Presentation by Kia Mou and Sarah Gleason, Side by Side Associates, to Minnesota Literacy Council AmeriCorps VISTA members and site supervisors 10/05/12

1. Working Styles
Leveraging Our Differences For Success
Kia Moua & Sarah Gleason
Side by Side Associates
October 5, 2012

2. Agenda
 Opening & Table Introductions
 Working Styles Framework: Introducing the
Animals
 Strengths & Needs: The Animals Speak
 Working Styles at Work: Colleague Huddle
 Working Styles and Success: Supervisory
Pairs
 Closing

3. Objectives
We hope that you will:
 Better understand your own and others’
working styles and how they impact your work
team
 Have a framework for applying an
understanding of working styles to potential
conflicts and other situations in your work
place

4. Table Introductions
Which animal resonates with you most and why?

5. Working Styles
 What’s your preferred style?
 What are your colleagues’ preferred styles?
 What difference does it make?
 How can you work most successfully together?

6. The Monkey
can
• Innovative, creative and sees the big
picture
• Very idea oriented, focuses on future
• Risk-taker, adventurous, spontaneous
• Has insight into mission and purpose
• Looks for overarching themes and ideas
• Appreciates a lot of information
• Strong spiritual awareness, free spirited,
unconventional
• Likes to experiment and explore
• Value words: "Option" "Possibility"

7. The Owl
• Moves carefully; follows procedures and
guidelines
• Uses data to make logical and analytical
decisions
• Weighs all sides of an issue, self-analytical, focused,
• Introspective, balanced
• Seen as practical, dependable, and thorough
reserved
• Provides planning and resources to others
• Works well with existing resources
• Skilled at finding the fatal flaw in an idea or project
• Value words: "Objective" "Organized"

8. The Golden Retriever
• Friendly, likeable, team player
• Allows others to feel important
• Supportive, nurturing and caring
towards colleagues
• Willing to trust others' statements at face value
• Feelings-based, trusts own emotions and intuition as truth
• Able to focus on the present moment
• Process-centered
• Generous, non-competitive, likes to build on the ideas of o
• Value words: "Right" and "Fair"

9. The Lion
• Assertive, Active, Decisive
• Likes to be in control
• Quick to act, expresses urgency
for others to act quickly also
• Enjoys challenging people and situations
• Likes a quick pace and the fast track
• Courageous, ambitious, and confident
• Goal-centered and perserveres
• Hardworking leader who is comfortable being in front
• Value words - "Do it now!" "I'll do it."

10. Move toward your preferred style

11. Thinking from your identified
style:
What do you bring to a team?
What are the strengths of your style? What do you
contribute?
What do you need from others?
How can people who don’t share your style work
most effectively with you? What do you need from
them?
Brainstorm answers to these two questions in
your group.
Chart your answers. Choose a group
spokesperson.

12. Move into colleague ‘huddles’
Discuss these questions with your colleague(s):
 Where do you see these working
styles at work?
 What has been the impact—on your
team, your project, your success?

13. Move into supervisory pairs
Discuss these questions:
 How have your styles impacted the
development of your working
relationship?
 How have your working styles
impacted your progress toward your
goals?

14. Thank You!
All the best to each of you throughout your year of
serving as a VISTA member or supervisor!
We invite you to check out the upcoming Overcoming
Racism conference, November 16 & 17 at
Metropolitan State University in St. Paul:
www.overcomingracism.org
Sarah Gleason & Kia Moua
Side by Side Associates