(This article is a follow-up on a previous post which you should read first as an introduction to the topic of "Conflict")
Continuing the topic of Conflict Management within ourselves and others, let us now take a look at the Influencing Strengths.
I intentionally use the image of American president Donald Trump with this article, as I have been studying him with interest for the past two years from a Strengths perspective. As far as celebrities go, he is the very best example in my view of someone who thrives on a multitude of the Influencing themes coming very natural to him. How he manages the specific energy and need from each of his talents is another topic for another day as he may not always be the best example of well managed Strengths, but we can learn a lot from the Influencing Strengths reacting and responding in conflict by observing President Trump - both positive and negative. You may find it helpful (and maybe at times even amusing) to keep him in mind as you read this article.Alignment between Influencing Talents and the Conflict Styles:
The Influencing Domain of talent expresses itself with a need for reaction and response from others, which will directly affect their engagement in conflict.
Activator: The talent of Activator has a strong need for response from the perspective of being impatient, wanting to see and create action and movement, and getting others going. Its energy flows through inspiration and motivation, causing them to often and directly step in or even interrupt with the contribution of "Okay, so when do we start this?" or "Let's get going!" This energy will also cause them to make decisions fast, sometimes too fast, and be a strong player in turning discussion, debate or strategies into action and practice.
The Activator theme plays strongly towards the natural Conflict styles of Competition, Collaboration and even at times Compromise - as long as they get action and movement from the outcome. They are not hesitant to confront others in doing this.
How best to approach them in conflict: Collaborate, Compromise or Compete.
Command: The "Jedi Knight" of probably all the talent themes when it comes to conflict and confrontation - simply because they get energized by conflict. Command people are comfortable with confrontation and very seldom takes it personal. They have the ability to separate the "personal" or "emotional" from the "cause" and be direct, clinical and extremely confrontational in their approach. They need to be in control or in charge, and confronting issues head on gives them energy to achieve exactly that: control and command.
Command people are strongly energized by the Conflict styles of Competition mostly, although they will Collaborate to get their way..
How to best approach them in conflict: Compete or Collaborate.
Communication: The theme of Communication has an immense need to get reaction and response from others through communicating to them in some form. Mostly verbal, they often love to talk and interact by sharing their thoughts and ideas openly. They are often seen as "verbal thinkers", processing their thoughts out loud. But Communicators are not necessarily verbal - they may also influence through other mediums like art, music, photography or writing.
When engaging in conflict they would lean towards a lot of discussion and talking. Their talking may or may not make sense or be to the point - the point is that they need to interact through communication strongly.
People with this talent strong will prefer to Collaborate and Accommodate mostly.
How to best approach them in conflict: Collaborate, Accommodate or even (verbally) Compete.
Competition: They need to win - and measure or compare that they actually are winning. The winning mindset is what drives them, but with that they have the strong need to compare their performance against their competitors or rivals. Although many other talents are also competitive in nature (like Achiever), Competition is driven by a strong emotion that hates losing and loves winning. And to them, 2nd place is losing.
When in conflict they would obviously be strongly driven by the Competition style more than any other. They would manoeuvre, strategize and push back in conflict until they feel that they have obtained a winning position.
How to best approach them in conflict: Compete or Collaborate.
Maximizer: Maximizers love to make a strong and immediate impact wherever they get involved. They have a need to engage with, and work with others who show the best potential and they have a natural Strengths-based approach. They need to take things from already good to great - and do it fast and with excellence.
When it comes to conflict, Maximizers will have a natural tendency - just like when they engage in projects or with people - to "choose their battles" carefully. They do not like to waste time or energy on trivial things or things that will not change the impact or result. Therefor you may experience Maximizers as sometimes engaging with conflict very assertively, while at times even simply avoiding it. It depends on their sense of importance or impact it will have. Their natural tendency will be to engage with Accommodation, Collaboration or Competition - depending on the situation. If needed they will even be comfortable to Compromise or even Avoid.
How to best approach them in conflict: Accommodate, Collaborate.
Self Assurance: The "I'll go it alone" theme. Full of confidence in their own ability they will go ahead and follow their own direction with certainty. Contrasting strongly with the Deliberative theme they are risk taking and will not be interested to look at potential risks or pitfalls first, but rather go ahead with their plans, because they can.
Engaging conflict for them is a matter of "my way or the highway" in many cases, very much like Command. But they are not confrontational in nature, much rather just prone to do it their own way. The Competition style works well for them. The "my way" tendency will at times even avoid conflict and just do their own thing.
How best to approach them in conflict: Compete, Accommodate or Collaborate.
