A number of months ago we reported research that examined the ability to identify people’s SOCIAL STYLE from the contents of their emails. But what about Versatility? Although Versatility fluctuates, is it possible to accurately determine Versatility when working with a person in a virtual environment? Could Versatility be even more apparent than Style? Over a long period of time, could Versatility become the most apparent set of behaviors when working virtually, in essence replacing Style as the most obvious and predictable pattern of behaviors? These aren’t just questions that I ponder while mowing the lawn. In fact, these were actual questions presented to me from a client who had recently completed a learning program with a group of people who were meeting for the first time in person, but had worked together for a number of years through phone and email. The client noted that several people saw each other as having a balance of Styles (in the middle four sub-quadrants) because they had high Versatility and were basically experiencing the Versatility of others. (They had rated one another before ever meeting face-to-face).

This observation led the client to another intriguing question: If people only experience each other in virtual work settings, is one’s Versatility seen more as a person’s Social Style? Thus began a discussion of the impact that Versatility has for people working in virtual environments.

While there are some clues to determine Style virtually, these are only helpful after someone has learned Style concepts and how to diagnose behavior patterns. A person who has not learned about SOCIAL STYLE would have no basis for utilizing those strategies. In contrast, people can accurately complete the SOCIAL STYLE Profile before learning about Style concepts because the Style-related survey questions are obvious physical behaviors that are seen every day. For example, body posture, amount of eye contact, and facial expressions are apparent in person but cannot be determined through phone or email. Because the people in this group have only interacted virtually, they may have had a hard time accurately answering some of the Style-related questions on the survey, which was designed for people that have regular face-to-face interactions.

In virtual settings, Versatility behaviors might be more obvious and therefore easier to evaluate. For example, Competence skills can be identified as easily virtually as they are in person: Is the person reliable, persevering, flexible, and so on? Even Feedback skills can become apparent after a lengthy virtual relationship: Does the person listen effectively and communicate an understanding of your messages? Do you feel comfortable talking with the person because she is adapting to your communication style?

As the client noted, people seem to adapt their behaviors more in the virtual environment, so Versatility is likely to become the most apparent set of behaviors. This could easily result in Style being perceived in the middle categories because Style behaviors are toned-down and Versatility becomes paramount.

What have been your experiences with Style and Versatility when working in virtual situations? Do you agree that Versatility is more important or noticeable than Style?

The Strengths Based Model has been developed and refined over the years by the Gallup® organization. Gallup’s early research led to the development of the StrengthsFinder® assessment. This self-assessment provides individuals with a profile of their top five strengths, from a list of 34 possible strength themes.  Gallup’s recent research has focused on leadership. Through statistical analysis, they discovered that the 34 strength themes cluster into four leadership dimensions: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. This whitepaper summarizes the Strengths Based Model and how the SOCIAL STYLE Model contributes to its effectiveness.  Download the Whitepaper.

SOCIAL STYLE is the world’s most effective interpersonal skills model. The Connections Whitepaper Series looks at how SOCIAL STYLE complements and supports other popular workplace programs including Situational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Crucial Conversations and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  See all available Connections Whitepapers.

Newest Whitepaper Looks at Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Much of the work performed in organizations today is done by teams. It’s hard to imagine not contributing to at least one team on any given day. Teams are critical to every organization’s success; they determine and set strategies, generate ideas for new products, and solve problems. Given their importance, why do so many people complain about their teams? If you ask Patrick Lencioni, it is because most teams are dysfunctional.  In his book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” Lencioni outlines five common pitfalls that prevent teams from achieving their full capabilities. Underlying each of these five dysfunctions is the failure to have an in-depth understanding of one another’s Style. According to Lencioni, “some of the most effective and lasting tools for building trust on a team are profiles of team members’ behavioral preferences and personality styles. These help break down barriers by allowing people to better understand and empathize with one another."

The SOCIAL STYLE Model provides an ideal platform that serves as a starting point for solving the Five Dysfunctions. SOCIAL STYLE and the application of behavioral Versatility offers a highly usable model of people’s behavioral preferences, strengths and weaknesses. It provides individuals feedback on interpersonal skills and realistic advice on how to contribute to teams. It leads to greater interpersonal awareness, understanding and more productive teams.

"SOCIAL STYLE and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" is the newest whitepaper in TRACOM's SOCIAL STYLE Connections Whitepaper Series.  These whitepapers look at how SOCIAL STYLE complements and supports other workplace performance programs.  They can be downloaded below.

