Understanding and Leveraging Different Work Styles

A person’s work style refers to how they prefer to complete tasks. People are most likely to associate one or two of the following styles:

• Visualisers. Individuals who respect creativity, big ideas, and spontaneity.
• Prioritsers. Competitive, logical, and candid analytical decision-makers.
• Arrangers. Individuals who emphasise human connection, empathy, and diplomacy in their relationships.
• Planners. Deliberate, thoughtful, and structured, methodical and detail oriented individuals.

The four work styles are based on characteristics you may be able to observe. Assign each person one or two dominating styles based on what you know about your team.

Then, by embracing what makes people different, tailoring your communication to the individual, and providing different job possibilities different styles, you can take advantage of that cognitive diversity.

If you follow those procedures, you’ll play a key part in assisting your team in achieving more together.

Adopt a custom approach. People are complex, and some team members may be on the borderline of several styles. Perhaps one of your team members is a Prioritiser who also values relationships. In these circumstances, take a unique strategy, combining tactics to appeal to the person behind the style.

The key takeaways

A person’s work style refers to how they prefer to complete tasks.

Assign each person one or two dominating styles based on what you know about your team.

Tailoring your communication to the individual, and providing different job possibilities different styles, can take advantage of cognitive diversity.