» 2008 » March

Making Friends with the Enemy

Andrea — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:08:59 +0000

If you haven’t seen the “Cat and the Crow” video that’s been circulating the Internet for a while, it’s worth a peek. Check out what’s possible when two enemies don’t know they’re supposed to be enemies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZjZQ6KkiUk

Imagine if we humans applied the generosity and wisdom demonstrated by these two simple creatures. Especially in the business world.

There’s a simple yet profound lesson articulated at the end: “If you’re able to gain trust in someone … than anything is possible.”

Ain’t that the truth.

Reading Your Clients – Part Two

Andrea — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:01:40 +0000

Ever wonder why you get along so well with one client but just can’t seem to make headway with another? It could be that you have different Social Styles. This week’s blog offers tips for how to relate – and get results – with clients who have different Social Styles from your own.

In our last post, we acknowledged that, while it’s important not to stereotype or “box” others in, models that define typical style preferences can be helpful. We think the Social Style Model (www.tracomcorp.com) is easy to understand and immediately apply.

The combination of Assertiveness (the degree to which you ask or tell during interactions) and Responsiveness (the degree to which you tend to control or emote) reveal your Social Style as Analytical, Driving, Amiable, or Expressive. Click here for a description of each social style.

Taking that one step further, here are tendencies and tips for each Social Style category during times of stress:

For a detailed list of recommended approaches for each quadrant, check out Tracom Corp’s web site (www.tracomcorp.com). The key is to figure out your primary style first, and then your clients’. You can close the gaps from there.

Reading Your Clients

Andrea — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:25:58 +0000

Ever wonder why you get along so well with one client but just can’t seem to make headway with another? It could be that you have different Social Styles. This week’s blog offers a simple and useful framework for understanding and remedying disconnects between you and your clients (or between you and anyone, for that matter).

Human beings have natural behavioral patterns. While it’s important not to stereotype or “box” others in, models that define typical style preferences can be help us understand how to relate to our clients – especially when they are different from us. We like the Social Style Model (www.tracomcorp.com) because it’s easy to understand and immediately apply.

The Social Style Model uses two dimensions of human behavior:

1. Assertiveness is the degree to which you ask or tell during interactions
2. Responsiveness is the degree to which you tend to control or emote.

In combination, these two dimensions reveal your Social Style:

The challenge arises when you and your client have different Social Styles but don’t realize it. For example, an Amiable consultant (like me) may misinterpret a Driving client’s focus on actions and results as a lack of caring for his staff, and may frustrate her by spending too much time on relationships. Similarly, a Driving consultant may mistake an Amiable client for someone who is not bottom-line oriented.

So how do you minimize the gap in styles and maximize your ability to get the job done? Check out our next blog post to find out.