How to Work Personality Issues Without Sounding Like a Marriage Guidance Counsellor?

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Ever had a situation on a team where personalities are such that they are unable to work an issue? It happens all the time, doesn’t it? I don’t know about you but I’ve found that the advice for dealing with these situations is often very “touchy, feely” to the point where I feel I am being asked to become something I am not – something like a marriage guidance counsellor. Worse, I have found working this way creates an additional barrier and actually gets in the way of working the issue. I think this is because of the personalities that I am working with – people who see themselves as more analytical and introverted – but I suspect this is also partly an expression of my discomfort in using approaches that do not fit in with my personality. In either case, different “tools” are required to get good results.

The overall theme of this session is the development of approaches that are “experimental”, “observational” and “data-driven”. These approaches help drain negative emotional input to addressing the issue at hand while allowing the issue to be worked and resolved. The basis of the workshop is a presentation of thinking, ideas and approaches that I have used. Table exercises will be used to generate additional understanding as well as gather up experiences and approaches that you have.