I will summarize the overall behavior style profile for this class as if we were a work team. To do this please take the assessment by the suggested date in the class calendar and send to me through the dropbox by the requested date. I will post the summary on this discussion in time for you to answer below.
What would our strengths and weaknesses be as a work team?
Can you guess what the behavior style of your instructor is?
Hello Team!
I have tallied everyone’s scores together below. Please use these results in the answer to this week’s discussion post.
Stabilizer = 48
Persuader = 39
Controller = 35
Analyzer = 37
Classmates answers:
S-5 P-5 C-9 A-5
I scored the highest in Controller and had a tie score for the other three areas, Stabilizer, Persuader, and Analyzer. That honestly does seem like the type of person I am in that even though I end up being put in control of things at times I also know how to stabilize conversations and different moods seen in the workplace. I am also relied on to bring persuasion to the table from a human resources perspective in that I have to determine and discuss with the owner if policies should be changed and updated to be more current as well as persuading employees to understand why things are being done certain ways within the workforce. I am very analytical and do look at things from multiple different perspectives, because in a human resources position it is very necessary in that you can’t just think about the company without thinking about how things will also affect the employees and vice versa.
As a team it seems to me (without the actual results and just based on discussions) that our class is a good mix of all behavior styles. There is a good mix of analytical teammates that participate in the discussions that bring up consistent facts and are planners that contribute to the discussions by keeping the class going, responding, and engaging. We also have some controller behavior styles that like to lead and get the discussions completed. They are very assertive with the facts provided and do not need much supervision seeing that they are taking an online course. There are a number of persuaders as well within the team and for discussions this helps because they provide us with viewpoint that we may not have thought of and one that may be somewhat more creative. We also have some great stabilizer behavior styles in the class that are great at closing the discussion questions in a way that presents facts, but doesn’t make a person feel like they need to communicate beyond that. The stabilizers tend to all agree with each other’s statements and in seeing that there are not any conflicts within the discussions, this is also an easy way to spot the stabilizing behavior style.
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What would our strengths and weaknesses be as a work team?
In the spirit of full disclosure, my individual scores were analyzer 7, persuader 4, controller 4, and stabilizer 3. The team results indicate that, as a whole, it is relationship oriented. Our team strengths, and this has been displayed in the posts and responses, include 1) taking time to listen – meaning, we have had to carefully read each other’s posts and thoughtfully respond and 2) our written words are crafted with intentionality so that communications peacefully communicate our own truths.
Our stabilizer strength, however, could predict that we might be challenged with certain kinds of decisions. We might ask ourselves how a decision potentially made would affect people in terms of their emotional well-being. While that is important, I’m reminded of the phrase, this isn’t personal, it’s business. It might take our team some extra effort to push through a group comfort zone and facilitate forward moving progress on pending action items.
It makes me smile that the other three categories are so neck and neck. I have this vision that, if we were a work team, our persuader, controller, and analyzer strengths might collectively gain up, overwhelm, and surpass the stabilizer steadiness especially in the realm of tough decision making. Maturity, I believe, plays a big factor here. How many times have you been in work situations or meetings where, if one party disagrees with another party, rather than stay in the conversation, the one disgruntled party metaphorically picks up his/her toys and leaves the sandbox? The fact that we have a strong stabilizer tendency might go along way to avoid those kinds of situations.
I read a great book earlier this year. It contains a fabulous quote as it relates to strengthening relationships among co-workers. It’s best to say, “I want to make sure that I am working on this the right way” rather than “I am working in a black hole of silence and just need to know I’m not alone in the world” (Eikenberry & Turmel, 2021). Our team’s emphasis on stabilizer suggest we’d be good at showing appreciation and instilling confidence in and with each other. Lastly, working on a team with a high stabilizer strength would personally benefit me the most as that particular strength is my greatest “weakness”.
Can you guess what the behavior style of your instructor is?
If I had to wager, I’d guess Dr. Watts is a stabilizer followed by a close second analyzer (side bar – Dr. Watts has permission to throw me under the bus if I’m completely off base). I make that hypothesis based on three principles: 1) I’ve emailed her several (okay multiple) times for clarity on a few items and her responses have been couched in kindness 2) How does one teach in higher ed. and not possess a highly developed analytical skill set? 3) I’ve not yet had an instructor that ever made “navigational” videos before. I think that speaks to providing security to the class.
These kinds of assessments are fun to take, but I am careful to filter the results such that I allow my belief system to not be so rigid with people. Maybe one “tests” as a strong controller. Then, again, maybe that person has been disappointed just one too many times that it’s difficult to believe in others. Hard to say… From my heavy analytical style, I don’t deny that I like to be right most, if not all, of the time. Then again, I want us all to be right! (smile).
