The presentation provides information on understanding and dealing with people of various personalities.

1. Understanding & Dealing
with Different Personality
Types
The views expressed are based on information collected
from the net.

2. Let’s Start with Some Questions
 What does ‘Personality Type’ mean to you?
 Do people react differently depending upon how you
approach them?
 Should you change your style when dealing with different
people?
 Is there an optimum style for influencing others?
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3. The Answer or Another Question?
 The above questions lead to a fundamental question –
 HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE?
 At work
 In personal life
 In social life
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4. People at Work, Home, Social Life
 Whom do we have to deal with at work?
 Manager
 Customers
 Partners
 Vendors
 Colleagues
 Union leader(s)
 Support staff
 Whom do we have to deal with at home?
 Spouse, teen-aged children, aged parents, …
 Whom do we have to deal with at social front?
 Friends, relatives, …
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5. What Problems Do We Face?
 Negotiations on rates (customers, vendors)
 Failure at convincing about work priority (colleagues)
 Ineffective communication in dealing with unions / support
staff (support staff)
 Incomplete work / deliverables (subordinates)
 Imbalance in work distribution (manager)
 Not meeting deadlines (support staff, subordinates)
 Disagreements on terms / issues (ALL)
 …
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6. Solution
 How do we effectively deal with these issues?
 The answer lies in -
1. Understanding personality types of yourself and others
and then
2. Implementing techniques to deal with different personality
types
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7. What is Personality? - Definitions
 Characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting.
 “An individual’s personality is his unique pattern of traits.”
 Personality refers to “factors” inside people that explain
their behavior.
 The personality of an individual is that which enables us to
predict what he will do in a given situation”.
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8. What is Personality? (contd.)
 “Personality” may include:
 Emotional responses
 Social behaviour
 Emotional thoughts and behaviour
 Motivations
 Values
 Interests
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9. Myths about Personality
 Personality can be assessed by appearance.
 Personality can be assessed by one’s conscious
behaviour.
 It is inherited and environment has no role. Therefore, we
can not change our personality.
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10. Facts about Personality
 Individuals are unique.
 Individuals behave differently in different situations.
 Although individuals are unique and behave inconsistently
across situations, there is considerable commonality in
human behaviour.
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11. Two Main Personality Theories
 Type theory
 People can be sorted into categories (either one type or the
other)
 Ex. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
 Trait theory
 People differ based on stable attributes (called “traits”).
 Ex. The Big Five
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12. Type Theory - Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator
 Classifies individuals along 4 independent dimensions
 Introversion / Extroversion(I-E)
 How is your general attitude toward the world?
 Sensing / iNtuition (S-N)
 How do you acquire information?
 Thinking / Feeling (T-F)
 How is information processed?
 Judging / Perceiving (J-P)
 How do you make decisions?
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13. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(contd.)
 Extroversion-Introversion Scale
 E: Oriented primarily toward the outer world; focus on people
and objects
 I: Oriented primarily toward the inner world; focus on concepts
and ideas
 Sensing-Intuition Scale
 S: Individual collects observable facts through one or more of
the five senses
 N: Reports meanings, relationships and/or possibilities that have
been worked out beyond the reach of the conscious mind
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14. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(contd.)
 Thinking-Feeling Scale
 T: Judgment is impersonally based on logical consequences
 F: Judgment is primarily based on personal or social values
 Perception-Judging Scale
 P: Preference for using a perceptive process for dealing with the
outer world
 J: Preference for using a judgment process for dealing with the
outer world
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15. What is Your Personality? – A
Sample QuizSr. No. Characteristic Y N
1 You are almost never late for your appointments
2 You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job
3 You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances
4 You feel involved when watching TV soaps
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You are usually the first to react to a sudden event: the telephone ringing or unexpected
question
6 You tend to be unbiased even if this might endanger your good relations with people
7 It's difficult to get you excited
8 It is in your nature to assume responsibility
9 Objective criticism is always useful in any activity
10 You trust reason rather than feelings
11 You are inclined to rely more on improvisation than on careful planning
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You spend your leisure time actively socializing with a group of people, attending parties,
shopping, etc.
13 You usually plan your actions in advance
14 You often contemplate about the complexity of life
15 You get bored if you have to read theoretical books
16 You rapidly get involved in social life at a new workplace
17 The more people with whom you speak, the better you feel
18 You tend to rely on your experience rather than on theoretical alternatives
19 It's essential for you to try things with your own hands
20 It is easy for you to communicate in social situations

