IAS1162

1. IAS1162 Human Personality & Team Building Types of people you may find in a team / meeting

2. TEAM’S TASK • Recall your meetings with your team members • Any member will tell me about the team members’ behavior in the meeting

3. Question to Team Leader • Do you think you get a full cooperation of your team members? • Did you observe your team members’ behavior?

4. Introduction • In any team or organization, meetings and discussions are normal to settle many agendas or argument • In each team/meeting there tend to be ‘spoilers’ that hinder the smooth running of everything • Next slides show a list of types of ‘bad’ personality and how to ‘stop’ them from conquering

5. Monopolizer • Who is he? • Thinks he is the only one with wisdom on various subjects • Believes everyone else is there to listen to him speak • Don’t appreciate other people’s opinion • Tend to make others shy away from contributing as people feel intimidated • How to handle? • The facilitator or other participants have to be brave enough to let others speak and stop the Monopolizer from bragging on • Remind the Monopolizer that the meeting is not his, other contributions are accepted as well

6. Tangent Talker • Who is he? • Hijacks the topic by discussing off tangent – unrelated topics to the issue at hand • How to handle? • Meeting leader should have the ability to recognize this • Tell everybody to refocus to the topic and get back on track • Alternatively, ‘park’ the off-topic to a “parking lot” list as “noted” and address it later if time permits and if the topic is crucial to the discussion

7. Devil's Advocate (opposition party) • Who is he? • Relishes on taking the opposite side • Always take the opposing view • Believes in the statement “just for the sake of argument” • Every single thing should be argued on • How to handle? • It make take a while, but the chairman of the meeting should hold on to the agenda and get comfortable • Give ‘praises’ to this Devil because of his ability to raise alternative issues, however the leader must indicate its inappropriateness due to time limit and previously aggred upon issues

8. Cynic (Pessimistic) • Who is he? • The ultimate naysayer – everything is a ‘no’ • Believes in the statements “it won’t work”, “can’t be done”, “we tried it once and it was a failure’ kind of statement • Skilled at deflating and defeating whatever motion • Who to handle? • Coax or challenge the Cynic to think like the Devil’s Advocate • “suppose for a minute that the idea or project could work” • Ask the Cynic to embrace the other’s side’s point of view AS IF it were their own – then argue that side’s position

9. Fence Sitter • Who is he? • Known for their ‘paralysis by analysis’ • Unable to make decisions • Conflicted by multiple arguments, and “can’t pull the trigger” when it’s time to make decision • Afraid of being wrong, disagree with someone else, or being on record – can be a monster in the meeting just because the issue can’t move forward • How to handle? • Be nice to them and tell them that they have a vote to the issue and very much invited to use it • Assure them that their opinion or decision is very valuable and they won’t be reprimanded if the decision taken is incorrect

10. Pandora's Box Opener • Who is he? • Takes pleasure in tackling issues that are emotional, touchy or ‘hot buttons’ • In every meeting, there are topics that are sure to strike a nerve that provoke emotional reaction or put the group in crisis • Leads the entire meeting into areas that provoke frustration, animosities and other resentment • Would enter discussions on other people’s salaries, promotions etc • Would reopen issues that have been previously agreed upon / resolved • How to handle • “Let’s not go there” – a magic word that will stamp the culprit into oblivion • Other statements that can be used: • “We will cross that bridge when we get there” • “That’s a hornets nest we don’t need to disturb” or any similar meanings that will label a topic as out of bound for the meeting

11. Brown Noser (yesman – bootlicking) • Who is he? • Bends over backwards to ingratiate (suck up) to the boss • So busy currying favor with other, he tends to not support certain issues (although actually he does) • Seen by others as to be in the pocket of the person he is cow-towing to and seen as predictable and cannot be trusted • How to handle? • Elicit their ideas and preferences BEFORE asking others

12. Attacker • Who is he? • Like children, he loves to bully • Mixes negativity with personal attacks without regard to hurting other people’s feelings • Very confrontational • How to handle? • Refocus him to be positive • Be gentle, avoid adversarial (confrontational, argumentative) approach • All meeting participants are entitled to stop the meeting when attacked personally • Criticism is accepted but professionally, not personally – personal attacks should never be allowed in a meeting

13. Joker • Who is he? • Everything is a joke to them • Can be a meeting monster • Constant joking has the effect of diminishing others’ serious ideas or suggestions • How to handle? • Designate several minutes at the start or middle of meeting specifically for humor • If the Joker still tries to be funny, leader must remind that the time for humor is passed or forthcoming in order to control or contain him

14. Robots • Who ARE they? • Cell phones, pagers, PDA, laptops • Distract the human beings (the owners, and the rest of the team) • Intrude upon participants’ attention spans • How to handle? • Create ground rules – turn off the gadgets, don’t bring them to meetings etc. • Hard to compete with human distractions, let alone with the electronic ones

15. The End See you next week