Think about the many colleagues or employees you have worked with over the years. Now make a mental list of the ones you had consistent difficulty working with. In what ways do your personality styles differ? In particular, pay attention to what your pace and priorities are, compared with those of a certain colleague.

When you have different behavior styles in these areas,  tension can often occur and result in a challenging work environment. You can prevent these difficulties by using a personality profile, such as the Disc Test, to evaluate your own style and that of your co-workers. When you encounter dissimilar personalities in the workplace, you will have a set of tools and resources that will help you make adjustments to how you communicate, reducing tension and building stronger relationships.

For example, think of a colleague who has would fall into the Disc Test’s compliant personality profile category: someone who is task-oriented, disciplined, detailed, systematic and logical. He likes to take the time to analyze all the information available before making a decision, and he is organized, independent and hardworking in his job. He can be serious and thoughtful, and it is important to him to be appreciated and acknowledged for his intelligence and problem solving skills.

How is this colleague’s personality style different from your own? For a glimpse into how the Disc test works, answer the following questions:

• What is my pace, compared to this co-worker? Am I slow, careful and methodical, or do I prefer to move quickly and decisively?
• If we have different paces, in what ways could I adjust my speed to accommodate his needs?
• What are my colleague’s top priorities at work? What are mine?
• In what ways can I support his priorities while not losing sight of my own?

A small amount of effort and a willingness to give and take can make a big difference with a co-worker. To support a compliant personality type at work, keep these tips in mind:

• Give him time to think before making a decision; he doesn’t like to be rushed, so try to avoid last-minute, hasty deadlines
• Be well-prepared and organized and ready to ask thoughtful questions about his process and logic
• Give clear directions, outline priorities and follow through with what you say you will do
• If you disagree about something, explain why logically and completely, avoiding personal comments

Interested in learning more? Get helpful information about reducing tension with co-workers by taking the Disc test!