Meetings are a great way to communicate as a group and get things accomplished, but they can also be challenging. Managing a variety of personalities means understanding how those personality types communicate and work together. Here we explain five types of people often found in the meeting environment. For more information visit http://wileyactual.com/ProjectManagement/

1. How People React
in Meetings

2. Team meetings that involve problem solving
and decision making often get people to act in
an irrational manner, especially if the outcome
of the meeting can have a negative impact
on them personally. This is particularly true
for people who are closely identified with the
cause of the problem. You may also be inviting
people you have never worked with previously,
and you have no idea how they will react to
the problem or the solution.

3. The Aggressor
Criticizes everyone as
being part of the problem
even if the cause is just
one person.

4. The Devil’s
Advocate
Always argues that there are
other causes of the problem
and refuses to become a
believer in the real cause
unless threatened.

5. The Dominator
Tries to take over the
meeting and professes to
know everything about the
problem and what the
solution should be. This is
seen as a chance for glory.

6. The Recognition
Seeker
Always argues in favor of
his or her impression of the
problem and also his or her
solution to the problem.

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The Withdrawer
May be afraid of criticism
and does not want to be
identified as being part of
the problem.