ASK FOR ADVICE
Send your career questions to Dr. McIntyre
Boss Personalities
If you could pick your boss, you might make a different choice. But you don’t get much say in the matter. A bad boss relationship can wreck your career and make your life miserable. Use our free coaching tips to sharpen your “boss management” skills.
BOSS PERSONALITIES TOPICS
People are a puzzle. And when that person is your boss, solving the puzzle may be critical to your future success. Managers differ in their communication and decision-making styles, but perhaps the most fundamental difference is in their value systems.
Because values are installed at a very early age, they essentially become our “operating system” and guide our beliefs about the right and wrong way to do things. See if you can spot your boss among the five common value systems described below: Control, Conformity, Competition, Affiliation, and Innovation & Development.
Even if you are a cooperative and friendly person, there are probably certain people that you simply do not like to work with because you always wind up feeling frustrated, aggravated, or disappointed. Frequently, frustration with co-workers is the result of work style incompatibilities.
People have many differences in the way that they approach tasks and projects – and certain pairings seem to lead to predictable problems. The table below lists some of the most common work style opposites. See if any of your own difficult relationships reflect one or more of these differences.
This quiz provides a general idea of your extroverted or introverted tendencies. The styles are described at the end of the quiz. (NOTE: A Quick Quiz does not substitute for a formal psychological assessment.)
This Quick Quiz provides a general idea of whether you are more focused on tasks or relationships. The styles are described at the end of the quiz. (NOTE: A Quick Quiz does not substitute for a formal psychological assessment.)
In your communication toolbox, direct and indirect skills are like a hammer and screwdriver: both are helpful, but you need to use the right tool at the right time. Trying to hang a picture with a screwdriver is frustrating. And not very effective.
Secrets to Winning at Office Politics
“Very informative & insightful!”
“I wish I had read this book years ago.”
“Has changed my work life for the better.”
Ask The Coach
Have a question for Marie? Send your concerns to the Office Coach.
Interested in Career Coaching?
Are you dealing with difficult workplace issues, considering a career change, or facing challenges in managing your business?