Reference Profile Series: The Scholar Manager

The mysterious Scholar Reference Profile – analytical, reserved, imaginative, and technically-minded – takes center stage in this deep dive from The Bosshhole® Chronicles. Host John Broer unpacks the unique behavioral DNA that makes Scholars tick: their moderately high dominance, low extroversion, moderately high patience, and notably high formality create professionals who crave independence, reflection time, stability, and freedom from risk and error.

Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile.

Related TBC Episodes:

• Head, Heart, and Briefcase

1. The Collaborator Manager
2. The Operator Manager
3. The Promoter Manager
4. The Altruist Manager
5. The Strategist Manager
6. The Guardian Manager
7. The Specialist Manager
8. The Maverick Manager
9. The Artisan Manager
10. The Persuader Manager
11. The Captain Manager
12. The Controller Manager
13. The Adapter Manager

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to the Scholar Profile
• 3:15 Scholar's Drives, Needs, and Behaviors
• 5:53 Scholar Managers: Signature Work Style
• 8:29 Strengths and Common Traps
• 11:04 Working Effectively with Scholar Team Members
• 14:48 Coaching Scholars to Adapt and Grow
• 19:42 Episode Wrap-up and What's Next

Transcript

John Broer: 0:07

Welcome back to The Bossh ole Chronicles. Everybody out there in The Bossh ole Transformation Nation, this is your host, John Broer, bringing you another installment of our reference profile series, and in this series we talk about all 17 of the reference profiles from the vantage point of being a manager. Now we'll also talk about direct reports and how to deal with direct reports that have these reference profiles if you're a manager. But today we are going to introduce you to the scholar. We have three more to go, and scholar will be the one we're talking about this week. So settle in and let's learn more about the Scholar Reference Profile. The Bossh ole Chronicles are brought to you by Real Good Ventures, a talent optimization firm helping organizations diagnose their most critical people and execution issues with world-class analytics. Make sure to check out all the resources in the show notes and be sure to follow us and share your feedback. Enjoy today's episode. All right, everybody. Well, good to have you here. So far this year we have done 14 of the 17 reference profiles from the Predictive Index and, as all of you know, a PI is one of the five diagnostic tools we use at Real Good Ventures to help with talent optimization job fit, manager fit, team, fit, culture, fit all that good stuff. Well, the next reference profile in the hit parade is the scholar reference profile, and we're going to talk about scholar managers. But also, if you have scholars reporting to you, what are some of the things you need to think about when working with a scholar? Interestingly enough, the scholar is in the results and discipline quadrant of the competing values matrix, and that includes other reference profiles like the strategist, the controller and the analyzer. But there's also another designation that the scholar gets in addition to the individualist and we did the individualist a couple of weeks ago and those two reference profiles are referred to as the persistent reference profiles. We have some that are more analytical, some that are more social. Now, I share that with you simply because a scholar, when I was doing a readback and sharing some information with a scholar, they said, well, that's just a polite way of saying stubborn. He said, yeah, I'm completely stubborn, I'm persistent when it comes to moving on something specific, and I just thought that was really interesting. I thought that that was a degree of self-awareness that I really appreciated. Now, that being said, let's talk about the scholar as a manager and remember, you can go into the show notes you will see all of the previous 14 reference profile episodes. There's actually another one in there called the unicorn. That I did a couple of weeks ago because I don't know. Organizations are constantly looking for the unicorn and they shouldn't be because it doesn't exist. But in the show notes you will also see a link to be able to complete the PI behavioral assessment and we'll send you your reference profile, one page description, and you can know. I mean you know, let's not guess anymore, let's understand, help people build their self-awareness and understand what is your reference profile. So let's talk about the scholar.

