The Four Behavioral Styles Expressed By Trainees: Knowing What Behavior to Expect (continued)

TeamOJT Tip of the Month for June, 2004

NOTE: The first two styles of trainees are discussed in the May, 2004 Tip of the Month.

Style III - the Investigator

Investigators have two mottos:

1. "Don't pin me down."
2. "A place for everything, everything in its place."

Investigators have three basic beliefs:

1. "I must be in control of myself, you, and/or the situation."
2. "I will control by using my intellect, being right, ruling others, being good, and/or being against whatever you are for."
3. "I must avoid humiliation, ridicule, and the unexpected."

Behavior you might expect:

• Investigators might be cautious, picky, and insist on order, neatness, and predictability in order to maintain control.
• In a training situation, investigators may try to frustrate you by being too meticulous or cautions and try to engage you in a power struggle. They may use stubbornness, sensitiveness, or shyness to oppose you. They may try to rule you through their intellect by doing everything literally, being right, or maybe by simply being against whatever you are for. They may claim to be confused a lot so that you can't pin them down. They may tell you how wrong you are. If you are late to the training session, they will probably tell you exactly how late you are. They may not want to risk unless you give them a 100% guarantee.

Style IV - the Director

Directors have two mottos:

1. "The difficult I do right away; the impossible, a little later."
2. "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today."

Directors have three basic beliefs:

1. "I must be no. 1 - best or worst, but always 1st."
2. "Others must be stayed ahead of at all costs."
3. "I must avoid meaninglessness and inactivity."

Behavior you might expect:

• Directors might lecture, judge, argue, criticize, advise, debate, and point out your mistakes in order to show their superior judgment and knowledge.
• In a training situation, directors might feel entitled to boundless recognition, and believe there is no obstacle that they can't overcome through willpower or superior faculties. No task will be too difficult for them to try. They will evaluate their own performance and totally disregard your evaluation of them unless it coincides with their own evaluation. They will regard training as something to be conquered, and probably, you too. They might frequently demand that you prove things to them.

 

 

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