Think about the four different styles. Can you understand why a person can't be all of them at once?

No one can prefer long-term tasks over short-term tasks while at the same time preferring short-term tasks over long-term tasks! Similarly, a person cannot be so results-focused that proper procedure seems like an obstacle, and at the same time think that the most important thing is to follow established procedures.

When problems arise, people tend to react using their dominant styles. They can balance this with their secondary styles. They can build arguments in the mind "on one hand..." and "on the other hand...". But under pressure, their reactions are largely grounded in the priorities of their dominant styles.

The following interaction demonstrates some of the many differences associated with each style:

P vs. A
P wants results irrespective of the method.
A wants to follow methods irrespective of results.

In the desperation to get a job done quickly, the Producer (P) will break "silly" rules - choosing and justifying whatever action is necessary to get results. The Administrator (A), by contrast, often becomes captive to the system and its procedures, failing to weigh the importance of the issue at hand if the process doesn't conform to the rules. If A were a teacher, A might put more focus on the students having the right books or the right uniform at school than on the amount of knowledge absorbed by the student.

Teamwork!

Did you know that there are five more conflicting combinations and eight more conflicting behaviours?

Teamwork Plus! describes these conflicts and shows you how to harness them.

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