John Broer: 3:30

The scholar, just at a high level, is accurate, reserved, imaginative and seeks a high level of technical expertise, expertise. And in the world of PI we talk about drives, needs and behaviors. On average the scholar tends to have moderately high dominance, Rather low. Extroversion doesn't mean that they don't like people, they just tend to be more introspective and reflective. They have moderately high patience, which means they tend to work at a more methodical, possibly slower pace, and their highest factor or drive tends to be formality, in other words the drive to conform to rules and structure. So when you start to think about that combination, there are very specific needs that are revealed. For example, they have the need for independence, they really have the need for the opportunity to reflect and think about things they like and prefer a stable work environment and they tend to like the freedom from risk and error. In other words, give me the time to think it through and do it correctly, because I really don't want to do something wrong. You know, those are the needs, the felt needs, of a scholar.

John Broer: 4:49

Now, when the behaviors show up, remember, people have drives, drives create needs and, in response to those needs or behaviors, those behaviors tend to look like being autonomous, working independently, introspective, very deliberate and at times reserved. So you could very easily, if you didn't know, somebody had this behavioral DNA, that reserved, more introspective, perhaps even quiet presence that they have maybe misinterpret it as well they just don't really care. No, that is not true at all. They are evaluating, they are thinking, they are. They just don't really care. No, that is not true at all. They are evaluating, they are thinking, they are assessing what's happening around them. So those are the basic drives, needs and behaviors.

John Broer: 5:31

Now, remember, every scholar is slightly different. Their behavioral DNA, their factors and factor combinations show up a little bit differently, but that's generally how a scholar is wired. So, when you think about a manager that has the scholar reference profile, what are some of the things that we can expect in terms of their signature work style? Well, when they communicate, they tend to be a bit more quiet and reserved and they may come off as being somewhat authoritative and telling, possibly very blunt or even very succinct communication, which I can appreciate. But it can also land differently, with people perhaps feeling like they are being told to do something. Now, when it comes to delegating, they find it difficult to delegate because of their high standards of formality and accuracy and detail. It's not that they can't, it's just that that natural wiring for delegation may make it a bit of a challenge.

John Broer: 6:36

When it comes to decision-making, the scholar-manager will tend to be more analytical and imaginative. Taking that time to really think it through can create some very creative and imaginative alternatives. And as far as decision making is concerned, there is a cautious nature. They tend to want to do things by the book If there really aren't clear guidelines. That may present some challenges for a scholar. Clear guidelines that may present some challenges for a scholar.

John Broer: 7:09

Now, how do scholars deal with action and risk? Well, they will act very deliberately and methodically. My sense is that scholars like a predictable and repeatable work process. Now, that doesn't always happen, and this also has to do with how they deal with risk. They like to protect against risk, so that higher formality in terms of assessing what's going on, thoughtfully processing that information, that really helps them to protect their time to really think that through. Now that obviously adds more time to that process and so that can sometimes show up as a trap, and we'll talk about that in a second. So let's move on to that.

John Broer: 7:55

When you think about a scholar and, overall, the strengths and the common traps, what are the strengths of a scholar? Well, the scholar is going to be more data-driven and analytical. All right. So if you've got a scholar on your team or you are a manager and you work for a scholar, this person will tend to really focus on what facts do we have and let's think them through. They have strong discipline and execution and they're organized and they have thorough follow-up. So those are really great superpowers of the scholar Thoughtful, analytical review and consider the risks associated with any action and then execute. Now, obviously, on the other side of that, from the strengths, you have some potential common traps. So this is where, as a manager, that self-awareness is going to be very helpful for the scholar, as it relates to common traps or potential common traps, may be cautious about acting on new or controversial ideas that present a risk. There's an automatic, you know, let's tap the brakes and let's think this through, because this is risky or possibly controversial.

