Part 5: Idealists
Idealist personalities make up 8-10% of the population and populate sales, psychology, and teachers positions. This personality really likes people.
Idealists are enthusiastic and have a knack for motivating team members. When one walks into the room, the energy level naturally goes up. When you need buy-in, bring in these cheerleaders.
This personality is an expert at stimulating conversation. Put them into a "dead" room and watch it come alive!
An Idealist is easily excitable. This can be a good or bad trait, depending on the circumstance. Although he/she may get the group going, they may end up showing off their
impetuous
side: talking when they shouldn't, jumping to conclusions, or becoming impatient when decisions aren't made fast enough.
When an Idealist feels their ideas are under attack, they will lash out and attack team players. This behavior ends up creating the opposite effect on the buy-in process.
As a supervisor, Idealists tend to lose focus and frustrate their employees. Employees may receive mixed messages depending on the supervisor's mood or direction. On the other hand, some Idealists inspire and motivate their employees to new heights.
Supervisors can get better performance from an Idealists if they:
- Encourage him/her to take a breath and think about things
- Define his/her purpose in the group
- Speak to them warmly and provide assurance/positive feedback on a regular basis.
- Ask their advice on employee relations.
- Remind them that so and so will be making the final decision.
- Realize that waiting to respond to an issue with an Idealist is better than addressing it immediately. Time is the best ally in confrontation.
CAVEAT: Idealists may not exhibit all of these traits as personality covers a wide spectrum and is not an exact science.
Next Week: Can't We All Just Get Along?
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Idealists in a Nutshell
Value to the Team: Idealists influence people.
Major Strength: Enthusiastic and motivates people.
Major Weakness: Impetuous
and does not focus on all the facts.
Communication: Stimulates conversation.
Emotional Response: Excitable and Emotional.
Decision Making: Decides quickly and not always with the facts.
Behavior Under Stress: Idealists, when faced with high levels of stress, will go on the attack.
Being a Better Team Player: Idealists need to take a breath. Their excitement sometimes takes on a will of its own.
Idealist Personalities
Emily Dickenson
Jane Fonda
Gandhi
Carl Jung
Plato
Princess Diana
Leo Tolstoy |
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