SOCIAL STYLE and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team SOCIAL STYLE & Emotional Intelligence (EQ) SOCIAL STYLE & Crucial Conversations SOCIAL STYLE & Situational Leadership

In the new world of online social networking, it’s easy to feel liked. After all, with dozens or even hundreds of “friends” and followers, many people have finally achieved the popularity that was so elusive to them in high school. But online socializing is easy. What about the real thing – developing strong relationships with people that we interact with every day. Common sense, not to mention much research, shows that people with good friends and strong social ties are happier than people without these bonds. So what if we isolate this to the workplace? What are the benefits of having strong ties with co-workers? New research shows that if you’re a leader, there are important benefits to having good relationships with your bosses and peers.   In a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, researchers found that leaders with higher quality ties with their bosses and peers were more likely to be sought out by their peers for organization-related advice, and were perceived by their direct reports as having higher status in the organization. In addition, these leaders had more trusting and respectful relationships with their direct reports.

On the other side of the coin, what about the leaders who had weaker connections with their bosses and peers? Not surprisingly, they were perceived as having less status in the organization, and their relationships with their direct reports were weaker.

The study authors suggest that it would benefit organizations to support informal networking between leaders, their peers and their bosses. This would strengthen perceptions of leader status among employees, and would help leaders to have outlets for discussing issues and solving problems.

So the next time you have an opportunity to have lunch or coffee with that manager down the hall whose name you know, but that’s about all, you might want to do it. There is little to lose and possibly much to gain.

Click here to learn more about this study.

It seems like Tell Assertive people have a natural advantage when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. TRACOM’s most recent research found that 70 percent of executives are either Driving or Expressive Style, compared to only 49 percent of individual contributors who have these Styles. Related to this, a 2009 study by researchers from the University of Minnesota and Baruch College found that 60 percent of top level executives displayed high levels of extroversion. Extroverts maintain and refresh their energy by being outgoing, talkative, and sociable. Introverts, on the other hand, replenish themselves by spending time alone, and tend to be more reserved and less outspoken. While there is not necessarily a direct correlation between introversion/extroversion and Ask/Tell Assertiveness, the two are similar.

While businesses may be biased toward selecting and promoting extroverts, new research from Harvard Business School shows that these businesses may be short changing themselves when they fail to promote individuals with more subdued styles. Further, this research highlights the importance of learning and practicing different behaviors, no matter what a leader’s natural behavioral style may be. In other words, leaders and those who aspire to leadership roles should learn and practice Versatility. 

In a forthcoming paper, Harvard researcher Francesca Gino argues that introverted leaders are more effective than extroverts in day-to-day teamwork, particularly when teams have members who are knowledgeable, proactive, and have their own ideas. In these circumstances she found that introverted leaders allowed team members to fully express themselves and listened carefully for new ideas, and as a result improved their teams’ performance. In contrast, extroverted leaders were more dominant, drove conversations, and were less receptive to new ideas, negatively affecting team performance. Gino cites examples of successful introverted leaders, such as Jeff Bezos (Amazon) and Bill Gates (Microsoft).  You can watch a video interview with Gino here.

One of the key takeaways from Gino’s research is that people of any style can learn to practice effective leadership skills. In her study, she found that when people were pushed to try different styles, they were able to learn the positive leadership characteristics of both introverts and extroverts. However, introverts may need to try harder since it is not their natural style to be dominant or outgoing. The good news is that these individuals can learn specific behaviors to help themselves be heard, and simple cues can help, such as raising a finger during meetings or saying someone’s name to get his or her attention.

People often say that teams are more effective when all members participate in solving problems. This is true, of course, because a variety of viewpoints are being offered and discussed. New research confirms that team discussion is related to more effective problem solving, but also finds some results that may surprise you. In addition, this research points out ways that team leaders can better manage Style differences and promote Versatility. As reported in Science magazine, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that groups who conversed with equal participation produced better results on tasks than groups that were dominated by a single individual. What they found is that when group discussion was dominated by a noisy person, that group’s effectiveness was significantly diminished. In contrast, groups where conversation was more evenly distributed among members were more effective at considering multiple perspectives and solving problems. In addition, the individual intelligence of group members was unrelated to the group’s outcome, indicating that participation of multiple members was more important than any individual’s IQ.

These results are interesting, and maybe not too surprising. But one finding that was not expected was that groups with more females had better problem solving results. The lead researcher, who happens to be a woman, points out that this finding probably has less to do with gender per se than with previous research showing that women have greater social sensitivity. Similarly, TRACOM has found that, on average, women have higher Feedback scores than men, which certainly can relate to interpersonal communication and effectiveness.

The real value of this research is that it reinforces the importance of not only having a mix of people with different Styles on a team, but also that team leaders need to manage Style-related behavior. If an individual tries to dominate discussion, it is up to the team leader to discourage this behavior and provide equal opportunities for quieter individuals to have their say. Failing to do this can lead to resentment among the majority of team members, and also less effective teams. Further, the importance of Versatility cannot be overlooked. It is clear that social skill is related to group conversation and hence, greater effectiveness.

Acces to the Science aricle here.