Reference Profile Series: The Individualist Manager

Dive into the fascinating world of the Individualist manager. Making up just 3.66% of the population, Individualists bring a unique combination of independence, persistence, and results-orientation that can transform teams when properly understood and leveraged.

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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
14. The Scholar Manager
15. The Analyzer Manager

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We use The Predictive Index as our analytics platform so you know it's validated and reliable.  Your Reference Profile informs you of your needs, behaviors, and the nuances of what we call your Behavioral DNA.  It also explains your work style, your strengths, and even the common traps in which you may find yourself.  It's a great tool to share with friends, family, and co-workers.

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Visit us at www.realgoodventures.com.  We are a Talent Optimization consultancy specializing in people and business execution analytics.  Real Good Ventures was founded by Sara Best and John Broer who are both Certified Talent Optimization Consultants with over 50 years of combined consulting and organizational performance experience.  Sara is also certified in EQi 2.0.  RGV is also a Certified Partner of Line-of-Sight, a powerful organizational health and execution platform.  RGV is known for its work in leadership development, executive coaching, and what we call organizational

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Individualist Manager Profile
• 3:20 Behavioral Patterns and Core Needs
• 6:54 Signature Work Styles and Strengths
• 10:07 Working Well with Individualists
• 12:22 Managing and Coaching Individualists
• 19:38 Closing Thoughts and Next Episode Preview

Transcript

John Broer: 0:04

Welcome everybody for another installment of The Bossh ole Chronicles. Good to have you here. This is your host, John Broer, and this represents another installment of our reference profile series. This week we're talking about the individualist manager. Well, we'll talk about Individualist as managers. We'll talk about Individualist as managers. We'll talk about Individualist as direct reports, but this is a continuation of our 17-part series on the PI reference profiles. Always remember, go into our show notes If you would like to find out what your PI reference profile is. There's a link to complete the assessment. We will send you your one-page description. But today let's learn about the individualist.

John Broer: 0:51

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. So good to have you joining us again on The Bossh ole Chronicles and, as you know, we're going to be talking about the individualist reference profile, especially as it relates to being an individualist manager. But remember, whether you're a manager or a direct report, this information is very, very helpful in building your self-awareness and helping you to understand yourself, others and, more importantly, how you need to adapt to the world around you. That self-awareness is such a critical skill for leaders and, well, everybody, quite frankly. So the individualist we provided this information for all of the reference profiles we've done, and this is number 16 in the series that we're doing. There will be one more after this, and that is the Venturer reference profile. We've provided some information or statistics about what percentage these reference profiles represent in the human population. It is only the fifth most common reference profile, at 3.66% of the population. The only other reference profiles that are smaller in size or in population would be the strategist, the captain, the venture and the analyzer the analyzer we just recently released, and then, of course, the last one we're going to be doing very shortly will be the venture.

John Broer: 2:35

So let's talk a little bit about the individualist, and, as always, what we do is we start with a high level description of this reference profile, and so here it is description of this reference profile. And so here it is An individualist is highly independent and persistent, while remaining results-oriented. Now, one of the things that I will share with you is there is another what's called persistent profile, and that is the scholar reference profile I've been asked by both scholars and individualists is persistent a really nice way to say stubborn, which is kind of funny when you think about it. However, there is an element of truth to that and I think it comes from, specifically with the individualist, just that need for independence and that unique perspective on how they do things. So we'll talk about drives, needs and behaviors in just a little bit. One of the other things that I will mention and this is completely anecdotal this is from doing readbacks and working with Predictive Index for the better part of gosh 12 years, I think it is. Of all the 17 reference profiles, the one that most consistently challenges the results of the assessment is the individualist. This has just been my experience, and again, it's not, you know, vehement opposition to the results. It's just like whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. I've got some questions about this. I'm not so sure that this applies to me. That kind of feedback I've received more consistently from the individualist and when you think about it, as you learn more about the individualist, it actually makes sense, it really resonates, because they truly see themselves as unique and, as the term would suggest, individual.

John Broer: 4:20

So let's dig in a little bit more as we do about the average behavioral pattern, the drives and then the needs of the behavior. So when we talk about the average behavioral pattern of an individualist, it looks like a backward Z, the letter Z but reversed. So you have in this pattern high dominance. So that dominance factor, the A factor, is on the right side of the midpoint, the extroversion then is to the left of the midpoint. The patience factor, the C factor, is to the right of the midpoint and then the formality factor is on the left side of the midpoint. So it just looks like a backward Z. So the high factors are dominance and patience, the low factors are extroversion and formality. So how does that translate then into needs?

John Broer: 5:12

What are the felt needs of the individualist? Well, independence is really critical for them. They have a need for independence, opportunities to work with facts and information. They really need freedom from changing priorities. Things that are constantly shifting may become frustrating for them. And at the same time now this is interesting they like flexibility. Imagine that, the need for freedom from changing priorities, but also needing flexibility. And so one of the things that, when you think about that high independence of an individualist, they are results oriented, and my interpretation of that is they really like to focus on things that are critical to them and have flexibility within that. But if you are constantly shifting priorities, that can present a challenge.

