DICK McCann is an international management consultant, specialising in teamwork, communication and management. In his book, How to influence others at work, the professor attempted to answer the question “How can we use our knowledge about the differences between people to make us better communicators?”

McCann posited that there are eight personality types at the workplace and the challenge is to get these diverse personalities to work together to achieve personal and organisational goals.

Look at the following and see which best describes you or your co-worker.

* Creator-innovators

These people are future-oriented and enjoy thinking up new ideas and new ways of doing things. They are usually very independent and will pursue ideas regardless of present systems and methods. They need to be managed in such a way that their ideas can be developed without too many organisational constraints. Some organisations set up research and development units to allow these persons to experiment with their ideas.

Creator-innovators are sometimes accused of “having their heads in the clouds”, but this is usually because they are looking to tomorrow rather than worrying about today. They are usually not very structured in the way they go about things and may appear disorganised and absent-minded. They prefer to work in the background away from the crowd.

Words that best describe creator-innovators include “imaginative”, “visionary”, “researcher”, “non-finisher”, “procrastinator”, “information-seeker” and “deadline-misser”.

* Explorer-promoter

These people are excellent at taking ideas and promoting them to others, both inside and outside of the organisation. They enjoy being with people and will usually have a network of persons around them that they bounce ideas off. Explorer-promoters are advocates of change and are highly energised, active people who often have several projects going at the same time. They enjoy being out and about and are good at making contacts and feeding the organisation with critical resources and information.

Explorer-promoters are risk takers, persuasive speakers who take on subjects in which they have no expertise. They are excellent at seeing the “big picture” and are very influential in making decisions. However, they do not always pay attention to details and can be energy-draining, almost sucking out energy from people around them.

Words that best describe explorer-promoters include “outgoing”, “enthusiastic”, “talkative”, “impulsive”, “opinionated”, “emotional”, “dramatic” and “far-sighted”.

* Assessor-developers

These are people who may not necessarily think up good ideas for themselves but they are excellent at making the idea work. They often display a strong analytic approach and are at their best with several different possibilities to analyse and develop before a decision is made. They like organising new activities and respond well to such challenges, taking an idea and pushing it forward into a workable scheme.

Assessor-developers often lose interest once the activity is up and running. They prefer to move on to the next project instead of engaging in the production and control of the output.

Words that best describe assessor-developers include “analytical”, “experimenter”, “sociable”, “logical”, “group-worker”, “expressive” and “planner”.

* Thruster-organisers

These are task-oriented people who have the ability to deliver projects on time and within budget. They don’t take no for an answer. When obstacles are placed in their way, they get annoyed and would “bulldoze” anything or anyone who comes in their way. They pay little attention to people’s feelings, which causes them to be at odds with others.

Thruster-organisers would organise people and systems to ensure that deadlines are met. They will set objectives, establish plans, work out who should do what and then press for action.

Words that best describe thruster-organisers include “determined”, “action-oriented”, “tough”, “decisive”, “commanding”, “impatient”, “conflict confronter”, “stubborn” and “competitive”.

* Concluder-producers

These are strongly practical people who can be depended on to carry out a project to the end. Their strength is in setting up plans and standard systems so that output can be achieved on a regular basis in a controlled and orderly fashion. For that reason, they usually do not like rapid change, as it interferes with the efficient systems they have established for doing the work. They will not necessarily dream up the plan, but will ensure the project is carried out effectively and efficiently.

Concluder-producers are sought after as managers for their abilities to work in a quick, reliable, dependable and stable manner and deliver results.

Words that best describe concluder-producers are “steady”, “reliable”, “dependable”, “systematic”, “deadline-conscious”, “change-resistant”, “resent-oriented”, “systematic” and “finisher”.

* Controller-inspectors

These are people who enjoy the detailed work of facts and figures. They are careful and meticulous and tend to spend a lot of time on a particular task. They are comfortable working with rules and regulations, indicating that they are needed to ensure that the organisation runs efficiently.

Controller-inspectors like to think things through before speaking and are usually succinct, accurate, and to the point.

Words that best describe controller-inspectors are “logical”, “conservative”, “quiet”, “practical”, “detail-oriented”, “thorough” and “nit-picker”.

* Upholder-maintainers

These are people with strong personal values/principles as these are of prime importance in their decision-making. They have a high concern for people and will be strongly supportive of those who share the same ideals and values.

Upholder-maintainers prefer to work in a control-oriented supported way, making sure that things are done according to their standards. They prefer to play an advisory role rather than a leading role in the organisation. Because of their strong principles, they remain resolute when they confront issues that challenge or oppose their beliefs.

Words that best describe upholder-maintainers include “conscientious”, “traditional”, “advising”, “controlling”, “consensus-seeking”, “conflict-avoiding” and “defender of the faith”.

Reporter-advisors

These are people who are good at gathering information and putting it together in such away that it can be easily understood. They prefer to have all the facts and information before they make a decision.

Report-advisors rely on written formats or a network of colleagues for their data. They are usually good communicators.

Words that best describe report-advisors are “helpful”, “well-liked”, “willing”, “tolerant”, “easy-going”, “co-operative”, “conflict-avoiding”, “knowledgeable” and “procrastinator”.

Wayne Powell is a human resources professional. He may be contacted at crisscounsellor@yahoo.com.