You know your style and are asking “now what?” Expand your social styles knowledge. Practice recognizing different styles, review backup styles and learn when and how to flex your style. Working today involves interacting with both colleagues and patrons, and success depends on the effectiveness of this interaction.

1. Flexing Your Style: It’s Not About Yoga, It’s About a Better
Workplace
Our facilitator:
Debbi MacLeod
Director, Colorado Talking Book Library and
State Publications Library

2. Why?
Become a better
team player
Provide better
customer service

3. Roadmap
Review behavioral styles
Review your backup style
Learn to recognize styles
Learn when & how to flex your style

4. Roadmap
Review behavioral styles
Review your backup style
Learn to recognize styles
Learn when & how to flex your style

5. Review the Basics
Analytical Driver
Focus on facts & logic Focus on results
Act when payoff is clear Take charge
Careful not to commit too quickly Make quick decisions
Like challenges
Amiable Expressive
Cooperate to gain agreement Create excitement & involvement
Provide support Share ideas, dreams, enthusiasm
Communicate trust & confidence Motivate, inspire, persuade
Source: Social Styles Handbook - Wilson

6. Roadmap
Review behavioral styles
Review your backup style
Learn to recognize styles
Learn when & how to flex your style

7. Stress is High – Backup Styles
Avoiding Autocratic
Analytical Driver
Amiable Expressive
Acquiescing Attacking

8. Roadmap
Review behavioral styles
Review your backup style
Learn to recognize styles
Learn when & how to flex your style

9. Assertiveness
Analytical Driver
Less Ask Tell More
Amiable Expressive

10. Responsiveness
Less
Analytical Driver
Amiable Expressive
More

11. Putting it Together
Task * Less Responsiveness
Shows little facial express
Analytical Uses fewer gestures Driver
Sits & stands straight
Speaks with less inflection
Refers less to feelings
Tell * More Assertiveness
Ask * Less Assertiveness
Gesture less forcefully Uses facts & logic as rationale Gesture forcefully
Leans backward More task oriented Leans forward
Intermittent eye contact More comfortable working alone Sustained eye contact
Speaks slowly Speaks precisely Speaks quickly
Speaks softly Limits small talk & stories Speaks loudly or intensely
Pauses frequently Pauses rarely
States opinions carefully States opinions strongly
Shows more facial express Tells when delegating
Asks when delegating
Talks with hands Quicker to address problems
Slower to address problems
Relaxes body posture More confrontational
Less confrontational
Speaks with inflection Takes less time to decide
Takes more time to decide
Expresses feelings more
Uses opinions & people as rationale
Less task oriented
More comfortable working in group
Amiable Speaks casually Expressive
Makes small talk & tells stories
People * More Responsiveness
Source: Social Styles Handbook - Wilson

12. Recognizing Styles

13. Recognizing Styles

14. Recognizing Styles

15. Recognizing Styles

16. Roadmap
Review behavioral styles
Review your backup style
Learn to recognize styles
Learn when & how to flex your style

17. Style Flex
“Style flex is a way of taking responsibility for the results
you achieve through your behavior.”
“..style flex is, in large part, the practice of accenting the
many behaviors you have in common with the other
person.”
Bolton & Bolton page 55 & 71

18. Flexing Styles – Why
Changing work place – no one works alone
Success or failure depends on
working well with others

19. Flexing Styles - When
When something When the other
important is at Not all the time person is
stake stressed

20. Flexing Styles - How
Know your dominant style
Consider style of person in question
Consider what they need from you
Decide what adjustment you will make

21. Scenario 1
In past years Gil had been only partially successful in getting his budget approved by his boss, Joe. The
meetings at which Gil presented his budget for his department had not gone well. No matter how
enthusiastically Gil outlined the plans for his department, his boss seemed uninvolved. Gil’s colorful visuals
did not impress Joe. Gil felt he did not get a good hearing before Joe began eliminating major dollar
amounts related to important projects. Tensions would gradually rise during the meeting, leaving everyone
somewhat uncomfortable. The scenario had occurred often enough so that it was highly predictable.”
Source: Bolton & Bolton

22. Wrapping up
“Style flex is a way of taking responsibility for the
results you achieve through your behavior.”

23. On the web:
http://cslinsession.cvlsites.org