John Broer: 6:06

So what do the behaviors typically look like in individualists? Well, we can see a level of self-confidence from individualists. They tend to be analytical, very thoughtful, introspective and analytical. They will also demonstrate very methodical behavior, doing things in a very specific way and non-conforming. Once again, that may seem like a contrast, but the methodical approach is something that's inherent within individualist, yet also wanting to be non-conforming. So there are the drives, there are the needs and there are the behaviors. So, as we've done with all of our reference profiles, let's think about the signature work styles and, in this case, let's now start to think about the individualist manager.

John Broer: 6:54

So how do they communicate? Well, they tend to be very directive and very telling, speaking in very practical, even blunt terms in terms of what needs to be done. They are factual and they will communicate with a strong conviction. Now, what about delegation? They will delegate details, and that's an interesting distinction between delegating authority, because authority is giving up control, but individualists tend to have higher dominance, which means they like to control, have significant influence. So delegating details could be very easy for an individualist, but actually relinquishing control can present a challenge. What about decision-making? Well, they can be very creative problem solvers. Well, they can be very creative problem solvers and when making decisions, they are known to be very decisive, very much on point when it comes to making decisions.

John Broer: 7:51

How do they deal with action and risk? Well, they're able to take risk and for those of you that understand and know predictive index a little bit more than others, that is the combination of having higher dominance compared to lower formality, that A over D factor combination, wherever it shows up on the graph. If dominance is higher than formality, that represents a comfort level with risk and that is inherent in an individualist reference profile. In addition to being able to take risk, in an individualist reference profile, in addition to being able to take risks, they will act on new or unconventional ideas. Those are the sort of things that can really resonate with an individualist, beyond those signature work styles.

John Broer: 8:34

Let's look at their strengths and their common traps, the strengths of an individualist and, if we think about it in the context of a manager, no-transcript Absolutely comfortable with that. What's interesting is that, while they tend to be more responsive by nature. I think their task focus and their comfort with risk really gives way for that driving change and being able to challenge the status quo. As I said before, they can be a very creative problem solver and are adept at changing organizational needs. Are adept at changing organizational needs when things are shifting. When things are moving, they have a capacity to shift with them. And this brings up another really interesting characteristic of an individualist.

John Broer: 9:22

When you look at the competing values matrix, which looks at all 17 reference profiles broken out into five different categories or five different areas, the individualist is right in the middle of the competing values matrix, along with the adapter and the altruist, and we call these our flexing reference profiles. What makes them very unique is they have the ability to flex or adapt and move around the competing values matrix where they're needed, and that is inherent in an individualist. And so you would look at that and say, man, that's a great strength, that's a really wonderful attribute to have. That is true, and at the same time it can also become a trap. So let's talk about some of those common traps.

John Broer: 10:07

Sometimes the individualist may appear as stubborn or opinionated. They also can be tough-minded and authoritative, so you may run up against resistance in an individualist. If there's a challenge between a direct report and a manager who happens to be an individualist, or if they're both individualists, they may butt heads pretty easily because they are tough-minded and they wish to advance their own idea. And finally, another common trap is they may actually recoil or resist too much structure and direction. If they feel like you're hemming them in and closing them in with too much structure and taking that flexibility away, they may back away from that. So let's think about how to work well with an individualist. And again, if you're a direct report and you work for an individualist manager, this is going to be really helpful for you.

John Broer: 10:59

Give them space, all right. They want to develop and act on their own ideas. So they tend to be very task focused and that low extroversion would suggest that they tend to be a bit more introspective. They want to think things through. So you present them with an idea. Give them a chance to absorb it, think about it and also understand that they do have a preference of acting on their own ideas.

John Broer: 11:28

Challenge them, because individualists enjoy digging into problems and overcoming challenges. For some it's almost like a game. It's like yeah, let me jump in on this. I'm happy to help. I want to dig into this problem or this issue that we're facing and come up with some sort of unique idea and then finally give individualists opportunity. They like it when people are receptive to new ideas and possibly change and risk. Now bear in mind you know a large percentage of our people are somewhat risk averse. Change readiness is a challenge for them and we've talked about that in previous episodes. But individualists can really lean into that. I mean, individualists are actually, when we think about change readiness, we consider them to be one of the five change champions Comfortable with risk. Let's try something new. Challenge the status quo. That comes very naturally for some individualists.

John Broer: 12:28

If you are a manager and you have individualists reporting to you, this is going to be super helpful. So four things that we talk about. Number one is how to motivate and recognize your individualist Well. First of all, provide recognition of persistence, success or tangible results. Keep an eye out for that. Those are the things that resonate with individualists. Allow them to participate in setting their own goals. When they can weigh in on their own objectives or goals, you will see a greater degree of buy-in for achieving them. And then, finally, relative to motivating and recognizing individualists. Let them work independently in an unstructured environment.