John Broer: 9:14

Another potential trap is that low extroversion, that more introspective characteristic, may lead to them wishing to avoid disagreements or unpleasantries. Now, this is different for everybody and again, we're talking about understanding your natural behavioral DNA. Some people have learned to adapt to this and understand how to have disagreements, but again, nobody necessarily really loves to have unpleasant conversations and go through disagreements, but the scholar may actually avoid those. So that is one very critical sense of self-awareness, especially if you're a manager, because you will run into disagreements all the time. And then, finally, one other common trap often uncomfortable in new environments or social situations. Now, that really stems from that low extroversion, being more introspective by nature. And again, remember, that doesn't mean you know, low extroversion, remember that doesn't mean low extroversion people. It doesn't mean that they don't like people, it means that their connecting with people may take a longer amount of time. Their process for connecting and building rapport and then building relationships is just different, and so there may be a discomfort in social situations where there isn't a lot of familiarity with people in the room.

John Broer: 10:34

Now, how do we work well with scholars? And specifically, you know when we're thinking about scholars, scholar managers. Now we want to give scholars time. They want to be able to do a thorough analysis and review, so give them time. This is really helpful. So if you're a scholar manager, you know probably that you need a bit more time to assess and evaluate. Well, a lot of times things are happening so quickly in the workplace you aren't afforded that kind of time. But if you can build that into your schedule, great. If you work for a scholar, just understand getting an answer back about something may take longer than you prefer because they want some time. So you can build that into your conversations, into your communication.

John Broer: 11:19

Another one scholars want to develop their expertise, so let them grow. When you have a scholar that has really focused on or landed on an area that they want to develop, give them the resources and give them the time to grow that. Now, when it comes to being a manager, that's a little bit different. You know, when you move into management, nobody is naturally a great manager. That's why we're doing this podcast to help managers stay out of the boss hole zone. So if you're taking an individual contributor who happens to be a scholar and you're putting them into a management role, make sure that you're giving them ample opportunity to build those skills and develop those skills to be an effective manager for other people. And then, finally, one other way to really work well with them they want to be responsible for their own work. So don't micromanage. All right, you want to be careful that you're not closing off or creating a barrier that keep other people from coming in and helping you and supporting you. And if you're a direct report and you have a manager that is a scholar, if they sort of disappear and they're doing this work and you don't see them for a little while, that's probably why, and building this self-awareness of that need or desire to be more independent or have the privacy or the alone time to be able to do the work doesn't necessarily help your direct reports. And so this is where this data is so valuable. Okay, so we talked about the scholar manager. Or even if you are a direct report and you report to a scholar manager.

John Broer: 13:18

Let's talk a little bit more about having a scholar on your team and what is the best way to say motivate and recognize and provide direction and delegate. So here are just a couple of hints helpful hints about the scholar. Generally, the best way to motivate and recognize give them autonomy in their defined area of responsibility. Let them go and don't forget about them, but let them work on their specific area. Involve them in technical, tangible work. Tangible work meaning that it is more defined, they can put their hands on it.

John Broer: 13:54

The thing that we want to avoid is being too conceptual or too vague. Another one to motivate and recognize provide private recognition of their depth of knowledge and technical expertise, thoughtful decision-making and quality of work. You know there are some reference profiles that like more public recognition. I would say that the scholar would prefer more focused, one-on-one recognition, authentic and very real recognition of their expertise and the work that they're doing. I mean, obviously, provided that they're doing that work. Those are some helpful hints in terms of motivating and recognizing scholars.

John Broer: 14:35

Now what about providing direction and feedback? Remember I talked about not being too vague or too conceptual. What you want to do is provide clarity of expectations. Actually, everybody needs that, but specifically scholars will appreciate that, including the process, time and or effort that is required to get this done. So it could be a roadmap. It could be expectations and milestones along that roadmap. You don't have to fill in all the blanks, but just giving them a blank slate will not work well for the scholar and most of the reference profiles in that results and discipline quadrant need just some sort of a roadmap.