16. Answers to the Quiz
Questions If No. of Y > 2 Else
3, 12, 16, 17, 20 Extrovert Introvert
4, 5, 15, 18, 19 Sensing Intuitive
6, 7,9,10, 14 Thinking Feeling
1, 2, 8, 11, 13 Judging Perceiving
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17. Trait Theory - Five Distinct Styles
for Dealing with People
 Submissive
 Caring / Low assertive
 Collaborative / Assertive
 Compelling / High assertive
 Aggressive
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18. Aggressive (Positive Traits)
 Task-motivated
 Goal-oriented
 Get results
 Hard charger
 Clear cut
 Explicit
 Direct
 Self-driven
 Purposeful
 Definite
 Ambitious
 Enthusiastic
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19. Aggressive (Negative Traits)
 Mean
 Pushy
 Intimidating
 Loud
 Uncaring
 Unkind
 Unpleasant
 Hostile
 Antagonistic
 Loud-mouthed
 Confrontational
 Hard line
 Destructive
 Argumentative
 Unfriendly
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20. Submissive (Positive Traits)
 Team player
 Good listener
 Respectful of others
 Concerned about others
 Unselfish
 Thoughtful
 Considerate
 Sympathetic
 Helpful
 Kind
 Understanding
 Dutiful
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21. Submissive (Negative Traits)
 Weak
 Timid
 Quiet
 Indifferent
 Not sure
 Docile
 Compliant
 Reactive
 Passive
 Detached
 Feeble
 Frail
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22. Assertive / Collaborative Style
 A style that bridges positive aspects of these two styles
while avoiding the negative aspects of these two styles
 Takes some of the positive characteristics of being
aggressive
 goal-oriented, strong-willed, direct, energetic, and
purposeful
 Combines with some of the best characteristics of being
submissive
 a good listener, unselfish, empathic, thoughtful, and
considerate
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23. The Assertive Individual
 Honestly expresses feelings, enforces rules, and requires
results
 But at the same time does so in a way that shows respect
for the dignity of his/her fellow human being
 The assertive style is both a good human relations style
and a good team building style for any organization
 The assertive leader is seen as someone who is strong,
energetic and is both able and willing to fight for resources
needed by the department
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24. The Situation
 The plant operations staff is shared by several department.
 Often it seems that it takes too long to get your work
completed.
 You know that your work sometimes gets put behind the
work of others.
 You feel this situation must be changed, if you are to
perform effectively.
 You decide to speak to the operations staff to discuss this
situation.
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25. Submissive Style
 "I sure am having a hard time doing my job. Are things
difficult for you too?"
 Result:
 Afraid of confrontation
 Much too indirect
 Avoids the issue
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26. Aggressive Style
 "I am fed up with your sloppy way of not doing my work on
time and if this continues, I am going to take drastic steps
to change things.“
 Result:
 A deliberate put down
 Tries to run over the person
 Shows no respect for co-workers
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27. Low Assertive / Caring Style
 "There may be some problems associated with your
having to do work for several of us. Why don't you tell me
how you see this setup so we can discuss it?“
 Result:
 Brings up the issue (i.e., does not avoid the issue)
 Shows a lot of concern and empathy
 Emphasis on hearing the other person's views
 A caring approach
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28. High Assertive / Compelling Style
 "There is a problem with the arrangement of you working for several
of us. My work never seems to be completed on time. Let's see if we
can come up with a solution to this problem.“
 Result:
 Brings up the issue and does so in a strong way
 Emphasis is on multiple departments’ problem and not the
operations staff’s problems
 Does not cross the line and run over the person, however, does
try to compel the operations staff to change
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29. Mid Assertive / Collaborative Style
 "You know, this arrangement of you working for several of us seems
to be creating delays in my getting work completed. Why don't you
tell me how you see things and I can do the same in hopes of
resolving this problem?“
 Result:
 Brings up the problem, but not in as strong terms as above
 Equal emphasis on listening and telling
 Seems to be both caring and compelling
 Comes across as a collaborative approach to dealing with the
problem
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30. Role Play Exercise
 Divide into 6 groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
 Assume one of Submissive, Caring, Collaborative,
Compelling, Aggressive personality styles after discussing
with team members. (DO NOT ANNOUNCE)
 At a time, two groups are involved in the role play.
 At the end, others should identify the personality styles
assumed by both the groups.
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31. Role Play Scenario - 1
 Group 1 and Group 4
 Group 4 are the customers of Group 1. The customer’s
(Group 4) total requirements have gone up this year and so
need to buy more goods from the vendor (Group 1).
However, they are demanding a significant reduction in
overall rates which can cause the vendor an effective loss.
 Through the role play, Group 1 and Group 4 have to come to
a mutually acceptable solution.
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32. Role Play Scenario - 2
 Group 2 and Group 5
 Group 2 are in-charge of plant/floor operations. Due to
technology upgrade in the plant, their hands are full. Group
5 have recently acquired a very important customer and
want the operations staff to give highest priority to this
customer.
 Through the role play, Group 5 have to convince Group 2
about providing highest priority to the newly acquired
customer.
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33. Role Play Scenario - 3
 Group 3 and Group 6
 Group 3 represent employee union and Group 6 represent
the decision makers for union’s demands. The union is
demanding an increase in overtime wages and medical
insurance for themselves and their families. Group 6 have
to explain why the demands are unreasonable.
 Through the role play, Group 3 and Group 6 have to arrive at
a mutually acceptable solution.
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34. Summary
 Understanding personality of your own and that of others
is extremely important in order to influence people.
 Personality Types
 Extrovert / Introvert, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling,
Judging/Perceiving
 Personality Traits
 Submissive, Caring, Assertive, Compelling, Aggressive
 By and large, assertive style works the best!
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35. THANK YOU
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