How to keep communication wide open

Posted: October 8, 2014 | Categories: Leadership, Sales, Self-Improvement

“If out of reading this book you get just one thing – an increased tendency to think always in terms of other people’s point of view, and see things from their angle – if you get that one thing out of this book, it may easily prove to be one of the building blocks of your career” -Dale Carnegie (How to Win Friends and Influence People)

I read the above words for the first time about 40 years ago.  In my years of managing and coaching since then, I have found this to be an absolute truth.  Since I read that book, I have been on a never-ending search on ways to keep growing in my ability to understand and positively influence others.

I want to share with you one of the most useful tools I have learned in keeping communication and understanding strong.  I call it the four quadrants.  Their origin goes back to ancient Greek/Roman times.  They have been used as the foundation of personality profiles in modern day.  Here they are:

1. The “Driver” (Choleric):  Ambitious and leader-like
2. The “Presenter” (Sanguine):  Pleasure-seeking and sociable
3. The “Mediator” (Phlegmatic): Relaxed and peaceful
4. The “Strategist” (Melancholic): Analytical and quiet

Before we go any farther, I want to stress that working with these categories is not an attempt to pigeon-hole people.  We are all unique individuals and we should respect that.  Also, in most cases,  people have a blend of the above characteristics.  Usually, there is one characteristic that is more dominant, and that is the one we must be sensitive to.  In the next few blogs, we dig in to each one of these in detail.  Right now, here is something you can apply immediately:  Have you ever heard heard a voice mail message that says, “Please leave a detailed message”?  OK.  Have you ever heard someone say, “Please leave a brief message”?.  For the first response, be sure and leave a detailed message.  For the second response, boil it down, keep it crisp and to the point, and don’t waste a word.  You will be one notch closer to having open communication with that person.

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