique demands of these industries influence people’s behavior? And do different industries have different sets of expectations about how people should behave? A medical facility might have a different expectation about how to treat co-workers and customers than a manufacturing facility.

People in leadership roles naturally influence their organizations’ cultures through their formal expectations and efforts to shape culture, and also through their personal behavior. It seems only natural that individuals’ interpersonal behaviors could be influenced by these expectations and practices.

What do you think? 

Dr. Casey Mulqueen, TRACOM Director of Research

Women, how many times has someone, perhaps a spouse, told you that you’re “acting too emotional?” Men, have you ever said something like this to a woman in your life? You know who you are. 

And what about men? Ladies, how often have you wished that men would act less rational and would allow their emotions to shine through? 

Under unusual circumstances, such as intense conflict, our emotions often get the best of us, regardless of our gender. But what about in our normal day-to-day lives? Are there really differences between men and women in how much we display our emotions? And if there is a difference, does it show itself in behavior? 

It turns out the answer is yes according to research TRACOM has done. Our most recent analysis indicates the majority of women tend to show their emotions and the majority of men tend to control their emotions. This data comes from the Responsive scale of the SOCIAL STYLE Model.

 The majority of women (60%) profile as Amiable and Expressive, the two Styles that tend to display their emotions. Conversely, a majority of men (57%) profile as Analytical and Driving, the two Styles that tend to control their emotions. While these differences aren’t extreme, they are noticeable.

 Keep in mind that all people have emotions. SOCIAL STYLE does not measure how much emotion a person is feeling on the inside, it only measures how much emotion is displayed to others through outward behavior.

 So, ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? Are you surprised by this, or does it seem perfectly “natural?”

I have been part of SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility training for thousands of people and it's always interesting to see people's reactions when they receive their Social Style Profile.  Receiving this information inevitably will either confirm their assumptions about themselves, or more likely give them new information to consider as they realize that others view their behavior differently than they view it themselves. Being an insider I get to see the research and it consistently shows that more than half of the time, people see their Social Style differently than others do and it plays out this way in almost every single class I have been a part of. 

What most people don’t fully realize is that these differences in perceptions aren't limited to just our own view of our behavior. Inevitably in every training program the topic of occupation and Social Style comes up. When the conversation starts and opinions are expressed you typically find that most people assume that certain job functions are dominated by a particular Social Style. You will hear people say things  like "Almost all accountants are Analytical Style people and of course all sales people must be Expressive Style."

 While this is a common thought, TRACOM’s research has never found an occupation where more than 50% of the people have a single Social Style.  For example, our research shows that 37% of engineers have an Analytical Style.  And while that is the most common Style, it still leaves nearly two-thirds of Engieers with one of the other three Styles.  

What is true, is that people can be attracted to roles that require behaviors that are comfortable for them. It is, however, very important to understand that all Styles can be successful in any given occupation. An individual's success is far more dependent on how they use their Style (Versatility) when they interact with others than by their specific Style itself. 

This research also shows the need to watch for behavioral clues to identify a person's Style rather than making assumptions based on a person's job. 

Here are the results from our latest Occupational Breakout by Social Style research.  What do you think? Con