And...getting to know you...also
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Director of Operations
This is the sixth and final article in my series exploring the challenge of finding and mentoring the right people for our organizations. Interviewing is both an art and a science, and hiring decisions often come down to our gut feelings about someone. Yet lengthy interviews, filled with questions and answers, can be tedious and still leave us uncertain about whether a candidate is the right fit.
Hiring the Right People: Lessons from the Series
I discussed my views on this subject in a blog titled “Getting to Know You…” published this past May, in the blog titled “Getting to Know You too..” published this past July, in the blog titled “Getting to Know You...Also” published this past October, the blog titled “And....Getting to Know You” published this past November and in the blog titled “And....Getting to Know You...too” published this past February.
Meet the Sixth Candidate: Ricardo "F" Vega
For our sixth candidate, imagine how much more effectively we could evaluate someone's potential contribution to the team if they introduced themselves this way:
Hello, my name is Ricardo “F” Vega. I'd like to share some detailed information about myself. I've organized it into categories that I believe will interest you:
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I thrive in environments that are harmonious, cooperative, stable, and that allow me to move smoothly and easily from role to role. I find environments that are hurried and urgent, or at the other extreme, dragging and slow, to be disruptive to getting work done.
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I value history and tradition. I enjoy the present but find it increases in value when it becomes the past and I have had time to contemplate and savor it. I am cautious about the future as it can be an uncertain place with inevitable change and disruption.
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I am a patient and careful learner who tries on new ideas and information before integrating them into my life. I thrive on learning that arises out of interpersonal exchange. This exchange allows me to compare experience and share information that reinforces my values from new and different perspectives. I have difficulty with impersonal facts and learning situations that ignore the unique aspects of the learner.
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I am a careful Communicator who uses communication as a tool to strengthen and develop relationships rather than as a medium for information exchange. I prefer conversation to writing because it provides opportunities for contextual understanding, relationship development, and exchange, and I can respond fully to the emotional content.
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I distrust radical change as I find change to be a major disruption to harmony and cooperation and I believe that more will go wrong with change than will go right. Furthermore, I believe that any necessary change must be planned out well in advance of implementation, with all the consequences thought through, and people prepared gently and sensitively.
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I am motivated by the opportunity to make connections and build community. I create and develop long-lasting relationships with others that deepen over time. I have faith that others will join me if given the chance to experience the personal support and validation that true community provides.
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I experience conflict as a disruptive force that pushes people away from each other and breaks the bonds that create relationships. Even when on the side of the victors, I feel the pain and resentment of the losers and see the long-term disruptive consequences to the larger community. I lead conflicting parties to agreement by emphasizing common ground and offering a perspective that minimizes differences.
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As a team member I use my affinity for relationships to participate in and develop teams that run smoothly and harmoniously. I read the interactions within the team, constantly checking for barriers inhibiting group progress, and discreetly invite members to link around common interest, concerns, and tasks.
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As a manager I create comfortable environments within which to work and support the people who work for me. I open and maintain lines of communication with people and let them know that I am available to talk, provide instruction, listen to suggestions, and offer understanding to their situation.
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As to my Leadership approach, building, growing, and sustaining my community of followers is a top priority, but I do not direct as much as nudge followers back into the fold when necessary. I am patient and feel no hurry to move until everyone has been properly prepared and is on board, and in so doing I build a consensus for my leadership direction.
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I approach persuasion as a gentle persistent process that is accomplished through patient and subtle communication. I believe that persuasion occurs because of solid trusting relationships that have been built with others over time. I build these relationships by listening patiently and by interacting sensitively, helpfully, and personally.
How Understanding Strengths Improves Hiring Decisions
With this kind of information, it's so much easier to have a conversation with a new employee to identify the strengths that complement the team and help the employee settle into a role where they can be a valuable contributor.
Conversely, when someone is seeking employment, understanding their strengths will allow the interviewer and the interviewee to ask pointed questions during the interview to ensure that both of you are getting a candidate and a job that will utilize the candidate’s strengths to the fullest.
For example, given what we just read about Ricardo “F” Vega, this candidate is a champion for interpersonal relationships who believes in, and values, the underlying harmony and cooperation that he sees as inherent in the world. He is an excellent administrator who interprets policy and procedure for his community. It is very important for him that outsiders accurately perceive the community values, so he attends carefully to the image that his group projects and makes sure that it is consistent and appropriate. Ricardo “F” Vega appears to have the perfect set of skills for a Business Administration or Human Resources position, or as a Customer Relations Agent, among others.
Building a Strong Team with Six Different Perceptual Styles
Ricardo “G” Vega (in our November, 2021 blog), Ricardo “V” Vega (in our October, 2021 blog) and Ricardo “A” Vega (in our May, 2021 blog) would probably make a great team as they all thrive on change and dynamic environments where they can embrace variety, novelty and new activities, however, they may have a few disagreements given Ricardo “G” Vega's drive to achieve short term goals versus the Ricardo “A” Vega's lack of need to declare things complete or settled or with Ricardo “V”s comfort with high-level plans, unsupported with all the details. While not an insurmountable problem, it is one that requires direct management involvement.
Ricardo “M” Vega (in my July, 2021 blog) has the optimum skills for the development of effective processes and procedures to ensure the success of the team’s tasks. Ricardo “AD” Vega (in our February, 2022 blog) would bring in-depth analysis skills to support the quality and completeness of the team’s output. Ricardo “F” Vega would round out the team with critical communication team building skills complementing the skills contributed by the implementation group of Ricardo “G” Vega, Ricardo “V” Vega and Ricardo “A” Vega
From a management perspective, these six individuals would provide your company or team with all of the skills necessary to drum-up new opportunities (Ricardo “V” Vega), provide in-depth analysis (Ricardo “AD” Vega), develop business cases for these opportunities (Ricardo “A” Vega), implement or lead their timely implementation (Ricardo “G” Vega), develop and formalize an organized and orderly implementation (Ricardo “M” Vega), and provide team and customer support (Ricardo “F” Vega).
Matching Natural Strengths to the Right Roles
From an employer's perspective, understanding the strengths each person brings to the table makes it easier to identify the roles in which they can contribute most effectively. A successful team benefits not from having six people who think and work alike, but from bringing together individuals whose natural talents complement one another.
For job applicants, knowing your own strengths is equally valuable. It allows you to ask better questions, recognize opportunities that fit your natural abilities, and avoid settling for positions that may offer little personal satisfaction.
That is where Perceptual Style Theory can make a meaningful difference. By helping us understand how people naturally perceive the world, communicate, and approach their work, it provides valuable insight for building stronger teams and creating more satisfying professional relationships.
Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section below.
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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.
Additional information about Ricardo