John Broer: 13:15

Now, if you're a manager that desires or needs a lot of structure, you have to be careful that you don't apply that to or assign that to an individualist, because if they feel that there is too much structure and you're hemming them in, they will push back against it. Now let's talk about providing them direction and feedback. If you're working with and managing an individualist, provide proof and examples when giving feedback, those general comments, broad comments that are more conceptual about feedback to them, whether it's constructive feedback or whatever it is. Just have proof. I mean, give them examples of what you're talking about. Be prepared that they may push back or disregard direction if they feel that they have a better or proven method, and I've experienced this. You may be working with an individualist and they say, oh well, thank you, that's very interesting, but I like my method better. Or this is the direction I'm already moving and so I'm going to stick with that. That's part of that persistence, that's part of that perhaps stubborn nature that you may see in an individualist. Then, finally, provide a big picture, conceptual view rather than the fine details. It's not that they view rather than the fine details. It's not that they can't understand the fine details. I think they resonate and they connect better with that big picture, larger idea of where we're trying to go and how we're trying to get there.

John Broer: 14:47

So how do we delegate to individualists? How do we delegate to individualists? First of all, be careful not to delegate details or work that has an urgent time pressure or strict guidelines to follow. Build some flexibility into that. If they feel that they are being pressed for time and they are being forced to fall within very, very strict parameters, individualists will find that frustrating. And when it comes to work, you do want to delegate. Delegate work where the focus is more on the results than the details, because, as an individualist, they'll come up with a creative. They will probably come up with a creative way to do this that you may not have thought of and yet works just as well. So, once again, as a manager, just realize individualists require a different touch, a different approach when it comes to delegating.

John Broer: 15:42

Now, finally, let's talk about coaching an individualist. I don't think you can possibly coach people effectively without knowing their behavioral DNA. You can guess, you can try to figure it out, but what I've seen is managers who try to take on a coaching position or present themselves as a coach. If they don't have this data, they're just guessing, and it usually turns out being an approach that they would prefer if they were being coached. So coaching is not the same as managing. So how do you coach an individualist?

John Broer: 16:18

Well, first of all, ask them to explain the importance of the rules you need them to follow on projects, as they tend to have limited concern about rules in general. As they tend to have limited concern about rules in general, just have them articulate or communicate back to you the importance of the rules that you're asking them to follow, providing that justification, providing them guidelines and rules and being able to substantiate why you're asking that, rather than just saying, well, those are the rules or those are the guidelines I want. So just do it. Understand that they want to have a little bit more substance or rationale behind those guidelines. And then I think it's important for you, as the manager, to just have them articulate or communicate back to you their understanding of the need and importance of those rules.

John Broer: 17:10

Next one is to help them find the right balance between being assertive and being friendly. Those two styles can be in opposition, so support from you can help. I think this is going back and helping them through some of those characteristics in the common traps of potentially being seen as stubborn or opinionated, tough-minded, authoritative, because they are naturally task-focused of helping them understand the need for connecting with people, building rapport with people, doing so in a way that feels authentic and not forced and, at the same time, being able to move things forward. So those are a couple of characteristics that may feel like they're in opposition with the individualist. And then the last one, in terms of coaching. Just an idea here, just a suggestion, is let them guide some of their development with strong prompts about your expectations along the way, helping them understand what you expect of them in terms of their growth and their development and giving them an opportunity to speak into what that can look like, as long as it meets those expectations that you've established, giving them that flexibility and that ownership of what development looks like. So that is a little bit more information about the individualist.

John Broer: 18:32

Like I said, go into the show notes. If you've never taken the PI behavioral assessment before, make sure you go in and do it. It's super easy and it's so helpful in understanding not only yourself but the people around you. We have managers come to us and say this has transformed the way I work with and develop and coach my people. I can't imagine not having this kind of data and doing this job as a manager. It takes so much of the guesswork out of it and the individualist is so unique. Having this kind of information will help you as a manager unique. Having this kind of information will help you as a manager and if you are a manager that happens to have the individualist reference profile, recognize that those characteristics that you present you know your superpowers and your kryptonite are the things that your direct reports will have to deal with and your heightened self-awareness is absolutely going to help you build a better and stronger relationship with them. Think about how much stronger that would be if you knew their reference profiles as well. Once again, just an encouragement to our managers make sure you've got your behavioral data, get the data of your direct reports and take the guesswork out of this. So I hope it was really helpful. Again, the individualist really really unique and interesting reference profile and I am hopeful that this has provided some guidance along the way of helping you find meaning and fulfillment in your work and doing a great job with your direct reports. So, as I said before, we got one more to go in the reference profile series, that is, the Venturer. Make sure you tune in because that one's going to be coming up very soon.

John Broer: 20:17

Great having you here. Thanks for listening in 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.