John Broer: 15:15

And definitely, when you think about the process and precision reference profiles that share some similar qualities, keep feedback factual and to the point. If you are speaking in generalities and you say, well, I just didn't really like this report or I didn't like the outcome of this project, they're going to want to know what specifically you didn't like and if you're not prepared to deliver those details, then don't even start that conversation. Also, allow them time to think about the feedback or directions and circle back with them if needed. In other words, provide them the feedback, keep it constructive and very factual and then give them a chance to process that. Let them take it away, chew on it, process it and perhaps you even build into that communication. Listen, I want you to really reflect on this, dig into what I've shared with you, and then let's connect. Let's meet up again in a couple of days or sometime next week, and I'd love to get your feedback and hear your thoughts on it.

John Broer: 16:17

Now, when it comes to delegating to a scholar, don't delegate someone else's work or work that is subject to urgent time pressures all right. You will put them at a disadvantage, because that's not how scholars really work. It's not that they can't do it, it's not their preferred work style. And you do want to delegate structured analytical work that gives them a chance to learn more in depth about the subject and show off their expertise. So make sure you're giving them that structured analytical work and an opportunity to really dig into it. And then, finally, we like to talk a little bit about coaching. Coaching is different than managing, I think, about how really effective managers, or non-bossholes, tend to be more coach-like than manager-like. So a couple of thoughts.

John Broer: 17:07

When it comes to coaching a scholar, you want to encourage them to be a bit more flexible in their approach, since they can be a little bit more defined or even rigid, and even give them the opportunity to think more broadly. There's a book I read years ago I think it was called the Contrarian Leader and the gentleman that wrote it. I can't remember his name, but he was the president of one of the universities out in California, part of the state university system. But he wrote a book called Thinking Gray, and it's really very interesting because I believe he was professionally I believe his degree was in engineering, and Thinking Gray was not something he was trained to do, nor was it really his natural wiring as he would acknowledge. Nor was it really his natural wiring as he would acknowledge.

John Broer: 17:58

However, he realized that in leadership roles and sometimes to adapt, you need to think more broadly and think gray, and I believe that this would be helpful for scholars and for those reference profiles that have higher formality. It may not feel comfortable, but you could coach them to start thinking more broadly and not necessarily follow a step-by-step process. Another way to coach scholars work with them to identify what would make them comfortable with moving quickly or taking action without all of the data or information. In other words, rather than forcing them to do it, what would it look like for you to move forward without all of the information and perhaps at a pace that is not necessarily comfortable for you but manageable for you. That's another great way to coach and then finally really focus on situations or circumstances where reaching out to the team could benefit their own work or the work of others own work or the work of others, In other words, because they like to work independently and even alone, coach them and encourage them to reach out to others and include them in decision-making and some of their workflow. That may not feel very natural, but that's again where coaching comes into play. How do we help them adapt in ways that may not necessarily be comfortable but would be helpful to them and the people around them? All right, so that's it.

John Broer: 19:19

That's number 15, the Scholar Reference Profile. What are the two we have left? Well, we have the Venturer, which is one of the Innovation and Agility Reference Profiles, and then we're going to be back to the Results and Discipline. We're going to be finishing up with the Analyzer Reference Profile in a couple of weeks. So come on back. We will be wrapping up the reference profile series here on the Boss Hole Chronicles and again go into the show notes and copy all of the links to all of the other ones and share them with people, especially if you know what their reference profiles are.

John Broer: 19:53

The idea is building this self-awareness, because ultimately, ultimately, that heightened self-awareness makes us more, I believe, will lead us to being more effective coworkers quite frankly, better humans. But also, understanding our impact on other people allows us to consider the alternatives for adaptation not change, but for adaptation. So keep checking back. Thanks everybody for listening in on the Scholar Reference Profiles and we will see you next time on the Boss Hole Chronicles. Thanks very much for checking out this episode of the Boss Hole Chronicles. It was so good to have you here, and if you have your own boss Hole story that you want to share with the Boss Hole Transformation Nation, just reach out. You can email us at mystoryatthebossholechroniclescom. Again, mystoryatthebossholechroniclescom, We'll see you next time.