Activity Meets Vision: A Dynamic Duo (with a Few Speed Bumps)
When it comes to understanding how different Perceptual Styles interact, I’ve got a built-in case study: my wife, Lynda-Ross, and me. For those of you who don’t already know, I’m Activity, and she’s Vision. We've been married for 37 years and have worked together for most of those years. While some folks cringe at the thought of working with their spouse, we’ve found it to be overwhelmingly positive and rewarding. (For the most part—let’s not sugarcoat it entirely!)
The dynamic between Activity and Vision is fascinating. We Activity folks are drawn to Vision's intuition, willingness to take action, knack for exploring new ideas, and ability to prioritize effectively. In turn, Vision folks are often captivated by our enthusiasm, curiosity, and the ease with which we establish rapport.
But (you knew there was a "but" coming), those same strengths can also create a few challenges. Here’s what can happen when sparks fly—not the romantic kind, but the kind that sometimes make you want to pull your hair out:
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Activity frustrations with Vision: We might feel annoyed by what we see as their need to always be right, their resistance to slowing down and listening, and their tendency to make ad-hoc changes in direction.
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Vision frustrations with Activity: They might perceive us as scattered, overly anecdotal, and a bit too focused on being in the spotlight.
Now, let’s be real: no partnership is perfect, but understanding each other's Perceptual Style has allowed us to turn potential clashes into opportunities for synergy.
How We Make It Work
Lynda-Ross’ Vision traits are the perfect match for my constantly shifting world, where new ideas and patterns emerge at the drop of a hat. Together, we’re at our best when we feed off each other’s strengths. She grounds my whirlwind of ideas, putting them in time and space based on her unique perspective of what needs to be done.
That said, sometimes my ideas don’t align with her priorities. When that happens, it’s not about rejection — it’s about timing.
I’ve learned (the hard way) that convincing her to revisit an idea often requires detailed reasoning and a touch of creativity. After all, Vision folks are quick with their decisions, and then they move on to the next thing, so revisiting something can feel like being pulled backward. Activity folks can revisit a decision often and easily; to them, it’s part of the refinement process. So, I’ve learned to insert “placeholders” in our discussions – such as “I like this direction. Let me give it a little more thought before we finalize”.
On the flip side, getting her to slow down and consider a new tangent or spin-off idea requires a bit of strategy. I’ve discovered that framing my pitch properly helps ensure she’s listening with an open mind.
A Real-Life Example: Our Website Adventure
Take our recent project: updating our website. It’s a massive undertaking involving new content creation, selecting the right visuals, and handling the technical side of things like SEO optimization. To tackle it, we divided and conquered based on our strengths:
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Lynda-Ross creates the content, drawing on her expertise in Perceptual Style.
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I handle formatting the pages, technical builds, and SEO.
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We both review and refine the content, while collaborating on visual elements.
It’s a system that works—most of the time. Sure, there are moments when our different approaches create disconnects. I might get frustrated if she dismisses a feature idea I’m excited about, and she might sigh when I toss out another story or “What if we tried this?” tangent.
But here’s the thing: those disconnects don’t derail us because we’ve learned to handle them quickly. A brief conversation to clarify intent or priorities usually does the trick. And in the end, the process plays to both of our strengths, resulting in a great final product.
Tips for Finding Synergies
If you’re an Activity working with a Vision—or vice versa—here are a few tips to help you leverage your differences:
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Understand Intent: Recognize that disagreements aren’t personal. They often stem from different ways of processing and prioritizing information.
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Play to Strengths: Divide responsibilities in a way that highlights each person’s natural talents.
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Communicate Regularly: A quick check-in can prevent a minor misunderstanding from snowballing.
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Be Flexible: Sometimes, you need to slow down and adapt your approach to keep things running smoothly.
Learning to navigate the differences between Activity and Vision has deepened both my personal and professional relationship with Lynda-Ross. It’s a testament to the fact that when you embrace and work with Perceptual Style differences, you can create something amazing—whether that’s a website, a thriving partnership, or a shared life together.
Curious about your own Perceptual Style and how it might influence your relationships? Take the Perceptual Style Assessment today and start unlocking new ways to connect, collaborate, and thrive.
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About Ricardo
Ricardo Vega is the Director of Operations at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd. and a certified Perceptual Style Guide. He has over 40 years of experience in technology, product and project delivery, disaster recovery, and team coaching. He specializes in helping entrepreneurs and teams with Product Planning & Delivery, Team Building, and Change Management.
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