Understanding Yourself

• understand what works for you in a given situation, and be able to adopt different techniques if your natural style isn’t having the desired impact
• identify development areas and set personal objectives and inspire others to do the same
• focus on what motivates you in order to develop your potential, and find new ways to tackle challenging situations
• avoid feelings of frustration when others don’t work the way you do. Appreciating that people have contrasting styles will help you adapt to, or suggest ways of effectively combining differing methods

The Different Learning Styles

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford, two of the world’s leading gurus on learning and behavior, have identified four distinct learning styles or preferences that individuals generally tend to favor. They recommend that, to maximize personal learning, you need to understand your own learning style and seek out opportunities to learn using that style.

However, to be a truly effective learner you should also develop the ability to learn in other styles too. There’s always a danger of stagnation when you stick to the one style. Trying out others will stretch and challenge you:

Honey and Mumford’s learning styles [1]:

Theorist: Theorists learn by questioning, exploring and probing the logic behind assumptions and concepts. They appreciate being intellectually challenged, and like to take the time to analyze disparate facts and synthesize them into coherent theories. They take a logical, rational approach, and tend to be detached and objective.

Activist: Activists enjoy being the center of attention, and throw themselves into practical, hands-on activities with great enthusiasm. They are enthusiastic and relish new experiences and opportunities for learning. However, as soon as one activity is finished, they want to rush into the next without taking the time to reflect on what they have done.

Pragmatist: Pragmatists need to see the link between their learning and its practical application, and they like to experiment with ideas to see if they work in practice. They like to get on with things and dislike beating about the bush.

Reflector: Reflectors learn best when they are able to sit back and observe from various perspectives before reaching any conclusions. They are cautious in their approach, and like to take the time to thoroughly absorb, analyze and digest what they have learned before putting it into practice. They appreciate time to formulate their opinions and review their learning without pressure of deadlines.

Think about the last time you learned something. Do you recognize the style you used in the list above? How did you find the experience? If you found it difficult or even boring, try to think how different it might have been if you had adopted an alternate style.

Personality Types

Your personality is made up of your character and behaviors. It, therefore, informs how you approach tasks and react to situations. Do you recognize yourself, or your colleagues, in the five common workplace styles we’ve listed below:

• Realist: a loyal and steady worker, who meets deadlines, believes in established rules and respects facts.
• Idealist: makes sense of events using inner values, focuses on personal growth and the growth of others.
• Innovator: energetic and creative, takes inspiration from various sources, enjoys a flexible work environment with few rules but allows opportunities for fun.
• Leader: natural managers, who strive for efficiency, see the bigger picture and make clear plans for the future.
• Strategist: intellectually curious, uses objective thinking and forward planning to find original solutions to problems.

Management Styles

Tannenbaum and Schmidt, leading authors in this field, identified four main leadership styles that are displayed here, ranging from the most autocratic (left hand side) to the most democratic:

Although you might favor one particular style, the key to being an effective manager is being able to use all four styles in the most appropriate way. While you might naturally take more of a ‘consulting’ style, for example, you still need to know how to work using the ‘telling’ method, and to understand when this is the best approach to take.

You must also be aware of how you come across to others. Although you may feel that you have a democratic management style, you may actually come across as autocratic to others. You’re less likely to get results while you’re under this misapprehension. Effective managers are aware of how they come across and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Communication Is Key

The various learning, personality and management styles we’ve discussed all manifest themselves in the way you communicate. This not only refers to what you say, but how you say it. Your choice of words, tone and communication medium can make all the difference. For example, do you invite discussion via email, allowing you to choose the ideas you like and control matters (which suits a ‘telling’ style of management)? Or do you sit with people and ask them to ‘tell me what you think’, then listen carefully to everything that has been said and have a discussion with them (‘joining’ style)?

Next time you communicate something, consider what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your message. From this perspective you’ll be in a position to make sure it meets with the desired response.