week 3 - managing your own personality

Debra oh Debra. How would you feel about having Debra as your boss? On the one hand, you might know where you’re headed to as a team (which can only be a 'good thing') and on the other hand, you might feel like resigning today/tomorrow due to the abrasive, loud, and meddlesomeness which is embodied in this contender. Being dominating can be an advantage in certain circumstances, but surely it's about knowing when this is needed and when to let your team have a say (yellow or blue floats anyone?). Perhaps an MBTI Team Report would help Debra understand a bit more. As Paula said to Debra on another occasion "You can manage other personalities but it’s your own personality you’ve got to try and manage as well!’. Perhaps my favourite quote of the show yet!

One of our resident business psychologists noticed that Philip stuck up for Lorraine in the boardroom after Debra berated her pitching style. MBTI enthusiasts might be pleased to see that there is in fact room for ‘feeling’ in the boardroom, and it is not all about criticising your colleagues!

Also isn't timing crucial for any leader - to know when to say something as well as how? This takes a certain combination of intellect and personality - which takes me to the Boardroom. On going into the Boardroom, Ben knew very well that this was the place to fight for himself. It's in the boardroom where it counts. And Ben was very clear, concise, and made sure he got his point across. In contrast to James, who under pressure, can't seem to string a coherent sentence together nor stand up for himself. Margaret noted that James is a 'jekyll and hyde' character: he could be a good manager but just not under pressure. Should managers always be under a certain amount of pressure? Certainly if they're going to climb to the other side of that Boardroom table, so to speak.

Our business psychologist also felt that James also seemed to trust people a lot, which implies that he would perhaps have a low ‘vigilance’ (read: trusting, unsuspecting, or accepting) score on the 16PF. This low ‘vigilance’ meant that he didn’t micro-manage his team, and let them get on with the product development. Question is, did this lead to the failure of their task?

Like or dislike him, Sir Alan again seems to have cut to the chase with the line to James about not challenging the hideous product they came up with. Being 'afraid to upset the kids' could be the inklings of some sort of weakness or development point - call it what you will - the failure to execute when faced with rocking the boat. Don't we need more brave and decisive leaders right now who have the strength to upset the kids...but then know how to pull the family back into the fold and get the business working?


OPP

P.S. I can't believe Sir Alan has put a stop to the 110% bingo fun - the scorecard was all ready to go with the copious mentions of ever increasing percentages!!!