Do you find the way some people do things to be very illogical with no orderly process in place?

Do you find you are totally frustrated when people lack focus and never finish their projects or they are always late?

Are you at a loss to understand why people do not just quit procrastinating, just go out, and get the job done?

Are you tired of people worrying about whether everyone is happy and things are fair instead of just moving on and getting the job done?

People are different, but the question is why they are different? Are they just being different to be difficult, or is it because of their culture, their environment, their nationality, their sex, their culture or is it a deeper and more basic difference?

We know people have different personalities but have you ever examined the reasons behind what those differences are and how to influence them. Have you ever thought about how the differences in personality influence how we perceive everything in life? Our very approach to life is predicated by our individual personality differences.

If we go back more than 2000 years to when Hippocrates started separating out his patients according to personality differences, we can find that personality differences have caused conflict for centuries. Conflict that could be avoided if we have a proper understanding of these differences and are willing to adapt ourselves to these differences.

First difference, I talk all the time and you never say a word.
Second difference you only care about things, I care about people.
Third difference you only look at what is right in front of your nose I look at the big picture.

For example if you have a need for a lot of information before making a decision you could be very frustrating to a person who only needs a high level overview and only wants to get to the bottom line.

Alternatively, if you genuinely care about people and want to be sure that any decisions made are considering everyone’s needs and that no one is left out you could be very frustrated by someone who has his eye on the goal and only wants to move ahead as fast as possible.

If you want to reduce conflict, have a well-connected smooth running team or organization you need to learn more about personality differences and how to adapt to make a connection with all types of personalities. Understanding these differences is the beginning of achieving what we want in life, it affects relationships in all areas of our lives, family, job, world in general.

To learn more about yourself and others, sign up for Interpersonal Communication classes or consulting with MindStretch today! The Power of Influence is only a class away.

By Deidre Tretsven
Owner of MindStretch Inc.
“Make a difference in your life today”

Author's Bio: 

Deidre Tretsven is a founding partner of MindStretch; a company that focuses on teaching people to play nice together. She has helped them to utilize their technology and their people to enable them to achieve their full potential, in one on ones, leadership, virtual teams and change. She specializes in the facilitation and development of personality diversity skills that organizations can use to transform to meet the demands of an ever-changing global workplace.