Significance: If you really want to understand this theme, just think of Donald Trump, for both the well- and mismanaged tendencies. This theme is all about a brand, about being rewarded and being in the spotlight. They love to be seen as significant or important, and surround themselves with significant people, brands, projects and ideas - even if controversial. They need to leave their mark and in the longer term leave a legacy. Well managed Significant talent will make people, projects or planning around them more significant.
Their style in conflict would therefor also tend to play towards their significance or importance, like their position, authority or rank. In some instances this works well to make them strong in conflict by taking the significant lead and making needed, even if controversial, decisions. The Competition style works well for them but they will easily Collaborate or even Accommodate as long as it is with significant people or organizations.
How to best approach them in conflict: Collaborate, Accommodate or at times even Compete.
Woo: The need to "win others over" is the driving energy behind this talent theme. They may use charm, discussion, facts or many other preferred ways to do this. Mostly outgoing and social, they love to interact and convince others towards their products, convictions or arguments. This does not mean that they are confrontational - actually very seldom. They mostly have a tendency to be liked and accepted by others. But they do love the interaction with people in order to win them over.
The are very comfortable with the conflict styles of Collaboration, Accommodation and at times even Competition, as long as they can get their way in the end without offending others, and keeping the relationship open for another day.
How best to approach them in conflict: Collaborate, Accommodate and at times, yes, even Compromise.
In a next post I will unpack the Relational talents, and their approach towards conflict. Experienced as the "softer" themes, they are very often brilliant in managing conflict!
Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strengths Institute South Africa, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade. He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.
When in conflict they would obviously be strongly driven by the Competition style more than any other. They would manoeuvre, strategize and push back in conflict until they feel that they have obtained a winning position.
How to best approach them in conflict: Compete or Collaborate.
Maximizer: Maximizers love to make a strong and immediate impact wherever they get involved. They have a need to engage with, and work with others who show the best potential and they have a natural Strengths-based approach. They need to take things from already good to great - and do it fast and with excellence.
When it comes to conflict, Maximizers will have a natural tendency - just like when they engage in projects or with people - to "choose their battles" carefully. They do not like to waste time or energy on trivial things or things that will not change the impact or result. Therefor you may experience Maximizers as sometimes engaging with conflict very assertively, while at times even simply avoiding it. It depends on their sense of importance or impact it will have. Their natural tendency will be to engage with Accommodation, Collaboration or Competition - depending on the situation. If needed they will even be comfortable to Compromise or even Avoid.
How to best approach them in conflict: Accommodate, Collaborate.
Self Assurance: The "I'll go it alone" theme. Full of confidence in their own ability they will go ahead and follow their own direction with certainty. Contrasting strongly with the Deliberative theme they are risk taking and will not be interested to look at potential risks or pitfalls first, but rather go ahead with their plans, because they can.
Engaging conflict for them is a matter of "my way or the highway" in many cases, very much like Command. But they are not confrontational in nature, much rather just prone to do it their own way. The Competition style works well for them. The "my way" tendency will at times even avoid conflict and just do their own thing.
How best to approach them in conflict: Compete, Accommodate or Collaborate.
Significance: If you really want to understand this theme, just think of Donald Trump, for both the well- and mismanaged tendencies. This theme is all about a brand, about being rewarded and being in the spotlight. They love to be seen as significant or important, and surround themselves with significant people, brands, projects and ideas - even if controversial. They need to leave their mark and in the longer term leave a legacy. Well managed Significant talent will make people, projects or planning around them more significant.
Their style in conflict would therefor also tend to play towards their significance or importance, like their position, authority or rank. In some instances this works well to make them strong in conflict by taking the significant lead and making needed, even if controversial, decisions. The Competition style works well for them but they will easily Collaborate or even Accommodate as long as it is with significant people or organizations.
How to best approach them in conflict: Collaborate, Accommodate or at times even Compete.
Woo: The need to "win others over" is the driving energy behind this talent theme. They may use charm, discussion, facts or many other preferred ways to do this. Mostly outgoing and social, they love to interact and convince others towards their products, convictions or arguments. This does not mean that they are confrontational - actually very seldom. They mostly have a tendency to be liked and accepted by others. But they do love the interaction with people in order to win them over.
The are very comfortable with the conflict styles of Collaboration, Accommodation and at times even Competition, as long as they can get their way in the end without offending others, and keeping the relationship open for another day.
How best to approach them in conflict: Collaborate, Accommodate and at times, yes, even Compromise.
In a next post I will unpack the Relational talents, and their approach towards conflict. Experienced as the "softer" themes, they are very often brilliant in managing conflict!
Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strengths Institute South Africa, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade. He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.
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